The Game of Guide
Take the child for a walk. Tell him that the next day you are going to see if he can take you for the same walk. Have him observe the different places you go. After you have been home for an hour or so let the child go over the walk in his mind and review it visually so that he will be able to take you the next day. Review is necessary for a permanent memory, and this act will help the child to realize the importance of forming the review habit.
The Game of Guiding Home
Take the child for a walk and double back over your track and see if he will recognize the fact that he has been there before. Take him to the same place by different roads and let him guide you back home. When you are ready to go home after a walk let the child play the game of taking you home. He will enjoy this and it will develop independence and the ability to get home alone if such a necessity should arise. Occasionally ask him what direction you are traveling and in which direction his home is located. When the corner is turned have him tell the new direction.
Make Play Profitable
In your play with the child make it a point to choose some game which will develop his senses and faculties. You can amuse him as easily and at the same time be accomplishing a great good. Do not put this matter off "until you have more time." Use a little time each day, if only five minutes. You are bound to experience to some extent the same result as a friend who said: "I started in with this thing for the good of the kids, but I find the kid who gets the most out of it is dad."
Rudyard Kipling, in his book "Kim," gives an instance of the Observation Game played by Kim and a trained native youth. Lurgan Sahib exposes to the sight of the two boys a tray filled with jewels and gems, allowing them to gaze upon it a few moments before it is withdrawn from sight. Then the competition begins, as follows: "There are under that paper five blue stones, one big, one smaller, and three small," said Kim in all haste. "There are four green stones, and one with a hole in it; there is one yellow stone that I can see through, and one like a pipe stem. There are two red stones, and—and—give me time."
But Kim had reached the limit of his powers. Then came the turn of the native child.
"First are two flawed sapphires, one of two ruttees and one of four, as I should judge. The four ruttees sapphire is chipped at the edge. There is one Turkestan turquoise, plain with green veins, and there are two inscribed—one with the name of God in gilt and the other being cracked across, for it came out of an old ring, I cannot read. We have not the five blue stones; four flamed emeralds there are, but one is drilled in two places, and one is a little carven."