Family Fun

Family Game Night
Dinnertime Dialogue
Travel Timewasters

Family Game Night

Buzz! Fuzz! Buzz!
The Name Game
Spin a Story
Family Movie Night

A family that plays together, stays together...or least has a lot of fun! It’s a fun, casual way to break up midweek monotony or enjoy a weekend night in. So whether you break out your favorite board game (Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary and Sorry are some of our favorites!) or try your hand at do-it-yourself gaming, just play!

Buzz! Fuzz! Buzz!

This game is fast, fun and will even help kids with their timetables. The goal is to reach 100 without making a mistake. Adjust the difficulty level for younger players by choosing easier numbers to divide by.

Players take turns counting, in succession.. Every time a player gets to a number that’s divisible by – for example – seven (7, 14, 21) or has a seven in it (17), they must say “Buzz” instead of the number.
If one person forgets to say “Buzz,” everyone has to start over.
For a real challenge, play 2 numbers and say “Fuzz” and “Buzz.” For example, every number with a 3 in it or that’s divisible by 3, say “Fuzz” and every number with a 7 in it or that's divisible by 7, say “Buzz.”

The Name Game

This is a great game that’s even funnier when multiple generations play. Just be silly or make it a mini history lesson by either incorporating your kid’s schoolwork or by creating your own categories such as “U.S. Presidents” or “World Leaders.” It can be played in teams or individually. If playing teams, one team plays while the other team keeps time. If playing individually, everyone keeps his or her own score.

On a scrap of paper, each player writes down a bunch of names of familiar people or characters – anyone from cartoon characters to actors to characters from your favorite book. Place the names in a bowl and mix them up.
One player draws a name and begins offering hints and descriptions to the other players, who try to guess whose name is written on the paper. (Set your own rules to limit the types of clues.) The player who guesses the name correctly gets a point. Once the name is guessed correctly, the player draws another name until he stumps the others. If playing in teams, the number of names guessed in one minute is the team’s score for the round.

Spin A Story

This game will really bring out your family’s creative side … and have you rolling in laughter when the stories get crazier and crazier!

There’s nothing to it… someone starts a story (take turns!) and, after a couple of sentences, the story starter points to another person to continue the story – and so on and so on. Here are some ideas to get you started:

It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly there was a knock on the door!
Sure, I’ve seen cows on a farm, but in a...?!
Sam and Susie rode their bikes down the street just like any other day. Except this wasn’t just any other day, today was...
Just as the plane touched down, the pilot got on the speaker and said, “Welcome to...
Johnny could tell today was going to be a great day. First,...

Family Movie Night

This one is simple … host a family movie night. Settle comfortably in the family room with a bowl of microwave popcorn and some candy treats. Turn the lights down low for a real theater experience. Take turns choosing your favorite movies and build in some time at the end to give reviews and discuss.

Don’t forget to turn off your cell phones or computers and unplug the phone – this is family time!

Dinnertime Dialogue

Studies have consistently shown that the more often children have dinner or share a meal with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs. There’s even a correlation between family mealtimes and academic performance. Sharing a meal as a family provides stability, encourages conversation, relives stress and is just plain fun. So get talking around the table. We’ve made it easy with these simple, friendly conversation starters. Choose the right set for the age of your children and let the fun begin!

Travel Timewasters

The Roving Gourmet
Spelling B-e-e
Trip Tote
Sometimes Nothing Beats a Classic

The Roving Gourmet

This game is part fun, part lesson in our country’s unique sub-cultures. Choose a simple food – the burger is a great choice – and play a game to see how many different ways it’s served across the country. Maybe in California it’s got avocado on it. Or in Texas, it’s smothered in chili and cheese. Even if you can’t find particularly unique burgers, make the game about naming your family’s “Best Burger!”

Spelling B-e-e

Whoever spells the most words correctly, wins! Choose words that are on an appropriate level for each age of your children and don't forget Mom and Dad. Pack a small dictionary for word ideas and definitions.

Trip Tote

Use a backpack, a canvas tote bag or even a plastic bin – whatever is easiest and safest to travel with – and load it up with boredom busters like pencils, colored pencils or markers, books, paper, activity books, stickers, etc. You can even let kids decorate their own bag and designate it as their special “trip tote.” (You can get inexpensive, generic, easy to decorate tote bags at any craft shop.) Encourage them to use it to collect stickers or pins from family vacations or other trips.

Sometimes Nothing Beats a Classic

I Spy – Kick it up a notch by making it like a scavenger hunt. Come up with a list of “spy-able” things (based on your trip) and let the kids compete for who can finish their sheet first.
Counting Cows – Give extra points for spotting a unique breed.
The License Plate Game – Instead of looking for all 50 states, try counting the number of unique license plates a certain state has. Florida alone has over 100 different license plates!
Cats in the Cradle – All you need is a piece of string and you’ve got a game that’ll entertain for hours.
Tic-Tac-Toe, Dots or Bingo – Click on the game to download a PDF board that you can print and take on your trip. Laminate each sheet, use a washable marker to play, and you’ve got reusable travel games anytime, anywhere!
Your Favorite Board Game – Trying to play a game on a slopey backseat can be tricky. Stop pieces from scattering everywhere by bringing along a basic baking sheet (with edges!) to set in between the kids or on one of their laps . Some fun travel-sized board games include Battleship, Scrabble, Boggle, Backgammon and Chess or Checkers.