Earlier, I asked if you had ever played 20 Questions. Today’s activity builds on that idea. What I love about this game is you can play it anywhere. For the full version, be sure to visit The Play Lab #Day 3: The Mystery Object Challenge. The Play Lab unlocks at Level 2. Here’s the short version for you: The Mystery Object Challenge Good problem solvers do not just guess. They ask better questions. In this mission, one person secretly chooses a mystery object while everyone else tries to identify it by asking questions, gathering clues, and narrowing down the possibilities. Gather Your Gear 5–10 small household objects A bag, box, towel, or pillowcase Paper Pencil Optional: timer Object ideas: spoon key coin toy car sock button hairbrush marker block small cup puzzle piece clothespin Steps 1. Choose one person to be the “case keeper.” 2.The case keeper secretly selects one mystery object and hides it in a bag, box, towel, or pillowcase. 3. Everyone else asks yes-or-no questions to figure out what the object is. Examples: Is it hard? Is it something we use in the kitchen? Is it smaller than my hand? Is it made of metal? Can you wear it? Does it make noise? After each answer, pause and think about what the clue tells you. Keep asking questions until someone is ready to make a guess. Reveal the object and talk about which questions helped the most.

As we head into a new month, I wanted to take a moment to celebrate some of the people who help make Connected Through Play what it is. A special congratulations to @Jen Staniforth , who finished May at the top of our community leaderboard. Thank you for your participation, encouragement, and willingness to jump into conversations. I’d also like to recognize a few members who have been showing up, sharing ideas, asking thoughtful questions, trying activities, and helping make this a welcoming place for families: @Brenda Chilstrom @Celia Kibler @Evelene Sterling @Natasha Bryant @Heather Wilson @Gus Gray @Anna Murrietta @Ramona Zihlke @Daniel Cavaretta The truth is, a community like this isn’t built by one person. It’s built by people sharing experiences, trying little things at home, joining conversations, and encouraging one another along the way. Whether you’ve posted every week, commented on a discussion, quietly read along, or tried an activity with your family, you’ve helped shape this community. Thank you for being part of Connected Through Play. I’m glad you’re here. I’d love to hear from everyone: What was your favorite moment, activity, conversation, or discovery from the community this month?

I’m in the AI Storytelling community and working on ideas for our about page. Which video do you prefer:

To make things easier to find in the future, click Classroom, then Curious Kitchen Lab. All experiments from this week can be found in the Mix, Bubble, and Bake unit. Get ready to have some fun because it’s slime time. A little mess, simple cleanup, and a whole lot of fun. Word of advice, this is best done outside or in the kitchen, and away from carpet. #Day 3: Magic Oobleck Come share the adventure in the comments. Did the kids like this? What did you learn? Was it fun?

@Gus Gray, I had your kids in mind for this one since they like water! @Sarah Cooper let your son know we are doing science all week. Starting easy and building. Today we’re starting with a simple kitchen science classic: sink or float. It looks easy, but it opens the door to prediction, observation, testing, and a lot of “wait… why did that happen?” Gather Your Gear: - Large bowl, dish tub, or sink filled with water - Spoon - Apple - Grape - Ice cube - Small toy - Aluminum foil - Paper towel - Towel for spills - A few extra household objects safe for water testing Steps: Before placing each item in the water, have everyone make a prediction:“Will it sink or float?” Test each item one at a time. After each test, pause and talk: - Was the prediction correct? - What surprised you? - What do the floating objects seem to have in common? - Did any heavy things float? - Did any small things sink? Write down predictions and results if your kids enjoy tracking data. This is a great time to introduce the concept of a science or lab notebook. The goal is not to rush toward the “right answer.” The goal is noticing patterns and asking better questions as you go. The Twist: Now start changing the objects. - Cut the apple into pieces. - Freeze or thaw items. - Flatten aluminum foil, then crumple it into a ball, then shape it like a boat. Test the same material in different shapes and compare the results. Variations by Age: Ages 3–6 Keep this one sensory and playful. Encourage describing words: - Squishy - Smooth - Heavy - Tiny - Cold Count down before dropping objects and celebrate the surprises together. If attention starts fading, let them choose the next object to test. Ages 7–12 Turn this into a real investigation. Before testing, ask kids to sort the objects into two groups: - “Will Float” - “Will Sink” After testing, challenge them to revise their thinking.