Which of these things doesn't belong?

Here's a game you can play in the car or just about anywhere. It's called Groups of Four. One person names three things that are alike and a fourth that is different. The others guess which one is different and why it does not belong in the Group of Four.

The other day I was driving with a 5-year-old, and I said: "Bicycle, bed, motorcycle, car. Which one isn't like the others?"

He said "bed" was different because it doesn't take you somewhere.

But what if I said: Bicycle, scooter, motorcycle, car?

They all have wheels. They all take you somewhere. You might say "car" is different because it has four wheels and the others have two.

Try picking out the thing that does not belong with the other three things in these Groups of Four.

1. Apple, orange, dog, peach.

2. Cat, rat, squirrel, chair.

3. Lion, bird, tiger, giraffe.

4. Rain, ice, sand, snow.

5. Knife, pencil, pen, computer keyboard.

6. Shirt, cap, jeans, skates.

7. Breakfast, candy, lunch, dinner.

8. Summer, vacation, winter, autumn.

9. Baseball, swimming, football, soccer.

10. Trumpet, flute, trombone, guitar.

11. Dancing, skipping, walking, talking.

12. Ears, eyes, fingers, knees.

Now it's your turn. Make your own Groups of Four so other people can guess. Have fun.

I. Grass, potato, flower, __________.

II. Poem, story, __________, __________.

III. Paint, __________, __________, __________.

IV. __________, __________, __________, __________.

ANSWERS

1. Dog; 2. Chair; 3. Bird; 4. Sand; 5. Knife; 6. Skates; 7. Candy; 8. Vacation; 9. Swimming; 10. Guitar; 11. Talking; 12. Fingers.

But wait. If you see another answer, just tell why. In No. 5, for example, the answer is "knife" because you can write with the three other things. But you might say "computer keyboard" is different because it's not long and thin like a knife, pen, or pencil.

What doesn't belong in your last Group of Four? This game is easy, simple, hard, effortless.