A printable activity book

Future-Ready Me

Thinking games for curious kids, ages 8–12

This book belongs to

Hi grown-ups

A few things to know before your child dives in.

Pick any page. There is no right order.
About 20 minutes a week is plenty. No screens needed (a few grown-up extras are marked optional).
Read the steps together, then let your child lead.
Use the grown-up corner to chat afterwards. Talking is where learning sticks.
Answers are at the back. Mistakes are part of the fun.

How each page works

Top badge

The skill this page grows. Stars show how tricky it is: ★ easy, ★★★ a real stretch.

Time and things

About how long it takes, and what to have ready. Most pages need only a pencil.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters, two questions to ask afterwards, and an idea to take it further.

Bottom line

Your child ticks how their brain felt and writes one thing they learned.

That's it. Hand it over and let them lead.

About this book

No sign-up, no tracking, and nothing is collected from your child.

future-ready-kids.vishal-d62.workers.dev

2

Color a skill every time you practice it

Twenty skills to grow. Color in a circle after you finish an activity for that skill.

Thinking

Critical thinking

Alternatives thinking

Problem-finding

Judgment and taste

Probabilistic thinking

Systems thinking

Checking what's true

Self

Agency

Determination

Learning how to learn

Resilience

Deep attention

People

Communication and storytelling

Working across cultures

Values and ethics

Trustworthiness

Doing

Imagination and building

Directing AI like a team

Money sense

Body and hands

When you have done a few pages

The skill I'm best at:

A skill I want to grow next:

My favorite page so far:

3

Chapter 1

Thinking

Thinking well means slowing down: checking clues, weighing evidence, and asking "what else could be true?"

14 activities inside

Before you start: Remember last time you figured something out just from clues, with no one telling you the answer? Tell a grown-up about it before you start.

4

Thinking · Critical thinking 15 min · pencil ★★☆

Who stole the cookie?

Scan for the app

The last cookie was in the kitchen. Now it is gone! Four friends were each in a different place. The one in the kitchen took it.

Read a clue. Put ✓ for yes and ✗ for no in the grid.
One ✓ in a row means ✗ for the rest of that row and column.
Keep going until each friend has one place.

	Kitchen	Garden	Bedroom	Garage
Ava
Arjun
Mei
Kofi

Ava was not in the kitchen or the bedroom.
Kofi was fixing his bike in the garage.
Mei was not in the kitchen.
The cookie taker was in the kitchen.

Turn the page upside down to read the hint.

Hint: Start with Kofi. Then where can Ava go?

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Logic grids train careful, step-by-step reasoning: use only what the clues say, and rule things out.

Which clue helped you most? Why?
How do you know your answer is the only one that works?

Extend it: Write your own 3 × 3 mystery for a grown-up to solve.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

5

Thinking · Critical thinking 20 min · pencil, ice cubes, a ball ★★☆

Claim, Evidence, Reason

Scan for the app

A claim is something someone says is true. Be a scientist and test it!

Test each claim at home.
Write what you saw. That is your evidence.
Write why your evidence shows the claim is true, or not.

Example: Claim: My dog likes carrots. Evidence: On 3 different days I put a carrot next to his cookies, and he ate the carrot first every time. Reason: He keeps choosing carrots, so this suggests he likes them.

Claim	Evidence (what I saw)	Reason (so it is true or not)
Ice melts faster in the sun than in the shade.
Most people in my home are right-handed.
A ball bounces higher on a hard floor than on a rug.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Claim, evidence, reason is how scientists think. It helps kids back up ideas instead of just saying them louder.

Was any claim false? How did you find out?
What would make your test fairer?

Extend it: Find a claim on a food box and test it together.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

6

Thinking · Alternatives thinking 10 min · pencil, timer ★☆☆

20 uses for a paperclip

Scan for the app

A paperclip holds paper. What else could it be?

Set a timer for 5 minutes.
Write or draw one use in each box. Silly ideas count!
When time is up, circle your most surprising idea.

Example: A tiny hook for a picture. A key for a doll’s house.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Finding many answers, not just one, is a skill. The best ideas often come after the first ten easy ones.

Which idea was the hardest to think of?
Did your ideas get stranger as time went on?

Extend it: Try it with a spoon, a sock or a cardboard box.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

7

Thinking · Alternatives thinking 15 min · pencil, colored pencils ★★☆

Three ways across the river

Scan for the app

Leo must cross a deep river with no bridge. He has a rope, a long log and a friend.

Draw three really different ways he could cross. Tick the safest one.

