It’s week 14, the last and final week of the Make a Memory series! It is so important to create lasting memories with our families and this has been such a fun way to get ideas for fun traditions to start with our own families. So, let’s dive right in and see how Kara from Creations by Kara and her family make a memory!
Hi Little Tipsy readers, I’m Kara from Creations by Kara. I am so happy to be here today as part of Michelle’s awesome Make a Memory Series!
We have four very active boys ages 7-16 (and a baby girl). We are always looking for ways to keep them busy on days when the weather doesn’t make for much fun outside. A few years ago we came up with the idea of letting them create their own games. It has been a huge hit, and we have so much fun seeing what they can come up with. As a bonus, this activity costs nothing, we just use what we have around the house. Yay for free entertainment!
When we first started, they would make Bingo and Memory games. One year they made a Don’t Bug Daddy game for Father’s Day. And yes, some of the dads happen to be aliens. 😉 It is similar to “Don’t Eat Pete”, and can be adapted to any holiday. I’m including the instructions at the bottom of the post in case you’ve never played it before.
Then they got a little older and started designing board games. Sometimes they just take turns drawing them on the dry erase board. We play, then erase it and let the next person have a turn making up the game.
When they want to make a game that will last for more than one day, they draw it on cardboard. My 10 year old spent hours coming up with an elaborate game that uses dice and playing cards. We have spent many Sunday afternoons playing it, and it really is just as fun as some of the games on the market.
Not only do these DIY games foster creativity and provide lots of family fun, but they are a great self-esteem booster for younger kids. My two youngest boys just beam with pride when they see the family playing “their” game. Especially when an older brother tells them what an awesome job they did.
I hope you’ll all give DIY games a try in your family. Thanks for having me Michelle!
You can all drop by and visit me at Creations by Kara anytime. I’ve always got a batch of goodies ready to share. 🙂
Don’t Bug Daddy Instructions:
Place a small piece of candy on each dad. (We use M&M’s.) One person leaves the room. The remaining players agree on a Secret Dad. When everyone is ready, the player comes back into the room and begins picking up and eating the candy one piece at a time. When the player tried to pick up the candy on the secret Santa, everyone yells, “DON’T BUG DADDY!” Choose a different person to leave the room. The player that just had a turn picks the next secret Daddy. In addition to this Don’t Bug Daddy version, we also have a “Don’t Eat Santa”, and “Don’t Eat the Easter Bunny”. Kids of just about all ages love this game!
A big thanks to Kara for such a fun idea! We made a personalized Life Game once. It was really fun! So what did you think of the Make a Memory series? Did you find a new tradition to start with your family? Thanks to all who participated!
P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for free Tipsy updates via RSS or email.
This looks fun to me, especially when you play it with your family. I admire your 10 year old boy, he is very smart to manage the game.