This open-ended game gives each player a chance to lead the play while trying to challenge the other players to be creative.
Set up: Each player is given a piece of paper or a white board and something to write/draw with.
Play: The youngest player goes first by writing or drawing anything they want and the other players draw or write what they do. Then the next player goes and writes or draws one simple yet creative thing on their page or board. Feel free to add to the original item on the page.
Tips & Suggestions…
- Keep plenty of plain paper handy (copy or drawing).
- If you use a white board, have something to erase with.
- Use different mediums and items to mark your papers with such as crayons, pencils, markers and watercolor paints and a brush or a cotton swab.
- The game continues until players no longer wish to play.
- Allowing the youngest player to lead the game gives them a sense of control.
- This game helps build fine motor skills.
- Introduces/reviews cool shapes, squiggles, letters and numbers in fun and creative ways.
- Learning how to write is less stressful.
Personal Note: This game always reminded me of ‘Simon Says’ played on paper. One of my children started this game when they were very young and my other children enjoyed playing it as well. (I tend to give my kids crayons and paper regularly as soon as they stop eating them!)
This game began when I started to playfully copy what my child did and then she asked me to do something on my page so she could copy what I did. Soon we were taking turns drawing fun things.
Every so often I would incorporate lines and shapes, then letters of her name and numbers along with their value among the squiggles and loop-de-loops, but mostly we made creative things on our paper and challenged the other players to copy it.
I usually play this game with very young kids and keep it fun. I never force them to do what I do and if they want to lead the play that day, I follow whatever they do. Young children tend to know when someone is trying to teach them something, so keeping a playful mood is important.
We would sometimes listen to various types of music and make the designs we felt went with the beat or rhythm.
We’ve played a similar game that included folding paper and sometimes we added scissor skills to the activity when the player was ready to use them. This is a great way to use up junk mail or paper headed to the recycle bin!
Building Math Skills Naturally – Offers links to activities that build math skills in exploratory way.(Coming Soon!)
No More Tears! – Introduction page.
FranW.com 
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