Archive for the ‘Family Fun Night’ Category

Fun night can come alive when you incorporate family board games into the mix. Watch their faces light up as you teach them sportsmanship and maybe even instill a bit of knowledge into the special night.

Even with all the technology in the world traditional games that the whole family can play together are still very popular. There is a wide choice of family board games on the market. Whether they are based on skill, luck or a combination of both, they give hours of entertainment.

Remember Monopoly?

Patented in 1935, Monopoly is America’s most successful game ever. The game is familiar to most people and involves buying and renting property, such as houses, hotels, utilities and railway stations with play money. Players aspire to be the big property tycoon whilst opponents are forced into bankruptcy.

Many editions have come out since the original London based game. There is a Junior Edition and themed editions, such as the Beatles, Batman, and Disney Pixar. A number of computer versions have been published. In 2002 in the United States, the 1935 Deluxe First Edition appeared, a reproduction of the 1935 game.

Who did it? Turn the kids into detectives

Cluedo (Clue in the USA) is another game that generations have grown up with. This family board game takes the classic murder mystery idea, the kind that one might find in an Agathie Christie novel. The game is set in a large mansion and the owner has been murdered.

Players have to find out which guest has done the deed, based on the Suspect, Weapon and Room. There are six different characters and six different potential murder weapons. The mansion has nine rooms, all of them potential crime scenes. They are the hall, dining room, lounge, conservatory, ballroom, kitchen, billiard room, library, and study.

This represents a typical English country house of the upper classes. Alternative versions have been published, including the Alfred Hitchcock, The Simpsons, Dungeons and Dragons and the Harry Potter, which is set in Hogwarts. A Clue DVD game came ou backt in 2005.

The game of Risk

People who are fascinated by military strategy will enjoy playing Risk. This family board game requires some skill. It was invented by the French film director, Albert Lamorisse, and soon became popular outside of France.

The playing board is based on a map of the world during Napoleonic times and is divided into 42 territories and six continents. Players try to capture territories from their opponents with world domination being the ultimate goal. This is achieved by moving an army around the board, made up of Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery. Several video game versions have been released.

Trivial Pursuit is still strong

The combination of quiz question cards and advancing on a board proved very successful with the launch of Trivial Pursuits. General knowledge ability is the key to success and it’s a popular family board game and one that is played at dinner parties.

It has been sold in approximately 26 countries and been translated into around 17 languages. The six categories of questions are Geography, Entertainment, History, Arts and Literature, Science and Nature, and Sports and Leisure.

There are supplementary cards available and alternative editions include a Junior version, a 1980s and 1990s version, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and a Book Lovers Edition.

So, no matter which family board game  you choose, the hours will go by quickly and you will have spent some quality time with your children. What could be better?

Many Christians are struggling for things to do with their children and do not want to resort to a TV watching marathon. Here is something to consider.

A lot of people think that Bible Sunday school is enough for their kids to learn all about the word of God. Although Bible Sunday school is important, it is not the whole story.

The most important activity, in fact, is family Bible study. You see, the church is a community, and the family is a community within the main unit. Unless you study the Bible with your children, you will not be able to nurture that community. Your kids respect you, so they must know that the love of God is in your heart for it to find its place in theirs.

Beginning Bible study lessons for the family

Of course, children Bible study is not as easy as you might think. It is easy to give them some familiarity with the stories, but to tell them in a way that is appropriate for kids and does not distort the word of God is a little bit difficult sometimes. You see, children are naturally curious.

Family Bible study has to address the curiosity and answer all the questions in a meaningful way that they will understand. That is the only way that they can get a head start on mastering the truths of the Bible. 

Online resources can be a great addition to your normal practice of reading the Bible to your kids. Family Bible study, of course, starts with the book itself, but it goes beyond it. You need to get your kids to start thinking about the Bible, to incorporate into their everyday life.

