Family MAGIC
To keep the group active, entertained this time of year
The holiday season is a wonderful time for families to enjoy the time together and create memorable moments.
It’s a good time to play old favorites like Monopoly, Scrabble, chess, checkers, or Operation. Fun newer games include Yoga Spinner, where players try to hold as many poses for ten seconds as they can. In Dragonwood, players collect creatures and charms as they roam through an enchanted forest.
“This winter break, why not spend some time playing a few board games as a family? Board games have come a long way since we were kids, and are a great way to get some face-to-face time as a family while having a lot of fun,” said Jonathan H. Liu, Senior Editor, GeekDad.com.
Liu said that as an added bonus, many games involve some amount of reading and arithmetic, so it’s a great way to fend off the common skills slide that happens during school vacations.
“The warmest and happiest time for families comes from playing together on equal terms. Board games have always been a great way for children to compete with their parents and siblings because they all have to follow the same rules. That sense of equality is rare for children and brings them delight and a different way for parents to appreciate their children,” said Richard Gottlieb, Global Toy Experts.
For a change in pace, sit kids down to create holiday decorations for the house. Making snowflake cutouts is one easy idea.
Some families like to pack everyone in the car and go to a park. The kids can run around, play on swings and slides, kick a ball around, and burn off excess energy, while parents visit. Bring along some bubble mixture and wands and have bubble contests.
Making Christmas cookies is another great seasonal activity. It’s fun making them, and fun eating them. Start off with a basic sugar cookie recipe, and add artistic touches and decorations.
Other ideas are to play a musical “freeze” game, where kids dance until the music stops. Then, they have to freeze and try to hold their positions. In the listening game, someone whispers a sentence into the first player’s ear. That player whispers what he/she thought was said into the ear of the second player, and so one. The last player has to say aloud what he/she thought was said – which usually turns out to be far from it. Older kids and adults might like to get together and play video games like Halo, World of Warcraft, Battlefield I, Overwatch, or Gears of War. Also, the new Nintendo entertainment system is very popular right now. It’s a replica of the original Nintendo, with many original games preloaded.
Those who like Wii can play some of its most popular games, like Mario Party, New Super Mario Bros., Super Smash Bros., and Mario Kart Wii.
Most parents have a few DVDs that their kids want to watch again and again. These might include Scooby Doo, Ninja Turtles, Barbie, Ice Age, or Paw
Patrol, depending on the ages of the kids. These are especially good after dinner, when everyone is trying to settle down a bit.
“The warmest and happiest time for families comes from playing together on equal terms.” Richard Gottlieb, Global Toy Experts