Y'all aren't going to believe this, but I have an idea for an actual blog post later today.
I KNOW!
It was touch and go there for a while and I thought the old lady might not make it, but it looks like the blog has a few more breaths in her.
Until I have time to type that post, though, I need your help with something.
We have designated Friday evenings as "Game Night" around here and the children couldn't be more excited about it. We have already had the kickoff of "Game Night" and it was a little, shall we say, lacking.
For one thing, I forgot to make popcorn, like I had intended. That's easy enough to remedy, though, and next time I'll put a sweet surprise in the popcorn, thanks to a little tip I saw on "Jon and Kate Plus 8". (Now if Kate would only give her husband a sweet surprise once in a while, like say, oh, I don't know, KIND WORDS, he might stay home where he belongs.)
Our biggest trouble is finding a game that all ages can enjoy. We tried Apples to Apples Jr, but the three and five year old get terribly upset when they can't understand how a spider can be "entertaining".
We have also tried Pictionary, but have you seen a three year old's rendition of, well, anything? I rest my case.
So, what are some fun games intended for ALL ages?
26 comments:
Do you know how to play Spoons? You could buy character cards (you know, like Dora...) to make it easier and use large serving utensils (plastic or wood). We taught Kahlan when she was 3 and we also have taught adults. It's also fairly fast paced with no "It's your turn, play already." If you sat the younger ones by you and Mr. Smockity, then the older ones might be less impatient with them. If you have no clue what I am talking about, email me and I'll send you the rules. :)
Oh AMEN on Kate and her harsh words!
And I think my blog must be suffering from the same malady as yours. I think I may be at an all-time record for time between posts. Which I'm sure must mean all my 3 or 4 readers have probably given up on me and moved on. *SIGH*
ANYWAY....
What about a domino game like Train or Chicken Foot? They are relatively simple, and could probably be played fairly easily by the 5 yr old and with just a little help for the 3yo.
Lene, I remember Spoons from Jr. High church camp. GREAT FUN!
Amy, I have you on my feed reader, so I'm still reading!
I once had the cd from the Math U See dude titled, The Family That Stays Together Stays Together. It was a wonderful message about enjoying time with one another. In it, he talked about a game they liked to play that didn't have any waiting or taking turns. (It's almost painful, isn't it, to wait for a three yr. old to count eight spaces?)
Does anyone remember what game that was?
We love playing games together. We have a couple that the entire family enjoys...parents down to the 2 year old...the 1 year old and baby just watch :)
We love to play charades...is that how your spell that word? I've never written it before! Anyways, we pick a topic like animals or Bible characters ect... and let them act it out. With the younger ones, I help them think of something and give them an idea of what to do. With the really little ones, they just love to get up in front of everyone and do whatever while giggling and everyone is guessing.
When our Abigail was 3, she would always get up and do the same thing...put her hands over her head and wiggle her fingers. Everyone would guess..."a spider, an airplane, a dog, a piano, a wall ect..." and she would say, "No, no, no, no..." until Daddy guessed something and then she'd say, "Yes!" :)
Another game they love to play is musical chairs. And another is Miss Sue from Alabama...ever heard of it? I learned it when I was little...you say the "Miss Sue" rhyme and then at the end everyone has to freeze...the first one to move is out. Then everyone else starts again...repeat till you have a winner :)
This is a long comment ;) I'm proud of myself. Normally I don't have time to comment at all now days...something about having a dozen children hanging around super anxious to get back home to Mexico and saying how now that we're packed up that there's nothing to do ect... :)
I told Daniel that on our real furlough (3 years away) I want to stop by and meet you all. :)
love and prayers,
Jaynee
How about one of the Cranium games. We have Family Fun and it's played in teams. Uno type games are also pretty easy for young ones. Have fun with game night!
Lisa, I forgot about Uno. We had it once, but lost the cards little by little until I chunked the whole thing.
Jaynee, I would FAINT DEAD AWAY if I got to meet you!!! PLEEEEEEZ come any time!
I love all the suggestions so far and as a HUGE game family, we would like to offer a few suggestions.
Dominos is great fun! Kids that can't count can team up with those that can count or go by colors.
Quirkle is a FUN game for all ages. I ordered mine from Rainbow Resource, but you can find it on Amazon too. It's a shapes and colors game for all ages.
For spellers, how about Bananagrams? It's a fast paced scrabble type game.
Uno is also a great game and it comes it so many varities now.
I love your idea of game night. I will pray that this week goes better and there is nothing lacking!
