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Story trail

This is a fun way to help your child develop listening and thinking skills by using the imagination. The good thing about this activity is that it can be adapted for any age group and can also be done anywhere, even while waiting for a bus or train. It needs a minimum of two people, but the more taking part, the more fun it can be.

The first person starts by setting a story scene with a sentence.

For example: The man jumped out of the bin where he was hiding and looked around anxiously…

The next person then adds to the story with another sentence.

For example: He could hear the police sirens fading into the distance…

You then take it in turns to build on the story and see where it takes you.

Tip: You may like to set a maximum number for turns in each story to prevent it turning into a never ending one!

Treasure hunt

Turn your home into a treasure hunt zone and teach your children how to read and think about instructions.

You will need some ‘treasure’ for this game – doesn’t need to be anything elaborate, perhaps some spare coins, a small toy or some fruit.

The idea is to hide the treasure in various places throughout your home (for example, in cupboards, under the bed, and behind the sofa).

Then, beginning from a particular location in your home, write a series of instructions on how to find each item by using coordinates such as ‘Go left at the stairs’, ‘Look opposite the bathroom’, ‘Walk two feet from the fridge’ and so on, leading the seeker to the hidden treasure.

If your child is old enough, get him or her to write some instructions of their own and see if you can find the treasure yourself!

Tip: You can make this activity more challenging by adding word or arithmetic clues to the instructions (such as ‘Go to the room where the water runs…’ or ‘Take 2 x 6 steps’).

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