The Game of Nim

What You Need:

• Small objects, like buttons, coins, toys or beads, etc
• Two players

What You Do:

1. Instruct your child to find 15 small things, for example: buttons.
2. On each player's turn, he or she can take one or two buttons away. Take turns doing this.
3. The loser is the player who takes the last button.
4. Eventually, you can teach your child the winning strategy: Just make sure on her turn she leaves 13,10, 7, 4 or 1 objects. Give the game a challenging twist by using a different number of objects or by taking away different amounts.

Your child can teach her friends this game during lunch and be the hit of the cafeteria!