Game on

We are game players...
Board games.  Card games.  Action games (think Wii).
My mom gave us those tiny dice because she knew we'd appreciate them and she was right - I just love them!

When our youngest comes home for a visit, the dining room table is covered, frivolous decorative items are shoved aside and the games pile up there for the entire length of her stay.

As you can see, snacks are often consumed while playing.  Last time Lindsey was home, she surprised me by coming upstairs while I was having breakfast in the kitchen (she’s not known for waking early).

Just as I was putting a spoonful of Wheat Chex into my mouth, she rather casually asked, “Do you want to play Yahtzee while you eat breakfast?”

 

I laughed and said “No I don’t but thanks for asking.”  She was shocked.  Who wouldn’t want to shake an ear-splitting cup full of dice and do addition at 8:00 am?

Happy coincidence:  I just scanned a photo of this precious girl playing Yahtzee at the tender age of 3½:

How cute is that??  And so telling of things to come.

Amy likes to play games too and is always up for cards or even something long and involved like Settlers of Catan (too long and involved for me).  Lisa, on the other hand, is not a big game lover but she and Ray are good sports and will play Scattergories or Balderdash with us if we beg.

We especially love card games and used to have these card holders for the girls to use when their little hands couldn’t quite hold a fistful of cards.  We still say we need to use the ‘Oreos’ if our hand is too big.

It wouldn't be at all unusual for Jeff and I to have my sweet mother-in-law over for dinner and end up playing cards afterwards.  She taps her nails on the table when she's completed her turn (so of course we do too). And she says things like "I don't have any Kinks" (be sure you say kink not king) or "There's that Jackie I needed!"  Oh, I love that woman.

For those of you who hate to play games (I know you're out there), I'm surprised you've read this far!  Stop now and click over here to view a 3-D panorama of the Great Barrier Reef.

But in case any of you might be looking for some game ideas, here are some of the card games we enjoy playing, with the Amazon description after each.

Five Crowns

• Easy to learn game for 2-7 players
• Great family game, kids can compete with adults
• You'll need luck and skill throughout the game because even in the last hand a worthy opponent can come from behind and win

Wizard

• Ideal because it's simple to learn, quick to play, and very entertaining 
• Similar to ‘Up and Down the River’ but with a little more strategy 
• For 3-6 players

Fluxx

• One of the craziest games you’ll ever play because the rules change with every hand
• 2 to 6 player game

Sequence

• Players form sequences on the game board using strategy
• Kids under 7 can team up with adults
• For 2 or more players

I’ve also recently learned how to play Canasta but you need six decks of cards and for that reason an automatic card-shuffler is a must-have for this game.  I wonder what it means that I have one on my wish list.  Don’t you have a card shuffler on your wish list?

We’re also learning (re-learning?) how to play Zilch – a dice game that two can play.  Do you remember that one?

But I promise you won't find me playing it at breakfast.