Play helps to reduce family stress, improves relationships, and lightens the mood when life gets tough. One great way to make play a part of your daily family routine is to have a quick game at the dinner table in the evening. Here’s one you can try. Grab an oven mitt (if you don’t have one, us a paper bag or something you can put your hand into that you can’t see through). Find one of the kid’s little toys that’s small enough to fit inside, like an action figure or doll house furniture. Put it in the oven mitt. Tell everyone at the table they can feel what’s in the mitt, but not to say what it is. After everyone has had a chance, ask people what they thought it was starting with the youngest player, then show the item.

A twist: this can be a great for practicing self control, because sometimes kids forget to wait and blurt out what the item is as soon as they feel it. If they do, remind them of the directions and tell them how happy you are when they wait to talk because it means they’re using their self control.

For more great dinner game ideas, check out this link to Family Fun. I’m not getting anything for posting this link. It’s just a product that we’ve found useful. Sarah got it for me as a birthday present a couple years ago.