The Imagined House Memory Game

What you need

• Paper, 1 to 2 sheets
• Pencil, 1

How to do it

Grown-up prep: Gather one sheet of paper and a pencil, and find a quiet spot to sit. Think of a helper (a grown-up or friend) to write the list.

1. Have a helper write fifteen unrelated items on paper, numbered one to fifteen.
2. Sit down, close your eyes and imagine going through your house, starting at the front door.
3. Picture each item doing something silly at its spot along the route.
4. Put the list away, face down, out of sight.
5. Still sitting, picture the route again and name every item in order.
6. Check the list together and score one point for each item in the right place.
7. Now imagine going back from the last spot to the door, naming items in reverse.
8. Try again with twenty new items and five more spots in your house.
9. Now challenge a friend, or picture a longer route! How many items can you remember?

Play it again

• Speed round: race a timer to place all the items, then recall them fast.
• Swap routes: use a friend's house, or your school, and see if the new route works as well.
• Mystery picks: your helper calls out random numbers and you name the item at that spot.