If your child talks about a favorite game all day, you already have a doorway into a creative activity. Ask what they love about it: the character, the world, the puzzles, or the choices.
Then invite them to make a new game on paper. You need one sheet, a pencil, and a coin or small object to use as a player token.
Make a map
Draw a starting point and a finish line. Add three places between them: perhaps a bridge, a library, and a mountain. Your child gets to name each place and decide what it looks like.
Give the player a mission
Maybe the player must bring a book to a friend, solve a riddle, or collect three clues. The mission should be possible to explain in one sentence. If the child wants to invent a character, ask what makes that player helpful.
Add choices, not just obstacles
At one place, draw two paths. One might be shorter but require a puzzle; the other might lead to a helper. Ask your child what happens on each path. That turns a map into a story about decisions.
Play and change the rules
Move the token across the page. Let the child explain each event aloud. After one round, ask what would make the level more fun. Revising the map is part of designing it.
Explore the Gaming Universe and why video games can inspire creativity and big dreams. If your child wants a longer project, the free Create Your Own Video Game activity workbook offers another starting point. Then head back to The Playground.