Way 1

Way 2

Way 3

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: When kids push past the first idea, they learn there is usually more than one way to solve a problem.

Which way was hardest to think of?
What makes one way better than another?

Extend it: Add a new rule (no rope!) and find a fourth way.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

8

Thinking · Problem-finding 15 min · pencil ★☆☆

Bug hunt

Scan for the app

Inventors start by finding problems. This street has 8 things that would bug people.

Circle each problem in the picture.
Write what is wrong on the list.
Star the one you would fix first.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Noticing problems is the first step to solving them. Many great inventions began with “that is annoying!”

Who is bothered most by each problem?
How would you fix the one you starred?

Extend it: Go for a walk and find 3 real things that could be better.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

9

Thinking · Problem-finding 15 min · pencil ★★☆

5 Whys ladder

Scan for the app

Ask “why?” 5 times to dig down to a deeper cause. Late for school → why? Woke up late → why? Went to bed late → why? Reading under the covers!

Write your problem on the top line. Ask “why?” and write the answer in box 1.
Ask “why?” each time. Box 5 may show a deeper cause; check that it fits.

My problem:

Why? 1

Why? 2

Why? 3

Why? 4

Why? 5

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Fixing the first problem we see often doesn’t last. Asking why helps kids find the root cause.

Was the last answer a surprise?
What is one small fix for the deeper cause?

Extend it: Try the 5 Whys on something at home that keeps going wrong.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

10

Thinking · Judgment and taste 15 min · pencil, scissors ★☆☆

Rank the lunchboxes

Scan for the app

Which lunch would keep you full and happy all afternoon?

Cut out the 6 cards and put them in order from best to worst.
Write all 6 letters on the ladder, with a short reason for each.

1.Best

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.Worst

ACheese sandwich, apple, water

BRice, dal and cucumber

CThree cookies and juice

DPasta, grapes and milk

EChips and a fizzy drink

FWrap, carrots and yoghurt

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Good judgment means having reasons, not just likes. Saying why helps kids think about what matters.

What made your number 1 the best?
Would your order change for a sports day?

Extend it: Plan a lunchbox together that would rank top on both your lists.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

11

Thinking · Judgment and taste 15 min · pencil ★★☆

Better or worse, and why?

Scan for the app

There is no single right answer here. What matters is your reason.

Read each pair.
Write which one you think is better.
Write why. “It depends” is OK if you say on what!

Which is better?	My pick	Why? Give one good reason
A drawing with 3 colors or 20?
A short story or a long one?
A loud alarm or a gentle one?
A friend who says “Nice!” or one who says what to fix?
A big park with no shade or a small one with trees?

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Taste grows when kids explain their choices. Reasons turn “I like it” into real judgment.

Which pair was hardest to choose?
Did any answer change depending on the day?

Extend it: Compare two pictures, songs or books and give each a star rating with one reason.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

12

Thinking · Probabilistic thinking 15 min · pencil, a coin ★☆☆

Coin-flip forecaster

Scan for the app

A fair coin lands on heads about half the time. That is about 50/50. Can you beat chance?

Before each flip, write H (heads) or T (tails) in “Predict”.
Flip and write the result. Tick it if you were right.
Count your ticks. Chance gets about 10 out of 20. Were your guesses better than chance?

#	Predict	Result
1
2
3
4
5

#	Predict	Result
6
7
8
9
10

#	Predict	Result
11
12
13
14
15

#	Predict	Result
16
17
18
19
20

My ticks out of 20:

Better than chance?

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Kids learn that some things are really random, and that a lucky streak is not a superpower.

Did you feel “due” for heads after some tails?
If 20 people did this, would someone get 15 right just by luck?

Extend it: Try it with a die (1 to 6): what score does chance give you out of 20?

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

13

Thinking · Probabilistic thinking 10 min · pencil ★★☆

How sure are you?

Scan for the app

Mark how sure you are that each sentence is true. 0% means sure it is false. 100% means sure it is true.

Mark a dot on each line.
Check the answers with a grown-up.
Were you most sure when you were right?

The sun is a star.

A spider has 8 legs.

Penguins live at the North Pole.

Bats are blind.

Lightning never hits the same place twice.

Octopuses have three hearts.

A goldfish forgets things after 3 seconds.

Your heart beats about 100,000 times a day.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Saying “how sure” instead of just yes or no is how forecasters and doctors think.

Which answer surprised you most?
Is it OK to say 50% when you really don’t know?

Extend it: Before the next weather report, guess the chance of rain together.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

14

Thinking · Systems thinking 15 min · pencil ★★☆

Screen time and sleep loop

Scan for the app

Some things go round in a loop. A + arrow means “more of this makes more of that”. A – arrow means “more of this makes less of that”.

