Tonight with your 5 to 8 year old
The prompt
“If we made official tickle-monster rules, what rules would make it fair and fun for everyone?”
What to listen for
If they include a stop word or a way to say "enough," that shows they understand play needs limits everyone can trust, even silly play.
If they add rules about turns or who gets tickled when, that's them thinking about fairness inside something fun, which is a great sign of balanced thinking.
If they just want no rules at all, gently ask what happens if someone wants to stop, to bring the fairness piece in naturally.
What this tells you
The rules they invent show how well they already grasp that even fun needs a way to say stop and be heard.