When I was a little girl our family used to gather in the playroom on Friday nights for our much-loved BINGO night. I remember taking turns being the caller and learning the BINGO lingo (did you know that “in waiting” means you are just one space away from BINGO?) and lots of laughing. It was great fun for our big family. And it was pretty cheap. A bag of bite-sized candy bars served as prizes, and all 11 of us were entertained.
The current downturn in the economy may lead to an upturn in family fun. “Family Game Nights” are finding a resurgence around the country as families look for more affordable means of entertainment. Some families are opting for Nintendo or Wii nights, and admittedly they can be fun, but I’m advocating remote-control-free Family Game Nights. Family Game Night-unplugged, if you will.
Try going low-tech and teaching your children (or grandchildren) card games from when you were young. They will love it! Or, dust off any board games you have tucked away in a closet somewhere. If you have a wide range of ages and abilities, or if competition isn’t fun for your family, try playing Jenga (the tumbling wooden tower game) together. Instead of having a “losers” and “winners” you can work together to see how high the tower can get. Keep track and try to break your family record. Or invite another family over for an old fashioned game of charades. The point is to hang out and spend time talking and laughing together – and grown ups need to play, too!
BTW, if you are a teacher or parent council leader, consider hosting a Family Game Night at your own school. They have been a hit at Mission Hill School, where I taught for 11 years. You can read about it, and other ideas to support families, click here.