Follow the arrows round the loop.
Write + or – on each blank arrow.
Tell a grown-up where you could break the loop.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Systems thinking means seeing how things connect and feed back on each other, not just one cause and one effect.

What happens to the loop after one very late night?
Where is the easiest place to break it?

Extend it: Draw a loop for practice: practice more, get better, enjoy it more…

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

15

Thinking · Systems thinking 15 min · pencil ★★★

If the bees disappeared…

Scan for the app

Bees carry pollen between flowers. That helps plants make fruit and seeds. Flowers feed bees with nectar. This web shows who needs whom.

Write + or – on each blank arrow.
Now imagine the bees disappeared. Circle everything that would shrink.
Tell a grown-up one way people can help bees.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: In nature, one change ripples through everything else. Kids see why small creatures can matter a lot.

Who else eats fruit? (We do!) Where would people go on the web?
Which thing would be hit hardest without bees?

Extend it: Plant a flower bees love, or count bees you see in 5 minutes outside.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

16

Thinking · Checking what's true 20 min · pencil, scissors ★★☆

Real or fake?

Scan for the app

These headlines are made up for practice. Some sound real, some sound fake.

Cut out the 6 headline cards.
For each one ask: Who says so? How do they know? Does anyone else say it?
Sort them on the table. Write each card’s letter in the right box.

Probably realCard letters:

Probably fakeCard letters:

Need to checkCard letters:

ALibrary now lends fishing rods as well as books

BScientists find a cat that can read

CSHOCKING!!! Kids who eat ice cream can fly. Share now!

DWeather service says rain is likely on Tuesday

ETown holds a snail race on Saturday

FSecret pill makes you grow 30 cm overnight

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Kids see lots of claims online. Three simple questions help them pause before they believe or share.

What clues made a headline seem fake?
Where could you check a “need to check” card?

Extend it: Look at one news headline together and ask the three questions.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

17

Thinking · Checking what's true 10 min · pencil ★☆☆

Fact, opinion or can't tell

Scan for the app

A fact can be checked. An opinion is what someone thinks or feels. Sometimes you can’t tell yet!

Read each sentence.
Tick one box.
For “can’t tell”, say how you could check.

Sentence	Fact	Opinion	Can’t tell
Water freezes at 0 °C.
Blue is the best color.
There are 7 days in a week.
Dogs are better pets than cats.
My neighbor has a pet tiger.
Math is the hardest subject.
The shop on the corner will close next year.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Telling facts from opinions helps kids read and listen more carefully, and argue more fairly.

Can an opinion ever be wrong?
How could you check the tiger sentence?

Extend it: Listen to an advert together and find one fact and one opinion.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

18

Chapter 2

Self

These pages are about you: sticking with hard things, noticing how you feel, and learning how you learn best.

10 activities inside

Before you start: Remember a time something felt stretchy and you kept going anyway. What helped you keep going?

19

Self · Agency 15 min · pencil ★☆☆

My mission planner

Scan for the app

You can make things happen! Pick one mission, big or small, and plan it.

Choose something you want to change or make.
Fill in each part.
Do step 1 this week!

My mission:

Why it matters to me:

Three small steps (and who could help):

How I will know I did it:

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Agency is the feeling “I can make a difference”. Breaking a goal into steps makes it real.

What might get in the way?
What could you do if step 1 doesn’t work?

Extend it: Check in after a week: tick off done steps and pick the next one.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

20

Self · Agency 15 min · pencil ★★☆

Write the missing branch

Scan for the app

In this story, Zara gets to choose. One ending is written. The other one is up to you!

Read the start and both choices.
Read Ending A.
Write Ending B: what happens if Zara picks Choice B?

1.Start: Zara finds a puppy alone in the park. It has a collar but no name tag.
2.Choice A: She asks the park keeper for help.
3.Choice B: She knocks on doors near the park.
4.Ending A: The keeper knows the puppy! Its owner runs over with a big smile.
5.
Ending B:

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Stories with choices show kids that their decisions change what happens next.

Which choice would you make? Why?
Could there be a Choice C?

Extend it: Tell a story out loud together where the listener picks what happens.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

21

Self · Determination 10 min · pencil, colored pencils ★☆☆

21-day streak tracker

Scan for the app

Pick one small thing to do every day for 21 days, like reading for 10 minutes.

Write your habit on the line below.
Color a box each day you do it.
Missed a day? Don’t quit. Just don’t miss two in a row!

