To give your kids a reason to turn to the next page of the newspaper (or not change the channel from the TV news), create a news scavenger hunt that requires them to pay close attention to the news.

Playing the game is easy: Once kids find the required item or items, they must then write down the source of their news (newspaper and page number, television network, online service, etc.). This activity is particularly well suited to weekends (when you are catching up on the news yourself) or holidays, as it will often require an hour or so to complete. Use the following list below or make up your own.

SCAVENGER HUNT ITEMS:

• The expected high temperature in Los Angeles for the day
• A place where the weather (floods, heat, cold) made news
• A quote from the president of the United States
• An event that made the news in a small town
• An event that made the news in a big city
• An event that made the news in another country
• The name of a leader of another country
• The name of the president of a large company in the news
• A new fact about your favorite celebrity or sports star
• The most important story of the day in your hometown
• The funniest picture in a newspaper or magazine
• The most interesting or unusual headline