6 matching activities — all with full instructions, safety notes, and ways to adapt.
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Family Drawing Chain
Ages 4–1220 minEasyIndoorFamily
Each player adds to a shared drawing, one contribution at a time. There is no plan — the picture grows with each turn, often becoming surprising or funny. The activity works with any number of players and does not require drawing skill.
Adult Preparation
Lay the paper on a flat surface. Decide who draws first.
Steps
1The first player draws one element — a building, a creature, a shape — anywhere on the paper.
2Pass the paper to the next player. They add one element that connects to or responds to what is already there.
3Continue around the group until the paper feels complete.
4Look at the finished picture together and talk about what appeared.
Children can practise: Creative expression, turn-taking, and observing how contributions affect the whole.
You will need
A large sheet of paper or several A4 sheets joined with tape
Pencils, crayons, or felt-tip pens
Make it easier
Give each player a prompt: "add something that flies", "add something underground".
Try next
Each player must add something that connects to both neighbouring drawings. Try a longer chain where each player covers their contribution except a small edge before passing the paper on.
Safety note
Use non-toxic markers and pens. Keep lids on when not in use to prevent drying out or spills.
Cleanup
Leave the finished drawing to display, or fold it and keep in a family drawing file.
Each family member writes one or two questions on strips of paper and adds them to the bowl. The group takes turns drawing and answering. Questions can be curious, silly, thoughtful, or imaginative. The activity encourages conversation without requiring it to flow naturally from shared experience.
Adult Preparation
Cut paper into strips. Write a few starter questions to demonstrate the range: "If you could only eat one meal for a week, what would it be?" "What is one thing you would like to learn how to do?" "What animal do you think I am most like?"
Steps
1Each player writes one or two questions and folds the paper.
2Mix all questions in the bowl.
3Take turns drawing and answering a question.
4The person who wrote the question can share why they chose it if they wish.
5No one is required to answer a question they find too personal.
Children can practise: Conversation, listening, and learning more about other family members.
You will need
Strips of paper
A pen
A bowl or bag to mix the questions
Make it easier
Adults write most of the questions. Young children can dictate questions.
Try next
Write themed sets — questions only about food, only about imaginary situations, only about the past.
Safety note
Ensure questions are appropriate and kind. Any participant may pass on a question without explanation.
Cleanup
Keep the questions in the bowl for another session, or start fresh each time.
Players work together to build the tallest tower they can using only the available items. There is no individual winner — the goal is shared. The challenge encourages negotiation about which items to add next and how to keep the structure stable.
Adult Preparation
Gather a selection of stackable items. Clear a stable flat surface.
Steps
1Lay out all available building items.
2Players take turns adding one item to the tower.
3When the tower falls, start again and try a different approach.
4Each round, discuss what made the tower fall and what might help it go higher.
Children can practise: Negotiation, spatial reasoning, problem-solving, and cooperative play.
You will need
Blocks, boxes, books, or any stable stackable items
Make it easier
Use only identical blocks or boxes. Keep the tower short.
Try next
Challenge: the tower must support a small toy on top. Try building cooperatively with each player using only one hand.
Safety note
Ensure items are not too heavy to handle safely. Supervise young children near tall towers that could fall on them.
A one-minute timer creates a brief, focused burst of tidying that works better for most children than an open-ended "tidy your room" instruction. Each round focuses on one type of item — all the books, all the shoes, everything on the floor. Short rounds maintain engagement.
Adult Preparation
Decide which area or category to focus on. Set the timer.
Steps
1Call out what to tidy: "Find all the books and put them on the shelf."
2Start the timer.
3Everyone tidies that one type of item for one minute.
4When the timer sounds, stop.
5Start a new round with a different item.
Children can practise: Focus, following instructions, and a sense of contributing to shared spaces.
You will need
A timer or phone with alarm
A slightly messy room
Make it easier
Make the task very specific and small — "put five things back where they belong."
Try next
Challenge players to see how much more they can tidy in each round. Let the child call out what category comes next.
Safety note
Ensure tasks are age-appropriate and that children are not handling heavy or breakable items. Supervise younger children around cleaning products — these should not be part of the activity.
A family story map is a drawing of a shared journey — a holiday, a regular walk, a trip to visit someone. Each person contributes their memory of different points along the route. The finished map is not geographically accurate — it reflects what each person noticed and remembered, which makes it personal and interesting.
Adult Preparation
Choose a journey or walk that everyone involved shared. Lay out the large sheet of paper.
Steps
1Draw a simple start and end point at opposite sides of the paper.
2Each person marks one memory from the journey — a place, a sight, a moment.
3Connect the memories with lines and add labels.
4Compare what different people remembered or noticed.
5Display the completed map.
Children can practise: Shared memory and storytelling, drawing, and noticing different perspectives.
You will need
A large sheet of paper
Crayons, pencils, or pens
Make it easier
Use a very familiar route, such as the walk to school or a regular outing.
Try next
Add a legend key for the symbols used. Create a story map for a journey from a book or story.
Safety note
Use non-toxic materials. No specific hazards.
Cleanup
Display the map or fold it into a family memory folder.
Children design a board game path on paper, deciding what spaces do — miss a turn, move forward two, answer a question — and then play the game they created. The design process is as much the activity as the playing itself.
Adult Preparation
Lay out the large paper. Help younger children lay out the path squares in advance if needed.
Steps
1Draw a winding path of around twenty to thirty squares on the paper.
2Write simple instructions in some squares: "Go back one", "Skip a turn", "Free choice".
3Add illustrations if desired.
4Place tokens at the start.
5Each player rolls the dice and moves. Follow the instruction on the square reached.
6First to reach the end wins.
Children can practise: Creative design, planning, reading instructions, and cooperative play.
You will need
Large paper or card
Crayons or pens
A dice
Small tokens (a button, a pebble, a small toy for each player)
Make it easier
Adult draws the path in advance. Focus on colouring and playing rather than designing.
Try next
Add challenge squares with simple questions or physical tasks. Make a new version with a theme — space, jungle, ocean.
Safety note
Use non-toxic materials. Check that tokens are not small enough to be a choking hazard.
Cleanup
Fold and store the board for another session, or create a new one each time.