The Hidden Benefits of Espionage Skills in Parenting and Beyond (Ages 3-9)
As parents, we often worry about our children keeping secrets and we don't want them to try to uncover sensitive information necessarily. However, the skills associated with espionage can actually be valuable life lessons for our kids. In this blog post, we'll explore how teaching your child to be observant, resourceful, and a great problem solver can benefit them not only in parenting but also in various aspects of their lives.
- Patience
- Resourcefulness
- Observational Skills for Learning and Problem-Solving
- Practical Applications
- Reading List
By introducing these espionage-inspired skills to your child, you can equip them with valuable tools for becoming great learners, problem solvers, and resourceful individuals. It's not about secrets or lies; it's about cultivating essential life skills that will serve them well in the future.
Patience
Patience is something kids have to figure out, but spies have to be extra patient and extra vigilant. Help kids practice by playing the following games:
Resourcefulness
Finding creative solutions and making the most of available resources. These skills can help your child excel in various academic and real-life situations.
- Project Based Learning
- Landmark recognition - More map skills
- Back Yard Camping - Teaching the basics for survival and resourcefulness: Food, Water, Shelter (Ideas from National Geographic)
- Survival-Skill-Basics.pdf
- Find the SPY
Observational Skills/Attention to Detail
Paying attention to details can lead to success in school, work, and personal life. It's the key to finding that one missing puzzle piece in a sea of possibilities.
Activity!
- Memory-games.pdf to improve your skills with games!
- memory-thinking-games.pdf
Activity! Change 1-2-3
Have child look at you for 30 seconds. Then turn their back to you. Change something about yourself - take off you watch, change your arm position so on. Then ask the child to describe the change.
Activity! Parts of the Whole
If you are so inclined, take a funny picture of a character your child likes. Cover the whole picture leaving only one intriguing hole uncovered.
Activity! Multiple Angles
Fold a paper into thirds. Ask the child to choose something to draw - then draw it from three angles - from above, from the front, from below.
Practical Applications
These espionage skills can even save you time as a parent. Imagine not having to constantly answer questions like, "Where are my toys?" when they are right in front of your child. Teaching them to be observant can make everyday life smoother.
Activity! Codes and Cracks
- Code for kids samples.pdf
- Code Cracking CIA for kids
- Lyla in the Loop Code
Activity! Invisible Ink Recipes
- Invisible Ink Recipes to try from the Spy Museum
- from University of Rochester
- Jaffrey Public Library
Reading List
Spies need to know many languages to fit in around the world - consider learning a foreign language!
