Three for Thursday from The Parent’s Play Book
Squaring off, team Chess, and acting out
Quick win
Dots & Boxes
~10 mins
A simple pen and paper game for two players.
How to try it:
Draw a grid of equally spaced dots (around 10 x 10).
Take turns drawing one straight line between two neighbouring dots.
Lines can be horizontal or vertical only.
If you complete a square, write your initial inside it and take another turn.
If no square is made, play passes to the other player.
Keep going until all possible lines are drawn.
The player with the most squares at the end wins.
After school activity
Play Chess on the same team (against the computer)
~20 mins
Playing games against young children can be tricky – there’s often a big skill gap and losing can be hard for them.
Instead, try playing on the same team against a computer opponent. You can talk through moves, support their learning, and still play properly without having to hold back.
How to try it:
Download the free Chess.com app on your phone, tablet or computer.
You can create an account or play as a guest.
Choose “Play Bots”.
Start at the easiest beginner level and move up as you improve together.
Let your child choose their own moves – that’s how they learn. Once they’ve chosen, pause to talk through the options before making the move.
(Optional) We like to use a real chessboard as well. Make the move on the board, enter it into the app, then copy the computer’s reply back onto the board.
Your children will still experience losing, and that’s important. But when you play on the same team, you win and lose together. This gives you the chance to model how to handle disappointment in a moment you’re both sharing, rather than after you’ve just beaten them.
Weekend project
Make your own charades
~30 mins
Create your own set of charades. Quick to make and ideal for playing with younger children.
How to try it:
Each player makes three charade cards, with both a word and a picture. Your children can make their own if they’d like (or not).
Keep the ideas child-friendly – objects, animals, or characters they’ll recognise.
Put all the cards in a bowl or hat.
Option 1: Split into teams and take turns acting out as many cards as possible in one minute.
Option 2: Take turns acting out one card at a time. The first person to shout the correct answer keeps the card as a point.
Once all the cards are used, either put them back in for another round or count the points to declare a winner.
Once you’ve got the basics down, try “crazy charades” by mixing things up. For example, a weasel walking on water or a beaver biting a bear’s bottom.
Share your creations with us online using #TheParentsPlayBook – we’d love to see them.
Three for Thursday
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