For families with kids in first grade and beyond, a game of Mum's the Word is an easy, often silly, way to get everyone communicating in writing. To play, each family member gets a small pad of paper and a pencil or a pen. The rules are simple: absolutely no talking is allowed and all communication must be done by writing notes. Remember that this activity is not meant to teach grammar or spelling. If a note communicates, then it is right. You can start off slowly; fifteen minutes is enough to get the idea at first, but you can add time to the activity the more you do it.

A likely way to begin is with common questions asked around the dinner table. How was school today? What did you think of the movie last night? What did you do in baseball practice this afternoon? Other conversation starters include open-ended fantasy questions. If you found a thousand dollars, what would you do with it? If you could be an animal, what kind would you be and why? What kind of sound do you think a thrippet would make if there were such a thing as a thrippet? What do you suppose the cat thinks about all day?