So, you are stuck in a very long line at the supermarket behind that woman who has 65,000 coupons, most of which are expired, but she is insisting that the checker call the manager, and your 4-year-old is getting whiny, and your 6-year-old is getting grumpy, and you are really wanting a hot bath, but there you are in the checkout line with a cart full of groceries and two tired kids. You could give into their pleas for a candy bar, or you could use this time to get them thinking by trying one of these quick and easy games:

Name Five Things That…

• Name five things that are soft.
• Name five things that are pointy.
• Name five things that are blue.
• Name five things that are made of glass.
• Name five things that you can read.

That’s the whole game. We used to play it in the car when my kids were little.

Mental Math

Make up a math story with several parts. Tell it slowly so that your child can do the mental math as you tell the story. For example:

Katie had eight crayons. She left two of them out in the sun, and they melted. The next day, she gave the black and yellow crayons to her friend, Tim, so he could make a bumble bee. Later, her mother gave her a new box of eight more crayons. How many crayons does Katie have now?

What Am I?

Give your child three or four clues to guess what you are. Try to make your clues go from broad to specific. For example:

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