Family Game Night

Looking for a fun activity to do as a family instead of watching TV?  Schedule a family game night. If you're tired of the games you already own or you're looking for something different I have a suggestion for a game that the entire family can not only play but can help assemble.   

If you're like most families you have all kinds of little toys lying around the house. Ever step on a Lego in the middle of the night? OUCH! You probably have a junk drawer overflowing with items you're afraid to toss out because you might need them someday.  

  

Send your family members on a scavenger hunt around the house to gather those items together and put them into a shoe box. You've just assembled a Story Starter Game! 

 

The directions for this game are simple. Lay out the objects so everyone can see them. Decide who will go first. That person selects one object and uses it to start a story. For example, "Once upon a time there was a race car." The next person selects an object, sits it down next to the race car and adds another line to the story. "The race car noticed a stop sign up ahead." Family members continue selecting objects and adding to the story until all the objects have been used.

A variation is to put all the objects inside a paper bag. Each family member randomly pulls out one object at a time and the story is told in that order. 

The Story Starter Game is suitable for both children and adults. Even the youngest of children can participate. The story will be different each time you play. You can use it while traveling and think of what fun it would be to use it at a family reunion.  

Put the cell phones down, turn off the computer and video games, and gather the family together for Story Starter Game Night.