We've all been there - stuck in a seemingly endless line at the grocery store, bank, or doctor's office with restless kids in tow. Instead of always resorting to screens or melting down from boredom, try engaging your little ones with these simple, on-the-spot games. While technology can be an easy (and sometimes absolutely necessary) interim fix, opting for interactive games instead fosters key skills like patience, social interaction, observational abilities and creative thinking. So embrace the wait and turn it into a game when you can. Your kids' developing brains will thank you.

Predict which line will move the fastest. Encourage your child to share their reasoning based on observations. This builds logical thinking abilities.
Let's count all the blue things we can find! This scavenger hunt keeps eyes peeled and minds engaged.
If you could only eat one food forever, what would it be? Spark their imagination and see where this hypothetical takes you.
Give me clues, and I will guess. Taking turns giving vague hints about objects, animals or people exercises creative description skills.
How long can you stand on one foot? A simple balance test can lead to seeing who can hold challenging poses the longest.
Tell me something without using words. Prompting non-verbal communication through movements, sounds or expressions is a fun brain teaser.
The storytelling game. You say the first line, and they continue it, going back and forth to collaboratively craft an imaginative tale.
I Spy something... with a fun twist! Rather than colors, use categories like "something that starts with B" or "something curved" to make it more challenging.
20 Questions. Kids ask yes/no questions as you think of a person, place or thing for them to guess. It builds deductive reasoning.
Rhyming games. Take turns making up silly rhymes or seeing who can come up with the most words that rhyme with "cat" to keep little minds word-playing.
Fortunately, Unfortunately. One person starts by saying "Fortunately..." and something positive, then the other says "Unfortunately..." and adds a negative event. You go back and forth creating an improvisational story full of twists and turns. This improves narrative skills.