Family Fun - Game Night

Stumbling on a well-used Clue game at the Goodwill Store awhile back had me reminiscing about childhood memories of playing. Ever the drama queen growing up, I was never satisified to simply set up the board game on the kitchen table and play. Instead, I would insist that my siblings and friends join me in getting into character. We'd dig out props, raid our parents' closets, and return to the table in full regalia to play. It was always a blast!

Fingering the dog-eared corners of my secondhand Clue game the other day, I thought why not share that tradition with my own kids? So here's my plan. We're going to institute game night at our house, but rather than settling for an ordinary night of Scrabble, we'll go all out just like I did growing up.

First up: Clue, of course. My husband (who, as of yet, doesn't know he's agreed to this), my two kids, and I will spend some time picking out a character and then helping each other transform into that character. But why stop with wardrobe and makeup? Clearly, the theme needs to be reflected in the food as well. For Clue, we're planning a formal sit-down dinner complete with candlesticks (was there any doubt), china, and tablecloths; all to be enjoyed in costume. After dinner, we can shove the dishes aside for later and get down to this game business.

Hopefully we can make this a regular tradition, alternating games and brainstorming ideas to complete our theme nights. Here are a few additional ideas off the top of my head:


Mouse Trap:
Pin on tails, draw mouse faces with eyeliner, and serve cheese and crackers.

Hi-Ho Cherry-O:
Dress for cherry picking (jeans or overalls if you have them and a wide brimmed hat), and serve cherry pie or desert along with cherry KoolAid.

Battleship:
Dress in uniform and serve homemade MREs. Be sure to talk the talk by checking out some of the lingo here.

Monopoly:
Wear business suits/attire. Be sure to take lots of pictures of your little ones in Daddy's ties! Have a "jail" uniform handy for those frequent stints in the big house by making one from an old white T-shirt and black paint or marker. Be sure to use a shirt big enough to fit all players. Any time a player lands in jail, have that player don the uniform until he or she gets out. For snacks, serve chocolate coins.


If you have ideas for a themed game night, I'd love to hear them. I'll be sure to update as we try some of these ideas out so stay posted!

Family Fun - Idol Style

I admit it. For all eight seasons, I have counted myself among the mindless hordes who tune in to American Idol week after week. I get sucked in every year, hooked on the curious hybrid of you-too-could-win-the-fame-and-fortune lottery and the Springer-esque train wreck of the poor and misguided talentless among us. And no matter how many rants my family and friends subject me to about how mainstream, how completely and utterly uncool the entire premise is, I keep watching. And, luckily for our marital cohesiveness, my husband keeps watching right along with me.

My kids on the other hand, are less enthusiastic viewers. After our oldest broke down in tears after Season 2’s finale, he went into full-on boycott mode. (Okay, so maybe our refusal to vote for Rueben despite his young pleading may have jaded him, but I’m still convinced that we did it for his own good.) Over the years, we’ve tried to coax him back, but our success has been limited to the most atrocious of auditioners. Our youngest, on the other hand is a born music lover. Her attention is riveted to the best singers and the most polished performances, but she snubs that good ol’ American tradition of laughing at those even more talent-challenged than yourself. I suspect that the sole reason she watches at all is because during commercials, she takes the stage to show up the contestants and demand endless applause and accolades as her due.

But still, I’m determined to find a way to make American Idol live up to its family show billing. I’ve decided the key to accomplishing that goal is making the experience both interactive enough to hold a 5-year-old’s attention and yet cynical enough to entertain my cool-conscious preteen. The solution, you ask? American Idol bingo, of course!

A little research uncovered the predecessors to my game. Twenty minutes later, I had four custom bingo cards, half sarcastic fun-poking and half attention-demanding trivia hunt. I plan to test drive the game tonight so we’ll see how it goes. I figure snagging a rootbeer out of the pop machine to offer as the grand prize should be enough to get my pop-deprived kids to perk right up!