My habit: ______________________________

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Small, steady effort beats big bursts. A streak makes progress easy to see.

What helps you remember each day?
How did it feel to get back on track after a miss?

Extend it: Do a streak of your own alongside and compare at the end.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

22

Self · Determination 15 min · pencil ★★☆

Challenge ladder

Scan for the app

Pick a hard thing you want to do. Break it into 5 levels, from easy to amazing.

Write the big goal on Level 5 at the top.
Fill in Levels 1 to 4, each a little harder.
Tick each level when you reach it.

Example: Skipping with a rope: Level 1 is 10 skips. Level 5 is 100 skips without stopping.

Level 1 (easy start):

Level 2:

Level 3:

Level 4:

Level 5 (my big goal):

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Big goals feel possible when they are broken into small steps. Each level is a win.

Which level will be the trickiest?
What will you do if you get stuck on a level?

Extend it: Stick the ladder on the fridge and celebrate each new level.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

23

Self · Learning how to learn 15 min · pencil, your notes or book ★★☆

Brain dump and check

Scan for the app

Pulling things out of your memory helps you remember them for longer.

Pick something you learned this week.
Write all you remember. No peeking!
Then check your notes and fill in the gaps.

What I learned about:

Brain dump (everything I remember):

After checking, what I forgot:

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Remembering on purpose (called retrieval practice) is one of the best ways to learn. Rereading feels easier but works less well.

Were you surprised by how much you remembered?
What will you do to remember the tricky bit?

Extend it: Do a 2-minute brain dump in the car or at dinner about any topic.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

24

Self · Learning how to learn 15 min · pencil, a toy ★☆☆

Teach it to a toy

Scan for the app

Teaching something is a great way to learn it. Your toy is ready for class!

Plan your lesson in the boxes.
Teach it to your toy out loud.
Tell a grown-up which part was hard to explain.

What I will teach

The big idea in one sentence

An example

A question to ask my toy

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Explaining something shows kids what they really understand, and what they need to check.

What part was hardest to explain?
Can you teach it to me in one minute?

Extend it: Swap: you teach the toy something, and your child checks you got it right.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

25

Self · Resilience 15 min · pencil, colored pencils ★☆☆

Bounce-back comic

Scan for the app

Kofi built a tall tower. It fell down! Draw what happens next.

Panel 2: what Kofi thinks or feels.
Panel 3: what he tries next.
Panel 4: how he bounces back.

My tower fell down!

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Resilience is learned by seeing that a setback is not the end. Drawing it helps kids picture coping steps.

What helps you when something goes wrong?
Can you think of a time you bounced back?

Extend it: Share your own setback story and how you bounced back.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

26

Self · Resilience 15 min · pencil ★★☆

Worry thermometer and reframe bubbles

Scan for the app

Everyone has worries. You can talk back to a worry with a brave, kind voice.

Write a worry. Color how big it feels.
Write what your brave voice says back.
Color how big it feels now.

My worry:

How big is it? Color the thermometer up to your number.

My brave, kind voice says (like “I practiced, I can do this”):

How big is it now? Color again.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Naming a worry and its size makes it easier to handle. A kinder, truer thought often shrinks it.

Did the number go down?
Who could you talk to when a worry feels big?

Extend it: Share one small worry of your own and reframe it together.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

27

Self · Deep attention 15 min · pencil ★★☆

Spot 12 differences

Scan for the app

Look very carefully. 12 things are different in the second picture.

Look slowly, one part at a time.
Circle each difference in the second picture.
Count how many you found.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Slow, careful looking builds focus, a skill that gets rarer as screens get faster.

Did you have a plan for searching?
Which difference was hardest to see?

Extend it: Move 5 things in a room. Can your child spot them all?

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

28

Self · Deep attention 10 min · pencil, timer, any small object ★☆☆

Five-minute slow look

Scan for the app

Pick a leaf, a shell or a shoe. Look at it for 5 whole minutes.

Set a timer for 5 minutes.
Look and draw slowly. Notice tiny things.
Tell a grown-up 3 things you never saw before.

Look for: lines and marks, shadows, edges, the colors.

My slow drawing

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Artists and scientists both practice slow looking. It trains patience and noticing.

What did you notice in minute 4 that you missed in minute 1?
Was 5 minutes long or short?

Extend it: Do a slow look together outside and compare drawings.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

29

Chapter 3

People

Stories, cultures, values and trust. The skills that help you get on with anyone, anywhere.

8 activities inside

Before you start: Remember a story that stuck with you. What made it good? Tell a grown-up before you start this chapter.

