Making Time for the Family: Family Dinner Fun with Word Play

I took the kids on a little road trip to the bigger city with an actual mall to pick up a package for Stephen. While we were waiting for the store to open the kids and I ran around the child’s play area. Everett, my drifter, saw the electric cars across the way and took off. Everett and Adelin jumped from one seat to the next pretending to be an ice cream truck driver, in a Nascar race, an astronaut… A young boy and girl approached the stationary cars. The boy an awkward teen. The girl giddy with a crush. I watched the boy show off by squeezing into the circus van. His girlfriend rewarded him with a giggle that said “you are so funny…and cute.”

When I was young I did some pretty lame stuff too like speaking in different accents in public or having conversations with people I did not know using certain precalculated words in a sentence. We thought we were so witty. I am sure most people saw us as knuckle-brained teenagers.

Games are a fun way to strengthen the family. They can break down barriers relieving awkward feelings. Games such as Word Play not only help little children with their language they provide a means for communicating.

How to Play:

1. Make a list of 3-4 words.

2. Choose a topic to talk about.

3. Start the conversation. During the discussion each person must use all the words on this list.

For example one time the topic was God and the words were astronaut, popcorn and pencil.

You may also choose to time the game. Maybe who ever does not use all the words in five minutes has to do the dishes that night.