Even better, it can reduce anxiety, teach creative storytelling, and help kids focus and learn empathy, all while mentally exhausting the entire lot. My kids have gotten so tired from playing that they ask to stop to do their homework. It’s like being tickled ⏤ sometimes you just have to yell ‘uncle’ and pull yourself together. “No Laughing or Screaming Allowed” can be played with as few as one parent and one child, or as many as five kids, and requires no materials or supplies, except stories. Prep Time: 5 minutes to explain the rules and think of stories or share. Entertainment Time: 15-20 minutesEnergy Expended by Child: Limited physical energy unless a child tells a story that requires jumping and/or acting out a scene. Tons of mental energy. What You Need:
A list of rules; a few sample stories; a sense of humor.
How to Set Up: Find a place where kids can make noise without disturbing anyone. Gather in a circle or huddle in a group, either seated or standing. How to Play: Again, the goal of the game is to go around the circle telling stories without a single person making a peep. Gameplay is straightforward: Using a three-word intro like, “Once I saw…” or “this really happened…” here are a few sample stories to get your brain fired up.
…the lady driving the carpool to soccer honked so loudly my sister screamed and spit her gum in the dog’s hair and tried to cover it up with her towel from the beach.…my mom headbutted my dad when they were trying to get my little brother out of the car because they thought he was going to barf.…our dog brought a mouse home in his mouth and was swinging it around to show everyone. Then he dropped it next to my grandpa’s feet at a Fourth of July barbeque with all the new neighbors watching.…my little brother knocked over my Bobblehead collection when he was sneaking cookies out of cabinet after dinner.…we had to look for our pet lizard everywhere until we found him, the next day, in my parents’ laundry next to a ball of smelly socks.
Wrap Up: Telling ridiculous stories in rapid succession makes almost everything (unless, of course, it’s outright cruel or insensitive) sound funny. And just trying not to laugh usually causes one to burst out squealing with laughter. “No Laughing or Screaming Allowed” relieves stress, melts attitudes, and can get a group of otherwise quiet kids ⏤ even a bunch of sullen or shy pre-teens ⏤ to completely open up.