Tell ‘em a story

Your lessons can be complemented by the things that kids like – puppets, games, singing / music and stories. Telling kids parables is also an excellent way to enrich the family Bible studies. Parables can teach them right and wrong and help to integrate the morals of the Bible it into their lives. If your kids can learn early on how practical and useful the Bible is, they’ll never turn from it.

If you are not sure how to go about setting up a family Bible study program, you can always consult the teacher at your child’s Sunday school. Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you’re doing family Bible study.

After all, just because you know how to be a good parent does not mean you know how to be a good teacher. Teaching is a whole different set of skills, and if you do not possess them, you have to find a way to learn the profession one way or another.

First, let’s learn a bit more about the 20 questions game and answer a few ourselves …

FUN

20 questions is a popular term used in American culture. It is usually used it one of two ways. Either someone, when feeling interrogated will say, “What’s with the 20 questions?” or, people will play a game called 20 questions.

American society is highly individualistic. People like to share feelings, thoughts and emotions when they choose to and do not like to be hassled or probed for information.  When asked sequential questions about an event, situation or circumstance, some people feel trapped and will refer to the 20 questions reference.
 
It has been said that 20 questions is the amount of questions where, depending on what is asked, people can gauge what the situation is. The answers from 20 questions can supply enough information to satisfy the inquisitor.

The popular game, 20 questions, is an online game, a board game and a game show on television. People enjoy playing or watching the game because it is hard to predict what kind of questions it will include. Classic 20 questions material is commonly played but there is now a plethora of topics available that get people more excited about the game.
 
The topics can include: Movies, TV, The Simpsons, Harry Potter, People, Doctor Who, Star Trek, Disney, Old Testament, Music, etc.

How to Play 20 Questions

To play, a player will think of an animal, vegetable, mineral, other or unknown. Another player will then ask up to 20 questions regarding whatever the player is thinking of. For example, I may be thinking of an artichoke. I would say it was a vegetable.

Then I might be asked if it has to do with salad. It doesn’t, so I would say “no”. Then I might be asked if it is round or if it comes from trees or if I would eat its fruits. I would continue answering with yes, no, unknown, irrelevant, sometimes, probably or doubtful until the other player can guess that I am thinking of an artichoke.
 
The game is wonderful because it can be played by anyone who knows how to ask questions. When you play, you realize that when receiving accurate answers, 20 questions really is a lot to be able to ask. There is now a blog written about 20 questions on 20q.net.

When to Play

In my family, we would typically play 20 questions games on long road trips as a way to not get too bored and antsy. First the person questioned would think of something. Then the questioner would always ask the same first question: : “Person, place, or thing.” After that, they would have to find out what the other person was thinking of with only 19 other questions.

Although the 20 questions game was one of my favorite games at the time, I never would really would have guessed that it would go through so many incarnations.

Nowadays, there are many different 20 questions games that you can buy, in addition to the one that you can play without buying anything. For example, there is the 20 questions electronic game. This is basically a computerized version of the game. The computer has you think of something within a certain range such as music or sports, and tries to guess the answer with less than 20 questions. It is amazing how often the computer is right.

Twenty Questions Board Game

Of course ,there is also the 20 questions board game. I was a little bit skeptical about this particular development at first, but once I tried it, I really like it. It is a lot like the original game, except it involves solving riddles instead of just guessing something. When you get a right answer, you move a certain number of spaces. There is more to it than that, but that is, more or less, the gist of it.

Still, even though all of these games have their appeal, the most versatile 20 questions game is still the one you can play by yourself with your friends. It is great because it requires nothing but your mind and imagination to play! Once you become an adult, it can be pretty easy to forget about all of the road trip games you played as kids. 

If you can remember these fun family games, it might be time to bring them back. Some of them wear better than others (I have found that “I spy” is kind of distracting when you are trying to drive) but they all have their charm. Best of all, you can teach the 20 questions game and your other favorites to your own kids!

This information is for people and families to find out about updates for the beloved game.  20 questions is also available to purchase online, in big box stores, toy stores and grocery store.

