Sprouts Pencil Game

What you need

• Paper, 1 sheet per game
• Pencil, 1 per player, plus a spare

How to do it

Grown-up prep: Find a flat table and a quiet corner. Remind little ones that pencil points are sharp, so pencils stay on the paper.

1. Sit side by side with one sheet of paper and a pencil each.
2. Draw three dots on the paper, spread well apart.
3. Learn the rules: lines can never cross, and each dot holds three lines.
4. Take turns drawing a curvy line between two dots.
   Ask: Which two dots do you think will leave the most room for later?
5. Make a new dot in the middle of the line you just drew.
6. Keep taking turns, drawing lines and adding dots.
7. Keep playing until someone cannot draw a line. The last player to draw wins!
   Ask: Did you see that last move coming? What was your clever plan?
8. Play again with more dots! How many will you start with next time?
   Ask: Do you want an easier game with two dots, or a trickier one with four or five?

Play it again

• Dot count: change the number of starting dots each round, from two up to five.
• Team sprouts: grown-ups and kids team up and talk through each move together.
• Colour sprouts: each player uses a different colour pencil so you can see who drew each line.