I taught my kids situational awareness – without them knowing it.

It started with apples, oranges, and pizza.
Because kids love food. And games.
🍕 Pizzas = Visibility from windows and doorways.
🍊 Oranges = Things that go through windows and doors.
🍏 Apples = You. And apples can only go through doors.

Wherever we went—pizza shops, coffee shops, bookstores—we played.
First, I’d sketch a quick map of the place, marking exits and windows. (Multicolor pen comes in handy here! ✒️)
Then, I’d ask silly questions:

🤮 “How do we keep the apple off the pizza? No one wants apples on their pizza, right?”
😱 “If oranges were flying through that window and you had to get outside without getting hit, which way would you go?”

At first, they focused on the game. Then, they realized the map was the room we were in.

The paper maps disappeared. The game stayed.

They started pointing. Thinking. Explaining. Making their own escape plans.

And just like that—without fear, stress, or lectures—they learned cover, concealment, exits, and movement.

👉Situational awareness doesn’t have to feel like training.
It can be a game. A habit. A way of seeing the world. 🧐

They just call it playing with Dad.

I call it building instincts that could one day save their lives.