It’s sometimes difficult to find games that everyone loves. Here is one I know your kids will enjoy… the Phase 10 card game. Get it and watch the family fun begin!

Introduction

As my children are getting a bit older, they each want to do their own things at night once they finish their homework. For example, one child might want to play with his Nintendo DS, while another might prefer tinkering with his RC car or curling up on the couch with a book.

While I think this kind of free time is important, I can’t help but feel that I should be making more of an effort to get everyone to spend our evenings together as a family. Sure, we have a movie night every once in a while, but more often than not, we’re all busy with our own activities. So to help bring us back together, I recently purchased the Phase 10 card game.

An amazing discovery

I had never even heard of the Phase 10 card game until a few weeks ago when a friend mentioned that her family loves it. I was raised on Uno, and though my boys used to enjoy playing that when they were younger, they’ve since given up on it as too easy. But apparently, the Phase 10 card game is behind only Uno in popularity and total sales, so other people definitely know and love it.

Cost effective family fun night

Anyway, I bought a pack of the Phase 10 card game for less than $10, which is a good deal no matter how you look at it. I then spent some time going over the rules to make sure I’d be able to explain them to the rest of my family. The Phase 10 card game has similarities to gin rummy and Uno, so it’s actually not that difficult.

How to play Phase 10

Players must complete ten different “phases” (which simply means a combination of cards) before their opponents in order to win. For instance, one of the phases consists of acquiring two sets of three, while another one consists of obtaining a run of seven. The cards are numbered and colored, and the deck also has several “Wild” or “Skip” cards in it — as Uno does.

Everyone loved it!

Once I felt I had mastered the rules, I introduced the Phase 10 card game to my family and taught them how to play. It took a while for my youngest son to catch on, but once he did, everyone had a blast! The Phase 10 card game is far more challenging than Uno, so it’s able to hold our interest a lot longer.

In fact, we played for two straight hours the first night, and have had equally long sessions on several occasions since then. I think it’s safe to say that this has already become our favorite family activity!

If you’re looking to inject some fun and excitement into your family night routine, I recommend checking out the Phase 10 card game. It’s suitable for nearly all ages, and will keep you and your family in affordable entertainment for several hours at a time! Just one more idea for family fun night. Can you think of other games?

Looking for something unique and fun to do with the family this weekend? Here are a few tips on the lost arts and crafts activity we did before the Internet.

When to do this family fun night

While any time of year is a good time to indulge in a relaxing afternoon with arts and crafts activities, during the holiday season you can have fun with a variety of arts and crafts that you can give as gifts.

Hand made items are always welcome, because they are a more personal and thoughtful way to spread the cheer than a store bought gift. All of the arts and crafts ideas you’ll find here are suited to all age groups.

Activities for younger kids

With young children, it can be a family activity with Mom and Dad supervising the use of some materials, for safety’s sake. Once kids learn the techniques, they can do future projects on their own. Introducing new arts and crafts activities gives kids an opportunity to latch on to their favorite styles of creativity.

Not just for the young

Too many adults think that arts and crafts activities are strictly for kids. If you are one of these people, try your hand and see how much fun it really is. These projects tend to bring out the artist and child you’ve perhaps forgotten.

Some ideas for arts and crafts activities

Potpourri is easy to make and especially appropriate for the holiday season. All you need are some inexpensive jars with vented lids in pretty designs, easily available at almost any drug store, along with some dried flowers and a couple of vials of essential oils to spike the scent of your mixture.

Rose petals, lavender, clover blossoms, fragrant spices and essential oils can be found at any herb shop that sells in bulk. Experiment with fragrances you find appealing, or look online for potpourri ‘recipes’. This arts and crafts activity makes a great gift for anyone and lasts for months.

Use old magazines and garden catalogs to find pictures with which you can make a collage. All you need is a stiff piece of cardboard as backing and school glue!

