5 Games You'll Actually Like Playing With Your Kids

Source: Photo by Isaac Quesada on Unsplash

Recently, a parenting op-ed spread like wildfire across the internet, which argued that we should never high-five children. First, this seems like an incredibly specific parenting directive. And second, how dare you? High-fiving has been my absolute jam since, like, forever.

I mean, I’m the guy who dedicated some serious page space in his book Play Your Way Sane to a game called "High Fives for Everyone," where you’re supposed to just go around high-fiving people to your heart's content. Because high-fiving is fun, playful, and a great way to help us come out of our shells and connect with others.

Thankfully, science journalist Melinda Wenner Moyer was on the case and shot many a hole in the anti-high-fiving article. In her substack, she explains that not high-fiving children to maintain a sense of discipline and obedience is old school. It’s a remnant of what’s called authoritarian parenting, where adults expect children to be seen and not heard and follow the letter of adults’ law.

Instead, Moyer reminds readers that research points to a parenting style called authoritative as the more effective goal. About authoritative parenting, she writes:

parents are still in charge, yes — but they also treat children with respect. They set limits, but they engage in conversations about those limits, and sometimes even negotiate with their kids. They are warm and loving and sometimes give their children high-fives.

Moyer links readers to research that shows authoritative parenting leads to fewer behavioral problems, improved academic outcomes, and increased honesty, kindness, and compassion.

And not only are we allowed to high-five children as aspiring authoritative parents, but we’re also allowed to connect with them through play. In fact, we should be encouraged to connect with them through play.

I’ve talked before about how game-changing (pun intended) integrating mirroring and improv’s Yes, And rule into your relationship with your children can be, but I wanted to also give you some games you’ll actually enjoy playing with your kiddos, too. So here are five of my favorite improv-inspired games to play with children to help boost your connection and their creativity and collaborative skills.

1. 7 Things

7 Things is a simple category game that’s great for helping you and your family build your divergent thinking skills.

To play, simply give the person next to you (you could play with two people or a group) a category. Maybe types of cars or styles of houses or languages. Then, the person whose been given the category has to name seven things in that category. Each time they name something the rest of the group yells out the number. “1! 2! 3!...”

After they’ve named seven things, everyone yells out, “7 Things!” and then the person who’s just finished naming things, gives the next person a new category.

Some things to keep in mind for 7 Things:

• The goal is to name things quickly, not to be precise.
• Don’t try to be perfect.
• It’s okay to make mistakes.
• However, you’re also not trying to be silly and name incorrect things.

2. Lip Sync Assassin

This is one of my favorite bathtime games to play with my girls. One person talks, and the other tries to lip-sync the first person’s words.

I love to play this game whenever the mood strikes and sometimes without saying we’re going to play. I just start lip-syncing and see if one of the girls wants to join in the fun.

When playing Lip Sync Assassin, don’t forget:

• Go wild with your facial expressions. Experiment with different big choices.
• Exaggerate. Don’t play it safe.
• Take turns, so everyone gets to try it.

3. Word at a Time Letter

I love to play Word at a Time Letter when there’s downtime or children are complaining about being bored. It’s a great way to boost listening skills and build creativity. It’s also a sneaky way to help children develop their storytelling skills.

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You can play with two people or a group. All you have to do is recite an original letter on the fly by saying one word per person. Maybe one person says, “Dear,” and the next says, “Abby.” Then the next person says, “I” then the next person says “love” “how” “you’ve” “redecorated” “your” “shed.” And so on.

For ultimate Word at a Time Letter success, keep in mind:

• The goal is to recite a letter that makes sense.
• The goal is not to be funny or creative. It’s just to complete a logical letter that makes sense.
• Don’t let little mistakes derail the letter. Just keep going.
• But also, don’t try to make mistakes.

4. Monologue Hotspot

An exercise from iO Theater’s The Truth in Comedy called Hotspot is one of the absolute most terrifying. People stand in a circle, and the group chooses someone to go to the center. They’re in the “hotspot.” Then they get a suggestion and have to sing a song based on that suggestion.

Everyone around the circle has to sing and dance along. When the first song reminds someone of another song, they change places with the center person. Now they’re in the hotspot and have to sing that new song. And on and on.

As a nonsinger (My lowest grades in college were in Calculus and Voice. I’m legit bad.), Hotspot is terrifying, so I play a nonsinging version that’s still great for building group camaraderie and getting your brain going.

Monologue Hotspot is the same as Hotspot, only instead of singing songs, people go to the middle to tell a true story that the suggestion reminds them of. Let’s say the suggestion is corn. I might tell a story about how I grew up on a farm in Ohio, and my dad dreamed of buying a combine so he could harvest his own corn every fall and not have to rent expensive equipment.

My story might remind someone in the circle of a farmers' market they just went to, so they tap me on the shoulder and start telling their story. And on and on.

For the ultimate Hotspot benefits, please remember to:

• Tell truthful stories. They don’t even have to be that interesting. Candor is key.
• Let each story go on for a bit. If everyone’s cutting everyone else off too fast, it quickly becomes chaotic. The storytelling part is important.
• Enjoy each other’s stories. This is a great way for people to get to know each other.
• Share the air time. This is an ensemble game, so no one should hog the hotspot.
• Encourage everyone to participate.

5. Got It

The final fun improv-inspired game that’s great for parents and children is called Got It. This one is fun for older children. Think pre-teens and teens who aren’t too cool for school or who just happen to be in the right mood.

It works better as a group game. Two people start by thinking of a word. Then the whole group counts down, “3-2-1,” and the two people yell out their words. Let’s say the two words are sandwich and hammock.

Next, ask everyone to raise their hand if they can think of a word that connects the first two words or a word that’s “in between” those two words. When two people raise their hands, the group counts them down again, and they yell out their two words. Let’s say the two new words are “vacation” and “summer.” This goes on until two people simultaneously say the same word.

Got It is a fun way for people to practice listening and collaboration.

For the best Got It possible, don’t forget:

• Keep side chatter to a minimum. The group is trying to get on the same page, which is much easier when individuals concentrate on the game.
• Do not repeat words.
• Keep inside jokes and proper names out of it. These can exclude some people from the game.
• Remember the goal is to say the same word at the same time, which means thinking about the most likely answer for that particular group.

Have Fun Together

These quick, easy games make connecting with your children creative and collaborative. Board games and sports are great, but there’s nothing like an improv-inspired game. They allow families to be creative together and can be played almost anywhere.

Next time your kid says they’re bored or you’re trying to prevent them from falling into an iPad wormhole, bust out one of these five games for a little bit of connection and a whole lot of laughs.