It is about a 10 minute walk to my local library, which isn't too far but can seem a very long way with three children when the youngest doesn't want to walk and is capable of protesting loudly the whole way. So a while back I invented the monster game as a way of passing the journey. I have been surprised by its enduring popularity with all three and even my eldest son asked to play as we walked home yesterday, even though it was just the two of us.
It's very simple (hardly deserving of the term 'invented'!): If you had a pet monster....what colour would it be? what kind of skin would it have? what would it eat? where would it live? how many legs/heads/eyes would it have?/how big would it be? and so on. We each have a go asking a question and then everybody takes turns answering for their own monster.
It began as a technique to keep little minds away from tired little legs but has developed into quite a family favourite. The part of my mind that likes to feel that what I do is educational is satisfied that it is a game that stimualtes the imagination as well as encouraging turn-taking and listening skills, as well as the conversational lesson of keeping to the point! I must confess that I too enjoy making up monsters and find that the monster in my imagination is quite varied depending on my mood, (sometimes huge, red and fire-breathing , sometimes small, golden and fluffy.)
Today's photo is of one of my very favourite monsters of all!
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