You don’t have to be a seamstress

Small sewing projects, such as woven potholders, a tea cozy, covers for small kitchen appliances, doll clothes and sachets make beautiful arts and crafts projects that are especially economical when you have a stash of fabric scraps. You can also pick up ‘fat quarters’ and bits of trim from the end of the bolts at the fabric shop.

Herbs as art?

Another easy, quick and useful arts and craft activity is making decorative herb and spice jars, or jam pots for goodies from your kitchen. Use plain jars made for seasonings from dollar type stores or, for jam pots, a box of preserving jars.  All you need to complete your project are some decorative labels from the stationery store.

Paper folding

Pick up a book on origami and try your hand at paper folding. A grouping of birds or other whimsical shapes can be strung together for a lovely mobile, suitable for hanging in a nursery or kid’s rooms. You can enhance the appearance with fancy foil papers, glitter or acrylic paints.

Small terracotta flower pots look great when painted with acrylic paints and planted with a variety of herbs. This makes a great gift for Mom, or any cook you know.

Before you begin painting, spray the outside of the pot with a clear acrylic sealer. When the pot is painted, follow up with another clear coat of sealer. These look cute and colorful lined up on the kitchen windowsill.

Each one of these arts and crafts activities are well suited to gift giving. You may be tempted to keep some of them for yourself! Either way you use it, an activity can be fun and enlightening for the entire family.

Other Family Fun Related Websites

• Free: Garden Catalogs |
• Have You Heard Of Basic Herb Garden
• What to do with 10 meter old computer magazines | Weblog of Edward de Leau

A different kind of video- featuring Pup and more family! For more of Pup’s recipes and artwork, visit her blog: www.alizarine.typepad.com MY BLOG www.beautybroadcast.net TWITTER twitter.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com

Fun for the whole family at Hatfield Farm.

Being a parent, you know that it is important to find a family activity to keep the kids, and you, occupied. This site is all about discovering interesting ideas and activities the whole family can enjoy.

Find Time for Your Family

With our busy schedules including work and other commitments, sometimes it’s difficult to find time to have fun. We get ahead in our business lives but fall behind in dealing with our families. Sit back, take a deep breath and start a new schedule including the busy family for some fun activities, at least one night per week.

What You’ll Find Here

At this time the website is about activities, games, crafts, vacations and more. Oh, it also has a section about family genealogy as well. Hope you will bookmark the site to visit for future updates.

Quick Start Family Activities Guide

Here are some ideas you can use to place in your new schedule to get your family geared toward fun and quality time together.

• Fly a kite with the kids. Get outdoors and have a ball.
• Fishing – Nothing like a relaxing day at the lake or river
  Bake some cookies – Get all the kids, the mom and the dad together and give them each a “job” to do in the kitchen.
• Take a stroll – Walking is relaxing and good, clean family exercise.
• A game of sports – Some fun family outdoor activeties include basketball, touch football, baseball, etc. Have one for each season.

Well, you get the message. For more fun ideas check out a family magazine or do a search online. You’ll have a long list for your family before you know it!

The Family Vacation

Lastly, plan a good summer vacation with your family. Go somewhere that the kids and parents will enjoy. Make it interesting and inviting. Think of the age group of the kids. Are they todlers or teenagers or both? Keep this in mind when you plan.

So, you see? There are plenty of choices for family activities and ideas if you will just take a couple of hours out of your busy schedule. Remember, families are important too!

There’s nothing more sacred then the moment a father teaches his son how to ride a bike. Watch more at www.magichugs.com

Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt and their 6 kids Maddox,Pax,Zahara and twins knox&vivienne have enjoy stay in Venice. Angelina Jolie still continue filming ” The Tourist ” Taxi Cab : Vampire Weekend

I travel a lot for business, and when I get back I like to try to find fun things for my family and I to do together for quality fun, we’ve played board games, gone to the movies, minature golfing, arcades, etc. I am running out of more ideas, so I’m looking any suggestions. I will reward 10 points for the best idea. Thanks.