Boom Boom! Cards Family Deck
New Boom Boom! Cards Family deck encourages the whole family to share in the experience of performing acts of kindness and can be played by children and adults.
Each Boom Boom! Cards deck contains 26 individual acts of kindness designed to create a social revolution of giving. Cards in the new Family edition focus on everyday acts that children and family members can perform to create and inspire kindness. Once a card has been completed, a “mission accomplished” sticker can be placed on the Command Central Activity Board so the whole family can get involved with tracking their success. It’s a wonderful opportunity for parents to reinforce the values of compassion and kindness, while having fun and sharing positive experiences with their kids!
Boom Boom! Cards Family edition ($14.99) Talk About It! discussion cards inspire conversation between parents and kids about their experiences performing acts of kindness.
Visit http://boomboomcards.com. Five percent of the purchase price is donated to iSpot Compassion and 5% to the charity of the purchaser’s choice.
Ancestor-opoly
The Game of Roots II is a customized game in which your ancestors become part of the path to winning. You submit information about your ancestors and include pictures whenever possible. In return, you receive a game board reminiscent of Monopoly except that your ancestors replace Boardwalk, Park Place and other properties. Contact G&E Hill, Inc, PO Box 21347, Baltimore MD 21282; www.gehill.com.
Family (reunion) game night
A recent survey conducted by Hasbro says that three in four Americans would rather play board games than video games as a group activity at a family reunion or gathering.
Involve everyone in planning. Allow kids to pick games or choose snacks.
Keep a family scoreboard: recognize the member who won the last game. Or create a family crown to be worn by the winner at the next game.
Games provide the benefits of laughter, bonding and learning. They can be subtle learning tools that teach kids important life skills such as patience, concentration, teamwork and perseverance. By taking turns, following rules and even losing a game, kids learn skills they can apply at school and at home.
Games for all ages
Families with kids ages 6 to 8: Pictureka!, Sorry! Sliders, Operation, Monopoly Jr.
Families with kids ages 8 to 10: Clue, Monopoly, Cranium Family Edition, The Game Of Life
Families with kids ages 10 to 12: Monopoly, Yahtzee, Clue
Families with teenagers: Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition, Scrabble, Cranium Wow, Jenga, Catch Phrase, Trivial Pursuit
For more game ideas, visit www.familygamenight.com.
From North Florida NewsDaily, Glen Saint Mary, Florida.
Your Family Reunion (board) Game
Every family has a history and every family has its stories. If not passed on, these tales may be forgotten or lost. Family Reunion Game is ideal for reunions to learn family stories and heritage. The Family Reunion Game company collects your family stories, anecdotes and photos and makes a game for you to participate in your family’s legacy.
Family Reunion Game customizes questions to capture your history, stories and experiences. It is engaging and captivating, with stories of interest to those playing. Questions posed are about you, your family and your family’s history and stories. Playing the game involves family members sharing and telling family heritage. Children listen to these family stories, learn about their legacy and participate in telling their own stories and experiences.
You supply information in a questionnaire that composes personalized questions. The more family members who provide information, the more comprehensive and inclusive the game. If you don’t have specific historical family facts, you supply more stories. If you want your game filled with silly, fun stories or more history and genealogy, that can be done. Once complete, the Family Reunion Game becomes a family heirloom and keepsake for generations to come!
Spaces on the game board allow for change every time the game is played. As you create more memories and/or add new members, new information or pictures can be created into new “memory cards” for your existing game.
Family Reunion Game can be played with up to 10 players or 10 teams age eight and above.
Each game comes with a custom 20 x 20″ game board featuring approximately 25-40 family photos (which you provide), 80 personalized “memory cards” (with your history, stories, trivia facts and family photos); 20 custom “Family Heirloom” game cards (identified by you), 20 “Quick Wit” game cards and more.
The winner is the first person or team to attend all three family (game) reunions, collect 20 “memories,” acquire two family heirlooms, return to “start” and answer one last “Memory Card” question correctly. “Memory Keeper” pads are provided to keep track of memory points, heirlooms and reunions attended. The creators of Family Reunion Game believe everybody wins simply by reminiscing in, enjoying and sharing stories!
Roots revisited
The second version of Roots, a boardgame, is a great way for kids and adults to have a good time getting to know their family tree. It seems that it’s most fun when different age groups participate together.
