Invent a Board Game
They design the board, write the rules, and then make you play it.
A trail of clues around the house, ending in something small.
Ten minutes of setup buys thirty minutes of genuine excitement, and the clues can be drawn rather than written.
Each clue requires holding information in mind while moving through space, which is working memory doing real work. For children who are not yet reading, drawn clues give the same benefit without the barrier.
Keep hiding places away from stairs, windows and anything they would need to climb to reach.
Collect the clues as you go so there is nothing left to tidy.
They design the board, write the rules, and then make you play it.
A cardboard frame, a white sheet, a lamp, and a proper show.
Teach them a game adults actually play.
The building is fine. The knocking down is the whole point.
Cushions, chairs and tape turn your floor into a course they will run ten times.
Music on, dance. Music off, freeze. That is the whole game.