30

People · Communication and storytelling 15 min · pencil ★☆☆

Story spine

Scan for the app

Lots of great stories share the same backbone. Fill in each line to build your own.

Pick a hero: a kid, an animal, even a robot.
Finish each line in order.
Read your story out loud to someone.

Example: Once upon a time there was a snail called Zip. Every day he was the slowest…

1.Once upon a time…
2.Every day…
3.But one day…
4.Because of that…
5.Because of that…
6.Until finally…
7.And ever since then…

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: A simple story shape helps kids organize ideas, a skill they will use in writing, talks and pitches.

What was the big change in your story?
What could make the ending more surprising?

Extend it: Take a film you both know and fit it onto the story spine.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

31

People · Communication and storytelling 20 min · pencil, colored pencils ★★☆

Six-panel storyboard

Scan for the app

Film makers plan stories with little pictures first. Tell a story in 6 panels.

Panels 1–2: who is the hero, and what goes wrong?
Panels 3–5: what do they try? Does it get worse?
Panel 6: how does it end? Draw speech bubbles where you need them.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Storyboards teach kids to tell a story clearly, one step at a time, with pictures and few words.

Which panel is the most exciting?
Could someone understand the story with no words at all?

Extend it: Act the storyboard out. Optional: film it on a phone together.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

32

People · Working across cultures 15 min · pencil ★☆☆

Two breakfasts

Scan for the app

A kid in Singapore might eat kaya toast. A kid in India might have idli. Ask a friend or grandparent about a breakfast from another place.

Write foods in each circle. Shared foods go in the middle.
On the lines: one breakfast you want to try, and why.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Comparing everyday things like breakfast shows kids that people everywhere are both different and alike.

What surprised you about the other breakfast?
What is the same for both?

Extend it: Cook a breakfast from another place together this weekend.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

33

People · Working across cultures 20 min · pencil ★★☆

Interview a grandparent

Scan for the app

Ask a grandparent, or an older neighbor with a grown-up nearby, about when they were your age.

Ask each question. Listen closely.
Write short notes, not every word.

Who I talked to, and where they grew up:

What was a school day like for you?

What games or food remind you of home?

One thing that is the same for both of us:

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Talking across generations builds curiosity about other times and places, and good listening.

What was the most surprising answer?
What would you like to ask next time?

Extend it: Make a short family “then and now” poster from the answers.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

34

People · Values and ethics 15 min · pencil ★★☆

Helped or harmed?

Scan for the app

Idea: a computer ranks every kid by math speed, and the list goes on the classroom wall.

For each person, write how the idea could help or harm them.
Add one more person in the last row.
Would you change the idea? Tell a grown-up how.

Who?	Helped how?	Harmed how?
Fast kids
Kids who take longer
The teacher
Parents
Someone else:

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Thinking about everyone a choice affects is the heart of ethics, and of building fair technology.

Who is helped most? Who is harmed most?
How could the idea be fairer?

Extend it: Do the same table for a real family decision, like a new screen rule.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

35

People · Values and ethics 20 min · pencil, scissors ★★☆

Agree, unsure, disagree

Scan for the app

Big questions often have no easy answer. Where do you stand?

Cut out the 6 cards.
Write each card’s letter above the line, where you stand.
Give one reason for each. Then argue the other side!

DisagreeUnsureAgree

AIt is OK to tell a small lie to protect a friend’s feelings.

BIf you find money on the street, you can keep it.

CRobots should do all the boring jobs.

DEveryone in a team should get the same prize.

EIt is fair to copy homework if your friend says yes.

FPets should be allowed at school.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Kids learn that people can disagree kindly, and that good reasons matter more than winning.

Which card was hardest to place?
Did arguing the other side change your mind?

Extend it: Place the cards yourself and compare. Talk about one you disagree on.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

36

People · Trustworthiness 10 min · pencil ★☆☆

Promise tracker

Scan for the app

People trust you when you do what you say. Practice with small promises.

Each morning, write one small promise.
At bedtime, tick it if you kept it.
Missed one? Say so, and fix it tomorrow.

Example: I will feed the cat before school.

Day	My promise	Kept ✓
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Day	My promise	Kept ✓
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Trust is built from many small kept promises, and from owning up when we slip.

Which promise was hardest to keep?
How do you feel when someone keeps a promise to you?

Extend it: Track your own promises to your child for the same two weeks.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

37

People · Trustworthiness 15 min · pencil ★★☆

Saying sorry well

Scan for the app

Leo knocked over Zara’s tower by mistake. A good sorry has three parts.

Finish each speech bubble for Leo.
Act it out with a grown-up.
Swap parts and try again.

