Simple Game for Dads to Play with Kids

I remember as a small child, waiting patiently for my father to come home from work. We had this fun thing we did where he would ask me questions about my day and I would give details that were outlandish. His job was to playfully figure out what my day was really like.  We would both laugh when he acted as if he just figured out I wasn’t actually a paramedic at the age of seven.

Although I feel certain my memory of this exchange isn’t exactly the way my father remembers it, I do know that I felt heard. He listened to the answers I gave in response to his questions. I felt like an important part of his coming home. Over the years, time with my father changed, as it does for all of us, but the memory of time spent with my father, being heard, is something I will always cherish.

If you’d like to create the same kind of memory with your own children, but aren’t quite sure where to start, the following idea from Reb Bradley, keynote speaker at both 2016 THSC Conventions and founder of Family Ministries, will get you off on the right foot. The portion below was taken directly from his website, www.familyministries.com.

This is a game I created for my family. There are no winners or losers–just Dad with a stack of cards, each printed with a question. Any time of day when the family is gathered, Dad might reach into his pocket, pull out a card, and ask a question of each family member. It’s amazing what our children reveal about themselves and their values when asked provocative questions.

The goal is not to test Bible knowledge or manipulate the children into saying what they think you want to hear. The goal of the questions is just for you to get to know your children for who they are. Their answers to non-spiritual sounding questions can reveal a lot about them and their actual values.

Click on the link and it will take you to a PDF, which you can print out and cut into cards. You can even think up additional questions and create your own. All I ask is that you send me your additional questions, so I can add them to the card sheets. You can find the cards by clicking on the following link: http://www.familyministries.com/family_game.pdf.

[bctt tweet=”Hear your children and get to know who they are… #homeschool #THSCConvention” username=”thsc”]

Take time to really visit with your children. Create memories with them that will last a lifetime. Before you know it, times will change, and so will your conversations. Invest in this treasured relationship.

For more information on ways to engage your children and to hear more from Reb and Bev Bradley, be sure to attend the 2016 Conventions, beginning  in Arlington on Thursday and in The Woodlands on July 21-23. Remember that THSC member adults attend for free. Join today and support THSC, as together we are Keeping Texas Families Free!