Today we are proud to present one of my kids' all-time favorite activities.  I'm not exactly sure why this one excites them so, but it does.



For today's activity, your kids are going to help you make a mental inventory.  You guys can choose to mentally inventory all the kids' toys--or just certain ones.  For instance, my boys have a bunch of action figures called Playmobil.  For this activity, we sat down at the kitchen table -- away from the actual toys -- and made a list of every item of Playmobil they own.



I got out a pencil and a blank piece of paper.  I asked my kids to name everything in their "Playmobil bin."  Everything means everything, no matter how big or how small.



For truly exciting results, it's important to pursue details.  It's not enough for the kids to say merely, "Spiderman Action Figure" stuff.  Instead, you guys have to really list every item:  "throwable" web, power pack, Spidey snack, and so forth.



This activity could work well with many different toys or important possessions:  Barbies, toy tools or foods, and so on.  You don't want to choose a set of toys with many indistinct pieces.  Our Legos, for instance, have so many little, similar pieces that we can't think up all of them.  But a "Mermaid Barbie" and a "Princess Barbie crown" -- those are items that kids can remember and think about.



We hope you enjoy this one.  Inventorying is fun!

For more great ideas, visit Today is Fun!