Zara: Hey! My tower!

Leo: I’m sorry I…

Leo: It wasn’t OK because…

Leo: To fix it, I will…

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: A real apology names what happened, admits why it hurt and offers a fix. It repairs trust.

Why is “sorry, but…” not a good sorry?
How did it feel to hear a good sorry?

Extend it: Next time either of you says sorry, use the three parts.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

38

Chapter 4

Doing

Building, directing AI, money and making things with your hands. Doing beats just watching.

8 activities inside

Before you start: Remember something you built or made recently. What was tricky about it?

39

Doing · Imagination and building 20 min · pencil, colored pencils ★★☆

Invent it

Scan for the app

Invent something new! Follow the rules, then claim your patent.

Draw your invention and label the parts.
Write its name and who it helps.

It must help someone at home.
It can only use things from the recycling bin.
It must fit in a shoebox.

My invention (label the parts)

Its name, and who it helps

PATENT PENDING

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Rules spark creativity. Working inside limits is how real designers think.

Which rule was hardest to follow?
What would version 2 do better?

Extend it: Build it for real from the recycling bin.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

40

Doing · Imagination and building 20 min · 10 sheets of paper, tape, ruler ★★☆

Build the tallest paper tower

Scan for the app

Use 10 sheets of paper and 30 cm of tape. Your tower must stand on its own for 10 seconds.

Plan: draw your first tower.
Test: build it and measure it.
Improve: draw and build a better one.

Version 1

Height (cm):

Version 2

Height (cm):

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Plan, test, improve is how engineers work. The first try is supposed to teach you something.

What made version 2 taller or stronger?
What would you try for version 3?

Extend it: Have a family tower challenge with the same rules.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

41

Doing · Directing AI like a team 20 min · pencil, bread, butter or jam, blunt knife ★★☆

Program your grown-up

Scan for the app

Your grown-up is a robot. It does exactly what you write!

Write the steps to make a sandwich.
Your grown-up does exactly what you wrote.
Fix what went wrong and try again.

Task: Make a sandwich with bread and butter or jam.

Step	My instruction	What the grown-up did	Fix
1
2
3
4
5
6

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Computers and AI tools do what we say, not what we mean. Clear, step-by-step instructions are the first skill of directing AI. The grown-up handles the knife. Check for food allergies first.

Which step caused the funniest mistake?
What did you have to add to make it clear?

Extend it: Swap roles: your child follows your steps to draw a secret picture. Talk about how this is like asking an AI for help.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

42

Doing · Directing AI like a team 15 min · pencil ★★☆

Make the vague request clear

Scan for the app

A helper (a person or an AI) can only do a good job if you say clearly what you want.

Read each vague request.
Write what is missing: who, what, how long, what style?
Write a clear version.

Example: Vague: “Tell me about dogs.” Clear: “Tell me 3 fun facts about how dogs smell things, in short sentences for a 9-year-old.”

Vague request	What is missing?	My clear request
Draw me a nice picture.
Help me with my homework.
Make lunch.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Clear requests get better results, from people and from AI. Kids learn to say what, who for, and how.

What made your clear version better?
What might go wrong with the vague one?

Extend it: Next time you ask an AI tool something together, improve the question first.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

43

Doing · Money sense 20 min · pencil, calculator (optional) ★★★

Penny doubled or $500?

Scan for the app

Would you rather have $500 now, or a penny that doubles? Day 1 is 1¢, day 2 is 2¢, day 3 is 4¢… What do you get on day 20?

Write your guess at the bottom first.
Fill in each day by doubling. Then turn day 20 into dollars.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18

Day 19

Day 20

My guess:

Day 20 in dollars: $

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Doubling starts slow and then explodes. This is how savings and interest can grow over time.

On which day did the penny pass $500?
Why does it grow so fast at the end?

Extend it: Try it with the smallest coin where you live. The doubling works the same way.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

44

Doing · Money sense 10 min · pencil, 3 jars ★☆☆

Save, spend, give

Scan for the app

Split any money you get into three jars: Save, Spend and Give.

Label three jars: Save, Spend, Give.
Each week, split your money between them.
Write the amounts in that week’s row.

Example: Week 1: I got $5. Save $2, Spend $2, Give $1.

Week	I got	Save	Spend	Give
1
2
3
4
5
6

Week	I got	Save	Spend	Give
7
8
9
10
11
12

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Splitting money builds habits early: saving for later, spending with thought, and giving to others.

What are you saving for?
Who would you like to give to?

