(Long Island, N.Y.) Now’s the perfect time to seal the bond and squeeze in some quality family time. Here are some creative suggestions to help you clock-in and strengthen your connection. (Psst: Every second you spend engaged with the kids–counts!)
Catch the Wacky Jax — the newest revival of the classic Chinese jacks, is a great way to bond over a retro toy that we played in the (non-digital) dark ages. Teach the kids the classic way to play, or make up their own rules as they go.
Tell a twisted fairytale. Make up your own creative endings to well-known tales. Throw the Big Bad Wolf’s mom in the mix-sure, why not?
Start an impromptu jam session. Rock out together with Music Together’s Super Play-Along Set. Shake your “Chick-itas” and cue the applause.
Inquire within with the help of Loaded Questions-the classic game of who said what. There are no right or wrong answers. Ask something cool or funny like, “If you were a professional wrestler, what would your ring name be?” Tsumommi?
Slip in some outdoor fun with Jumbo Bananagrams–144 waterproof, three-inch square tiles packaged in a funky giant yellow banana-shaped tote bag. Race against each other to build giant crossword grids and use all their letter tiles. No pencil, paper or board needed!
Plan a random act of kindness. Pow-wow around the table and brainstorm some ways you can surprise a friend or neighbor with a sweet and unexpected gesture. (It’s very exciting!)
Start slacking! Strike the perfect balance with The Funline by Gibbon Slacklines. You may have seen slacklining in Madonna’s Super Bowl halftime show being done by a professional. No worries not all slacklining is that extreme and my kids and I love it! Slacklines are safe, typically set up over pads or grass just a foot or two off the ground. You will need to find two trees about 10-15 feet apart to set it up. Once you find the perfect spot, it’s easy to get going!
Play Telestrations–the game that takes the sketch and guess fun found in today’s popular online games and brings it into the family room. Think telephone game – sketched out, and well, you get the picture. Everyone plays at the same time as multiple words get passed around, and players simultaneously draw what they see, then guess what they saw.
Make it The Greatest Day Ever, a new matching game where you can cruise around with the kids in a race around the board that was developed to bring the greatest day ever to life for any kid.if they play their cards right!
Camp out and build a Base Camp Shelter, by Backyard Safari Outfitters. It’s a cool camping kit with everything to set up shelter and rough it in the great outdoors also known as your backyard.
Break out Duo Pop, a new way to connect with family and friends for fun-filled, fast-action, heads-up gaming on an iPad. Multiple players compete to be first to pop their Duo Pop Poppers, then correctly answer questions to win. Apps available for Duo Pop include Saturday Night Live – The Game app, Highlights Hidden Pictures, Guesstimation and more.
