Don’t fret, LearningWorks for Kids has you covered.

Below you’ll find a simple exercise designed to teach the basic tenets of Planning. In it, your child will see how Planning skills are used in gameplay, and then put those skills to the test by playing the game, right here on this very page.

First things first, talk to your child about the thinking skill. Consider reading over the Planning thinking skill page to ensure your child understands the benefits of good Planning skills, and the consequences of poor Planning.

Once you’ve covered the concepts, move on to the hands-on exercise below.

Watch

Watch this video with your child for an introduction to the game Cargo Bridge, and to see how it exercises Planning.

Play

After you’ve watched the video, jump into the game to put your child’s Planning skills to the test. Start off by setting a simple goal, like tasking your child with completing the very first level.

Afterwards, head on over to the Cargo Bridge PlayBook. Read through it, making sure pay close attention to the “Play Together” tab. There, you’ll find discussion tips to help contextualize the skills used in the game, and explain to your child how the Planning skills used in the game can be generalized to real-world use.