Only One Child - How Can We Play Games?

How can I play some of these fun learning games if I only have one child?

This is a question I am often asked, and I would like to offer the following suggestions: 

1. Many games can be made that rely on luck, rather than ability, to win. Board games can depend on the luck of the toss of dice, the spin of a spinner, or the play suggested with the game cards to determine a winner.

While, the players must answer questions, or give answers to math facts, or some other skill, their actual move around the board is decided by luck...this evens out the chances of winning the game.


Thus, the child can play with Mom or Dad or even Grandma and have an equal chance of winning.


2. Parents who are playing with a young child, can occasionally give incorrect responses, keeping the child on his toes, while he checks the answer key.


3. I think this is the most creative suggestion and this idea comes from my daughter Cortney, now a mother of 4 of my grandchildren, but who was about 5 at the time.


She was ttired of playing against me. One day she suggested that her dolls and teddy bears would like to play. She gathered a couple of them and gave them each a bingo card to play. Of course, this meant that someone had to help them...which she was happy to do.


So, instead of one players, she could choose to have as many as she wanted. The very nice bonus is that she got LOTS of practice on whatever skill we were drilling as she helped each of them to play. And an added bonus was...she never lost a game...one of the dolls would win and she would congratulate them and console the losers, encouraging them that they might win the NEXT time.