Arts & Crafts
Make a Family Adventure Board
Design a cooperative board game where getting there together matters more than winning.
Ages 5 to 8
60 minutes
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Get ready
5 minutes. Set out drawing supplies on a clear table or floor.
What you’ll need
Paper, crayons and four large folded paper markers. Optional: low-tack paper tape, handled by an adult.
Let’s play
1. Draw a short path with about twelve large spaces and choose a shared destination.
2. Create four action symbols together, such as tell a joke, invent a creature, name a kind action and swap places.
3. Add a few symbols to the path. Make large folded paper markers instead of small game pieces.
4. Take turns moving one space and trying its action. Help each other when a prompt feels tricky.
5. Play again, changing one rule together. Finish by naming your favorite part of the adventure.
Your part in the adventure
Be a teammate and a willing tester. Let your child explain the rules, and help make them fair.
What they’re discovering
Making a game and then changing the rules brings together order, cooperation, flexible thinking and story.
Before you begin
Skip dice, coins and anything small. Keep the paper markers big, and handle the tape yourself. Stop or shorten the game when interest fades.
Keep the idea going
Short on time? Draw six spaces. Need to burn energy? Act out a favorite creature beside the table. Ages 6 to 8 can write the action cards themselves. If the game bogs down, let them invent a shortcut square.
Every child is different. Adjust activities for their age and abilities, and stay close by. These are play ideas, not medical or developmental advice.