Extend it: Match a little of what goes in the Save jar to show how saving grows.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

45

Doing · Body and hands 20 min · scissors, pencil, colored pencils ★★★

Fold a paper fortune teller

Scan for the app

Color the corners. On each flap Q1–Q8, write a short question.

Cut out the square. Fold it, printed side down, as in pictures 1 to 3. Play!

1. Fold all 4 corners to the middle.

2. Flip it over. Fold the corners in again.

3. Fold in half. Push fingers into the 4 pockets.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Folding builds hand skills and following steps. The questions start real talks.

Which fold was trickiest?
Which question gave the best answer?

Extend it: Make a second one with “would you rather” questions for a family game.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

46

Doing · Body and hands 20 min · pencil, ruler or tape measure ★☆☆

Measure your home

Scan for the app

Guess first, then measure. How good are your eyes?

Write your guess in cm.
Measure and write the real size.
Circle your closest guess.

Find and measure	My guess	Real size
The length of your bed
The width of a door
Your foot
The highest you can reach
Something exactly 10 cm long
Your longest jump

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Guessing then checking trains estimation, and moving around the house makes math physical.

Did your guesses get better as you went?
What could you use to measure if you had no ruler?

Extend it: Measure the same things in hand spans or foot lengths and compare.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

47

Chapter 5

Mental models

Mental models are thinking shortcuts that work almost anywhere: at school, at home, and in games.

8 activities inside

Before you start: Remember a time you flipped a problem around to solve it, or thought a few steps ahead. Tell a grown-up about it.

48

models · Inversion 15 min · pencil ★☆☆

The worst birthday party ever

Scan for the app

Inversion means flipping a problem upside down. To plan the best party, first plan the worst!

List ways to make a party terrible.
Flip each one into a way to make it great.

Example: Worst: invite nobody. Flip it: send invites a week early.

How to make it the WORST	Flip it: how to make it the BEST

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Thinking about how things could go wrong helps us avoid mistakes. Pilots and doctors use this too.

Which “worst” idea was the funniest?
Which flipped idea will you really use?

Extend it: Use inversion on a school morning: what makes it the worst? Then flip it.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

49

models · Second-order thinking 15 min · pencil ★★☆

And then what?

Scan for the app

Second-order thinking means asking “and then what?” again and again.

Ask “and then what?” and write what happens next.
Keep going. Is the last box good or bad?

Example: It rains all week → the plants grow → more bugs → more birds visit.

Ice cream is free at school every day!

And then what?

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: The first result of a choice is easy to see. Good thinkers also look at what comes after.

Was the last box good or bad?
Who else is affected further down the chain?

Extend it: Ask “and then what?” about a real family decision.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

50

models · First principles 20 min · pencil ★★★

What is a chair really for?

Scan for the app

First principles means asking what something is really for, then building from there.

List the jobs a chair really does (not what it looks like).
Forget every chair you have seen.
Draw something new that does those jobs.

Example: Jobs: hold me up, rest my back, keep me off the floor…

Jobs a chair does

My new design

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Inventors break ideas down to basic truths, then rebuild. It frees kids from “that’s how it’s always done”.

Which job is the most important?
Could your design do a job a chair can’t?

Extend it: Try it with a backpack or a toothbrush.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

51

models · Opportunity cost 15 min · pencil, scissors ★★☆

One free hour

Scan for the app

You have one free hour (60 minutes). Every choice means giving something else up.

Cut out the cards.
Pick cards that add up to 60 minutes or less. Write their letters in the boxes.
Look at what you gave up. That is your opportunity cost!

I choose (60 min)Card letters:

I give upCard letters:

APlay football: 30 min

BRead a comic: 20 min

CBake with a grown-up: 40 min

DCall a cousin: 10 min

EDraw: 20 min

FVideo game: 30 min

GBuild a fort: 40 min

HHelp a neighbor: 20 min

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Every yes is also a no to something else. Seeing that helps kids make choices on purpose.

Which card was hardest to give up?
Would you choose differently on a rainy day?

Extend it: Do the same with pocket money: what does buying one thing cost you?

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

52

models · Compounding 15 min · pencil, calculator (optional) ★★☆

Rice on a chessboard

Scan for the app

A clever girl asks the king for rice: 1 grain on day 1, then double each day. The king laughs. Should he?

Day 1 is 1 grain. Day 2 is 2. Keep doubling.
Fill in all 16 days.
Guess: how much on day 64?

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

My guess for day 64:

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Compounding means growth on top of growth. Small steady gains, in money or skills, get huge over time.

When did the numbers start to feel big?
What else grows like this? (Reading, practice, savings.)

