Play Kim's game: remember the tray
Twenty minutes, a tray of household odds and ends and a dish towel. Study, cover, then remember: the classic 1911 game that trains the eye and the memory.
- Time
- 20 min
- Cost
- $0
- Ages
- 5 and up
- Where
- Kitchen table
Since 1911: The 1911 list includes knives, nuts and corks. Leave out anything sharp, and anything small enough for a young sibling to swallow. Otherwise nothing here has changed since 1911.
What you need
- A tray or table and a dish towel or coat to cover it
- 15 to 20 safe small objects: a spoon, a sock, a toy car, a key, a crayon
- Paper and pencil for each player
- A timer or watch
Before you start
- No sharp objects on the tray, and nothing small enough for a baby or toddler to put in their mouth.
- Keep the little ones' reach in mind. If a younger sibling is around, count items back into the box when you finish.
Steps
- Fill the tray. Put 15 to 20 safe objects on the tray, cover them and write a list.
- Look for one minute. Uncover for one minute, looking only, then cover again.
- Write what you remember. Write, draw or whisper every object you remember.
- Check the list. Uncover the tray, count what was remembered, and say what worked.
- Swap roles. Swap: the kid sets the tray and Dad plays.
- Try a memory trick. Replay, linking the objects in a silly story to help recall.
If it stalls
- If the kid gets frustrated, cut the minute to 90 seconds or drop the number of items.
- Group objects by color or type in your head: three red things, two metal things.
Objects remembered
Signed off: can do this.Signed by Date