And AMEN to the Kate comment. I don't know that I have ever heard her say a nice thing about her husband and she could stand to let him be the leader of the house...that might help him feel like a man and stay home too. :)
I was going to suggest UNO as well. And what about Jenga? UGGHH... I had another one in mind, but my kids came in and interuppted my thoughts and now it is gone!!
Connie,
We love Balloon Lagoon. It is a cranium game would be great for the smaller ones and the big ones might like it. Could you do something like split the groups up and play different games and then switch the groups around so everybody plays with everybody. Bunco is a fun game but I really can't remember if it is to old for the littles. The is another one out there that I want to get the boys but I can't remember what it is called where you have these sticks and you pull them out one by one and you try to not get them to fall. You would recognize it if you saw it. Hide and seek is good. All the old outdoor games.
Jerri
Our crew LOVES Family Fun Cranium. It's like the adult version, but more kid friendly. One member of a team might have to hum "Happy Birthday to You" and get the rest of the team to guess or you have to flip little hoppy frogs across the board and land them in a bowl you make out of the clay or run around the house finding items that begin with a certain letter.
Some of the challenges do involve spelling, but the littles (except for the 1 year old) can all participate in enough of the game that they find it fun.
Also Cranium Hullabaloo this has little bases that are different shapes and colors and have different pictures on them. This is more fun for the younger set, but my big kids still have fun with it (up to 12 years). The electronic disc jockey says, "skip to a blue" or "crawl to a triangle" or "put your elbow on square" etc. Then it says "freeze! Is someone touching a guitar? You win!" Not much strategy, but everyone can play (even the 1 year old).
Blessings,
Kimberly
P.S. Pretty clueless on Jon & Kate, tv show? My head is buried in my home. Enough drama here for me!
Connie,
I have been thinking about the JOn and Kate thing since my last post to you. I don't watch the show so I really don't know everything but from what I have gathered he cheated on her. I can't see how that could ever be her fault even if she is not a very nice person. he is an adult, he knew what she was like when they married, he knew what she is like as they are married and it is up to him to step up and change things if they are not how God intended them to be. That is what being head of the household is all about. I am not saying she is innocent of causeing disharmony in the marriage just tha he made the decision based on what he wanted not on what he had but didn't want. What I can't understand and it has happened to a friend of mine is who he could do that to his children. They had no part in the husband wife relationship but they do the family relationship and when you betray one member you betray them all. I don't understand men or women who are so selfish that they have no respect for their children, the mother/father of their children or their vows. Just my opinion on very little knowledge of the stituation.
Jerri
Jerri
Chickenfoot is great for all ages. I don't have the official rules, but I've seen the big double twelve sets of multi-colored dominoes that have the instructions in them.
The game my kids keep coming back to (and I don't even mind playing it with them )is The Great Scrambled States of America. Even my 4 year old plays :0
I heard recently that Jon and Kate were Christians - couldn't tell that from the show!
Jerri,
I should have said "... he might WANT to stay home where he belongs."
I agree that he is an adult and is responsible for his own decisions, but I think wives would be wise to recognize that they can make their husbands desire to be at home or desire to be as far from home as possible.
My husband is a Godly man, but if I treated him the way she treats her husband, I think he would be spending a lot more time at work just to get as far away from me as possible. And I wouldn't blame him!The Proverbs tell us that it is better to live on the corner of a roof than with a contentious woman. If you see the show, you will know why!
Connie,
I just don't think there is any excuse or reason for infidelity. His life might not be great but he decided to to step over the line. I am sure she could have treated him with more respect but being wrong does not give the other person permission to stray. Just the little bit I saw of her while changing channels showed me she was not a nice woman and probably a horrible wife but that is still no excuse. If the husband doesn't want to come home it is his duty to try and help the wife see what is happening. Besides staying late at work and cheating are really different. I agree with you about making your home a place your hubby wants to come to but even if it is not he no one to blame but himself if he cheats.
Jerri
Kate treats Jon TERRIBLY!!!!!!! It really angers me.
Mr. Smockity here
My wife is a very smart woman, and I am a very blessed man. She is smart enough to realize that yes a man is responible to God for his actions and yes a person chooses to sin or not sin all on their own. She is also smart enough to know that if a man is satisfied at home he won't be attracted by other "offers". If John cheated on Kate it was a sin, a sin he choose to committ all on his own. My wife is simply pointing out that Kates harsh words, and demeaning attitude are also sins, Sins she chooses to committ all on her own. When marriages have trouble there is no innocent party. Since this blog is written by a christian, homeschooling, mother who;thank God for his blessings, lives her life to please God in all she does, it is only natural for her to look at the situation and identify with the character she relates to and see what she can learn. Since her audience is mainly the same sort of person she is, her comments are directed towards a womans role and responsibility in marriage. please re read her comments and you will find at no place does she say Jon was not sinful. She merely points out that the character she identifies with had shortcomings(sins) that should be recognized and avoided by a wife wanting a Christian marriage.