Extend it: Read 5 more minutes each week and track how your total grows.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

53

models · Base rates 15 min · pencil ★★☆

Guess the left-handers

Scan for the app

A base rate is how common something usually is. It helps you make smarter guesses.

Write a quick guess.
Use the base rate to make a better guess.
Ask 30 people (a class, a team or your family and friends). Count the left-handers.

Question: Predict for a class of 30 kids: how many are left-handed?

My quick guess (out of 30):

Base rate: about 1 in 10 people are left-handed. So in 30 kids, about:

I asked 30 people. Left-handed:

Was my first guess or my base-rate guess closer to what I found?

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: People often guess from a story they remember instead of how common things really are. Base rates fix that.

Why might your own class be different?
What else could you guess with a base rate?

Extend it: Guess how many red cars you will see on a drive, then count.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

54

models · Map vs territory 20 min · pencil, a colored pencil ★★☆

Draw your street from memory, then check

Scan for the app

A map is never the real place. It always leaves things out. Let’s see what yours misses!

Draw your street from memory in the first box.
Walk it with a grown-up. In the second box, draw or list what you missed.
Circle the thing that surprised you most.

My street from memory

What I missed

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Our picture in our heads is like a map: useful, but not the real thing. Checking helps kids update their ideas.

Why did you remember some things and not others?
What would a map for a cat need to show?

Extend it: Optional: compare your map with an online map of your street.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

55

models · Incentives 15 min · pencil ★★★

Why are sweets at the checkout?

Scan for the app

An incentive is a reward that makes people act a certain way. Shops, games and rules all use them.

Answer the shop question.
Make a chore rule.
Find the cheat, then fix it!

Why do shops put sweets near the checkout?

My chore rule (with a reward):

How someone could cheat it:

My cheat-proof rule:

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Spotting incentives helps kids understand why people and shops behave as they do, and design fairer rules.

Who wins when sweets are at the checkout?
Did your cheat-proof rule really stop cheating?

Extend it: Spot 3 incentives next time you go shopping together.

My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy

One thing I learned: ________________________

56

Certificate of future-ready thinking

Future-Ready Me

This certifies that

completed the activities in this book and practiced twenty future-ready skills.

Date

Grown-up's signature

Answer key (1/2)

Thinking

Who stole the cookie?Arjun took the cookie! Ava: garden. Arjun: kitchen. Mei: bedroom. Kofi: garage.

Bug huntThe 8 problems: a cracked window, a crooked sign, a broken street lamp, a broken bench, an overflowing bin, litter on the pavement, a crack in the pavement, a puddle in the road.

Coin-flip forecasterGuessing gets about 10 out of 20. Anything from about 6 to 14 is normal luck, so the coin can’t be beaten!

How sure are you?True: the sun is a star; a spider has 8 legs; octopuses have three hearts; a heart beats about 100,000 times a day. False: penguins live in the south, not the North Pole; bats can see (many also use sound to find their way); lightning can hit the same place again; goldfish remember for months.

Screen time and sleep loopScreens → Sleep: –. Sleep → Energy: +. Energy → Outdoors: +. Outdoors → Screens: –.

If the bees disappeared…Every arrow is +. More flowers means more food (nectar) for bees, and more bees means more flowers. Without bees: fewer flowers, less fruit, less food for birds (and people!), fewer seeds, and so even fewer flowers.

Real or fake?Probably real: the library, the weather and the snail race (still worth checking!). Probably fake: the reading cat, flying from ice cream (shouting and “share now” are warning signs), and the growing pill.

58

Answer key (2/2)

Thinking

Fact, opinion or can't tellFact: water freezes at 0 °C; 7 days in a week. Opinion: blue is best; dogs are better; math is hardest. Can’t tell: the pet tiger; the shop closing.

Self

Spot 12 differencesIn the second picture: the cloud turned into birds; the first house has a chimney; the second house has an extra window; the first house’s door moved; the second house has a flat roof; the sign arrow points the other way; the tree is pointy; the second house’s door is shaded; the car has two windows; the lamp is square; the bin has stripes; a second, smaller tree appears by the gate.

Doing

Penny doubled or $500?Day 20: 524,288¢ = $5,242.88. The penny wins! It passes $500 on day 17 ($655.36).

Mental models

Rice on a chessboardDay 16: 32,768 grains. By day 64 it would be more than 9 quintillion grains, more rice than the whole world grows!

Guess the left-handersAbout 1 in 10 people are left-handed, so about 3 kids in a class of 30. A real class could have 1 to 6. Both guesses and the check use the same 30 people, so they can be compared fairly.

59