Who will be joining in real-time tomorrow and who is eagerly waiting for the replay? Either way, I’m excited for this series to begin. If you are catching the replay and have questions about brain development and play, let me know in the comments. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find someone who does.

Today is Saturday and that means we have fun and share about ourselves. What was your favorite book or books as a child? Were you drawn to a specific genre or author? What about now as an adult? Do you find yourself still drawn to similar book genres or have you left those childhood stories behind. I loved mysteries, of course, it might be due to that was all my grandma kept at her house. I started with the Bobbsey Twins, then Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys (I preferred them), and graduated to Ellery Queens Minute Mysteries. At home, we had lots of magazines and trips to the library. Your turn.

Let’s extend a warm welcome to @Amy Grantham @Heather Wilson @Sandie Slowey and @Nakita Fele Please introduce yourself. We are happy to have you here. Some quick tips. General Discussion is primarily “education” and general info. Play Prompts and Games are activities for you and your family or the kids in your life. Free4All is your area, share tips, ask for help, anything you choose. More shortly.

Bear with me as I introduce my topic for today. Those of you who have been in the community for awhile may recall we lost power for three days due to a freak ice storm. As much as we tried to prepare, no one was ready for no heat and no supplies because stores were either sold out or seasonal merchandise was changing. Ugh. Yesterday, we lost power in the middle of the day, no reason given, just poof everything shut off, fortunately power was back within 2 hours but then, we had a thunderstorm to beat all thunderstorms, wind, hail, pouring rain. At one point, I thought a tree was going to come into the bedroom! Even the cats freaked out and they are pretty laid back. Did I mention, we live in an area prone to tornados? 2 weeks ago we celebrated the 20 year anniversary of the tornado that tried to eat me. Luckily it didn’t but it did get my car and the building I worked in. Which leads me to our topic today. What do we do to prepare our kids for an emergency. I’d like you to think about this, when a crisis happens, whether it’s a power outage, a storm, a kitchen fire, or even a war, the brain’s "alarm center" (the amygdala) takes over. This is the biological "High Pressure" system. In this state, logic goes out the window, and panic sets in. The antidote to panic isn't "calmness,” it’s Muscle Memory. When we talk to our kids about emergency preparedness, the goal isn’t to scare them, instead, it’s to help them. Formally, this is known as “Pre-Scripting” the brain. We are giving the prefrontal cortex a set of instructions to follow so that when the "alarm" goes off, the body already knows what to do. How can we help? One way is to minimize confusion which happens when there is a gap between "something is wrong" and "I know what to do." Preparation closes that gap. When kids have a job or a plan, they feel like they matter in the moment. They aren't just a liability to be carried; they are a part of the team. I’d love to know, what’s one of your “scary” emergencies and how did you handle it?

Let’s have some fun today and leave our boxed board games behind. For this activity you and your kids will try a game that has been played for centuries in another part of the world using only what you have on hand. Getting Started: 1. Search for a "Traditional game from [Country]" that uses only simple materials. (Try: "How to play Otedama" from Japan, "How to play Pallanguzhi" from India, or "How to play Marbles"). 2. Set up the game using buttons, beans, pebbles, or even small rolled-up socks. 3. Play three rounds. Focus on the flow of the game rather than who is winning. The Twist: The "Rule Exchange." After the first round, "collaborate" on a new rule that changes the game’s "pressure." Maybe you have to play with your non-dominant hand, or you have to give a compliment every time you score. Options for Older Kids: Ages 9–11 (The Game Historian): Search for the history of a game they already love (like Chess or Futbol or if you’re in the USA Soccer). Trace its "ancestry" back to its original culture. Ages 12–14 (The Logic Audit): Compare a "Strategy" game (like Mancala) to a "Luck" game (like Ludo). Ask: "Which one makes you feel more 'pressure' to be perfect? Why?" Ages 15–17 (The Spirit of Play): Search for the "Ethical rules" of different global sports (like the concept of Haka in Rugby or the "Respect" protocols in Martial Arts). Ask: "How would our local high school sports change if these values were the most important thing on the scoreboard?" Your Turn Which global game did you try? Was it harder or easier than the games you usually play?