Fast action is the name of the game. It can be completed quickly (unlike many other monotonous games) or extended for additional play. The goal is to have the most money at the end of the game. You’re rewarded for knowing your ancestors. Expect to receive money for letters in your great grandmother’s name or collect $10 for each letter in your birth month. Other challenges include collecting $5 for each paternal first cousin you can name, answering how many children your paternal grandparents have or $40 per ancestor you can name.
Contact G & E Hill Inc, PO Box 21347, Baltimore MD; [email protected]; http://www.gehill.com.
The Ungame
The Ungame is another trivia game that aims to bring people together by promoting open, honest communication. There are no losers because everyone gets the opportunity to share with the group.
Two decks of cards hold the questions. One is of lighthearted questions designed to start conversation, the second has more serious questions for people who already know each other.
The Ungame has plenty of value for reunions and kids should be able to play as well, though it’s not as kid friendly as some games. Contact Talicor, Inc., PO Box 6382, Anaheim CA 92816; 714-255-7900.
LifeStories
LifeStories is yet another board game that helps family get to know one another. It is designed not to have losers and so everyone can to share family memories.
Four categories of questions help you get to know whoever is playing; memories, etchings, valuables and alternatives. Each person moves across the board, sharing stories after landing on spaces. Everyone finishes the game ensuring equal story sharing time. It’s designed for two to eight players ages 6 to 106.
Contact Lifestories, 701 Decatur Avenue North, Suite 104, Golden Valley MN 55427.
Ice Breakers
An easy, fun way to get to know people is a good way to describe Ice Breakers, another game from LifeStories.
Another game of questions designed to get conversation flowing, Ice Breakers is for two or more players, age 10 and up. The only rigid rule is to have fun and get to know the people you’re with. Everything else can be altered to best suit your situation.
Ice Breakers has over one hundred question cards with a few “pass” cards mixed in. Pass cards are used to give a question to another player.
This game is an excellent ice breaker for all situations. It can be used at all kinds of reunions. Or maybe on the trip to your reunion, you can modify the game to fit your needs.
Contact Lifestories, 701 Decatur Avenue North, Suite 104, Golden Valley MN 55427.
Reminiscing
Reminiscing is aptly subtitled “The game for people over thirty, and the younger people they let play.”
Questions urge players to remember times spanning from the 40s to the 80s. Most young people won’t be able to compete with “seasoned” elders. However, if you’re looking to have the youngsters learn something about their elders and the time they lived in, it might be worth including them.
The goal of the game is to get 25 points faster than the other players/teams (up to four players or teams may participate). Each question is worth five points, but each hint takes point values down, so knowing history really pays off.
This game will be fun for older reunion goers who enjoy remembering the “good old days,” but it probably is less interesting for youngsters, as they wouldn’t be able to participate much.
Contact TDC Games, 1470 Norwood Avenue, Itasca IL 60143; 1-800-292-7676.
Table Talk
Table Talk is a game designed to incite conversation; perfect for any kind of reunion. Conversation is generated by four color-coded categories, pink: growing up, blue: family matters, green: food for thought, and yellow: the good old days. Examples of questions are; blue: what phrase best describes your parents? Pink: what is the most unusual pet you or your family ever had? Green: describe an usual edible centerpiece. Yellow: name three milestones of your life.
Everyone can respond with kids able to share in the growing up and food for thought categories. The great thing about Table Talk is that it can be adapted to fit your situation. It can be used as an ice breaker without concern about “winning” or “losing” because everyone wins by sharing.
Contact Conestoga Book Service, Box 7, West Willow PA 17583.
Questions and Ancestors
Want to learn more about your family? Questions and Ancestors is a game to do that and start conversation among family members. The game has many questions you can ask at a family reunion. A few questions are: in your family, how was Sunday different from the weekdays? How many family reunions do you attend each year? Who in your family would you consider a real character. It’s something fun the whole family can enjoy.
Contact Conestoga Book Service, Box 7, West Willow PA 17583.
Generations
Want to put your family knowledge to the test in competition? Then, Generations may be the game for you. Customize this game to fit your family’s needs and once that’s taken care of, let the game begin!
This board game asks questions about family history as you try to move to the finish line (the roots of the family tree). Each time you play, you learn a little bit more about your family. It will also be a battle for bragging rights for the most knowledgeable about family history. The game is for three to six players ages 10 and up.
Contact Familytime Products, Inc., 4071 Championship Court, Annandale VA 22003; 703-256-7092.
