25. Wobbly cushion

This game is a perennial favourite for younger children. The idea is to build a tower of cushions then balance on top. This is best achieved in our experience using a pile of the rectangular flat sofa seat type at the bottom, followed by a selection of smaller cushions on top. An obvious point is to do this somewhere where you are not in any danger of cracking your head if you fall off.

The basics of the game are to stay on board for as long as possible-that means no limbs or parts of the body touching the floor. The players can be timed. If you have a good balance you can try this standing up. If like me, your balance is not so good, kneeling is best. We time the length of each ride and try and distract the member of the family from the task of balancing by making them laugh or otherwise behaving in an off-putting fashion. No too off-putting if you get my drift-nothing rude.

Another variation of the game is to attempt some sort of sun salutation i.e. lots of interlinked poses like kneeling, standing, standing on one leg etc. But that is only for very advanced players. If too short, this game can be followed by lava trouble (see later) which also involves using cushions, although not normally pillows.