During the summer, many families travel. Those hours in the car can seem to last forever. While some people pack a handheld video game or pop in a movie to keep their kids entertained, consider adding two more items to your bag. Paper. And Pencils. Your kids can use these to do an easy and creative game my children used to call Secret Silly Pictures, although I’m sure there’s a more professional name for it out there. It works best with three people, but you can make it work with one more or one less. Follow these steps:

1. Each person folds a sheet of paper into thirds accordion style. Only one section should be visible at a time.
2. For each stage of this game, keep the drawing secret. This is important because no one else should have any clue about what the other people are drawing.
3. At the same time and in ONLY the top section of their paper, everyone draws a head of some sort. The head could belong to a human, dragon, fish, bird, or whatever. Where the neck connects to the body, the first drawer extends the lines to show up on the middle section of the paper.
4. Pass papers to the right with ONLY the second section and neck lines showing. (No peeking at what the first person sketched.) Starting with the neck, the next person extends the lines downward and draws the torso of any creature. Since they cannot see the head the first person drew, they will not know what type of body to add. (That’s what makes it fun.) Add arms or wings or tentacles plus a belly. Just like with the neck, extend the lines for the base of body into the third section, then fold it so neither the first nor second section is visible.
5. Pass the papers around one last time. On the final section, each person must draw the lower part of a body—legs or wheels or claws or whatever their imagination desires.
6. Once everyone completes the final portion, open the papers to show all three sections. We reveal ours one at a time so we can enjoy each unique creation.

The images turn out pretty funny, and my kids always have a good laugh. Often, they want to do a second picture or create a story about the one they just made. As a bonus, this game isn’t limited to the car or to any particular age group. Last month, my twenty-some year-old daughter and two friends decided to play it. The picture with this article is one of their hilarious results.

If you have time, share Ephesians 2:10 (NIV): For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Point out how marvelous God’s creation is, and how wonderfully creative He must be to design every creature and give each one a purpose.

Discuss: what are some special qualities God has given to you? How can you use those characteristics to help others?

I hope you have as much fun with this as my family did!

by Lori Z. Scott

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