You know what I hate? Rude people who just assume they know everything about Jon and Kate just because they see what TV puts about them. Im sure if you had tons of kids running around and you were the one trying to deal with them, you might be a little harsh as well. Think before you speak, or type. I cant stand rude, nosey people.
Okay, I go to Wal Mart for a couple of hours and this place is hoppin'!
Jerri, I think we are saying basically the same things. Yes, I think any man who cheats is a scoundrel and a weakling. He is wrong to do it and is hurting his entire family, possibly beyond repair.
I just wish she would make it a little easier for him to stay home. I think a lot of wives don't realize the power they have to make their men feel loved or lousy. It makes me so sad, and I have prayed for both Jon and Kate to work out their problems.
Mr. Smockity, THANK YOU for your sweet words! (smooch, smooch)
Anonymous, I don't think anyone here is claiming to "know everything about Jon and Kate". You may have noticed they DO have a television show and those who have seen it have drawn some comclusions from it.
Thank you so much for your wise counsel to "think before you speak or type". I'll try real hard to remember that.
And you are absolutely right. I don't know WHAT I would do if I had a ton of kids running around here. I'm sure that would be difficult, but I'm just using my imagination on that one.
Your rude, nosey friend
Connie
Connie,
I think you are right we are saying the same thing in different ways. I never once thought you thought it was okay for him to do what he did or that you thought he didn't sin. I just truly believe that there can never be a reason someone cheats it is always a choice and no matter how bad it is at home the cheater still knows it is wrong and the badness in his life does not justify what he is doing. It is just a rationalization.
I know she should make it nicer for him to stay home but that is really what bothers me, nothing she does can make him do anything. He wants to do it. You and I both know that there are a lot of men and women out there that have bad marriages but they don't use that as an excuse to cheat. I just can't get over the fact that no matter how bad she makes it he has is the one taking action and I can't blame her for his action even if she is not a nice woman.
I won't say anymore because I think I made your hubby mad and isn't he six four? But I know he is a nice guy really who will set through a piano recital with no air conditioning cradling a sweet little girl so I am not really worried.
You guys take care and I will stop arguing. I gotta tell you this is like my third email discussion in a week. I may need to stay off the computer for a while.
Jerri
Jerri, You are my most favoritest commenter who lives on a "B" street!
Mr. Smockity wasn't mad, he just looks for every opportunity to call me smart. And no he isn't 6'4". He is 6'5" SILLY!
:)
Wow, I just came back to see what games other people play...
How 'bout a nice game of UNO, anyone?
LOL - Connie, hope you find out, someday, what it's like to have so many kids underfoot all day :)!!
Wow! Back to the games though....I love Uno and spoons and dominoes but I really love the old fashioned games too. In the summer my kids love to play flashlight tag, hide and seek, freeze tag, Simon says, Red rover red rover (you definitely have enough kids for that one!). Check out Family Fun Magazines or website. They have awesome ideas for games and crafts and all sorts of stuff!
Ellen
Is there a game called "Open a can of worms"? LOL You have handled the 'jon n kate' conflicts well. None of it is easy, and all of it is sin... I will take your words as encouragement to make my own right choices. ;^)
As for game night, (which we do), we will pair up with a little if they seem too small to "really" participate. Ours is gleeful enough to draw the next card or to move the marbles, shake the dice for yahtzee, etc..
Have fun!
~Sheri
"Don't Eat Pete!" This is a game the kids in my class love. A lot! You need a bag of gummy bears (or other candy, but the bears work well). One person goes out of the room, the others all agree to name one of the bears Pete. The one in the hall returns and starts taking bears, one at a time. If he picks up Pete, the whole groups YELLS "Don't Eat Pete!" He gets to keep all the bears he picked up before picking up Pete, then someone else gets a turn. If you start with 20 bears, then each person starts with 20.
Monopoly had a junior edition rreleased when I was a kid, the five year old should be able to handle it, not sure about three. teams?
trivial persuit also has kids questions, and my family tends to have various boxes of questions and asks differant ones for differant people
ludo is a nice, simple, game, but it is 4 player.
playing 20 questions or quiz games can be fun, just make up questions on the spot or write characters that are age appropriate for 20 questions.
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