What Would They Do?

Directions:

We've all thought it: You're stuck in some kind of difficult situation and you wonder what your favorite person—a friend you admire, even a storybook hero—would do in similar circumstances. The same idea can turn any wait into a game. And when you play in the doctor's office, the game can give your child the encouragement he or she needs to get through an anxious situation.

Here's how to get started. Take quick stock of your surroundings. Are you waiting to see the dentist? Ask your child what he or she thinks his or her favorite storybook character might do if he or she were visiting the dentist. What kind of dentist would Goldilocks visit? And what would the dentist say to Goldilocks? "Somebody's been sitting in my chair and it fits just right!"

What about the doctor? What kind of doctor would Mrs. Sprat visit? What would be her problem? "I just can't seem to lose any weight." "Well," the doctor might say, "have you tried making your dish run away with a spoon?"

More on: Games for the Whole Family

Excerpted from:

© 2005 by Steve and Ruth Bennett. Excerpted from 365 Unplugged Family Fun Activities with permission of its publisher, Perseus Books Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

To order this book visit perseusbooksgroup.com.