Share/Bookmark

Around the Corner:		23 Games to Play in the Car… or Anywhere
ONLINE CLASSES
Starts July 11th EHM Summer Enroll Through July 18th – Only $49 Order now and get Brook’s 3 Step Post-it Notes Free! Learn more and registe Starts July 11th – Searching for Something Enroll Through July 18th – Only $39 Learn more and register Make Today Matter: A complete program for getting organized, managing time, living by your priorities and building the life you want Learn more or register or, Get Brook’s complete kit and get all you need in one package - LIMITED TIME ONLY – 20% OFF PLUS BONUSES! Learn more and order Special: Free, $28 Challenge Workbook on CD ROM with all Orders of $78+ Add the CD-ROM to your order and enter coupon code: CHALLENGE at checkout More to Explore: Make Today Matter on Facebook Brook Noel on Facebook Brook Noel on Twitter Make Today Matter on Twitter Brook Noel’s Blog Reading Room Archives		How many of you have summer travel plans involving a car ride? Or maybe you find that riding to or from an event, school or camp accounts for some of the quality time you have with your children? Instead of spending that time in silence or frustrated because you are listening to the same child-music CD for the 18th time that day, try a fun car game. These games often lead to laughter and memorable moments. These are also great when trying to keep children entertained in lines, waiting rooms, etc. Here are a few that I have learned over the years, heard about from friends, or created with my daughter. Guessing Games Car Colors: Choose a time limit such as 10 minutes or 30 minutes – depending on the length of the drive. Have each rider make a guess about how many cars of a certain color will be spotted during that time. The closest guesser wins. You can also do this in “sprint fashion” by using 3 -minute intervals as your time limit. Whoever is closest gets a point for that time segment. The first one to 5 points wins. Odd or Even: Each player makes a guess at how many of the next 20 license plates will end with an even number. The one who is closest wins. It helps to have a little tally chart to keep score. You can lengthen the game by increasing the number of license plates. Spy: You are probably familiar with this one. One player announces something that they see and the other players try to guess what it is by asking questions. The only trick when doing this while driving is that it has to be something that won’t go out of view – like the sky, the road, etc. Someone announces that they “spy” something and gives a clue. Example: I spy something blue. The players then take turns guessing until some one gets it. Whoever guesses correctly starts the next spy-turn. 20 Questions: One person thinks of a famous person, place or thing. Everyone else is allowed to ask the player 20 questions which can only be answered ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Whoever guesses correctly becomes the next person to think of something. (We play this without a limit on the number of questions.) Observation Games The Alphabet Game: I am sure you know this one! Each player sequentially works through the alphabet looking for something that starts with a specific letter. For example: A might be apple tree or a word on a sign. Once a player finds an A word, they move onto B. (Have fun with Q, X and Z!) The first rider to work through the alphabet wins. Variation: Use only letters found on billboards, or letters on license plates. The Animal Game:If you are in more rural areas where cars aren’t abundant, try the animal game. Keep on the lookout for animals and when you see one be the first to make the animal sound. For example if you saw a cow you would say “moooo.” The first person to make the animal sound wins a point. Play to a designated number of points. You can make this game a bit more complicated for older kids by adding a designated number of points depending on the commonality of the animal – i.e. cows are 1 point, pigs are 2 points, etc. Find it First:Choose an item such as Volkswagen bugs, farms, people taking walks, silos, etc. Then choose a number like 5 or 20 depending on the length of your drive. See who can find the designated number of the chosen item first. Music Games Hum-Along: One rider hums a song and the other passengers try to guess. The person who guesses goes next. The first one to guess 3 right wins. Radio Game 1: Hit the “scan” button on your radio until it stops on a song. The first person to guess the artist wins. Radio Game 2: This isn’t so much a game but a way not to fight over music! The first person to take a turn goes through the dial until they find a song they like. You then listen to that song until completed. Then the next rider does the same, etc., etc. The only rule is that if you go all the way through the dial without finding a song you like then you need to listen to the last song you land on or lose a turn. Radio Game 3: While the radio is off, each rider chooses a word. Turn the radio on. The winner is the person whose word is spoken or sung first. Creative Thinking Games Story-Telling: One passenger starts a story with a single sentence. Then the next person adds a sentence. Continue until you build a complete story. The Question Game: Take turns asking open and thoughtful questions and allowing each person time to answer. Examples: o If you were on a deserted island and could only take 3 things, what would you take and why? o Who are your mentors/heroes and why? o If you won the lottery what you do with it? o If you could have lunch with a famous person, who would you pick and why? Note: If you really get into this game, you can purchase small books called “The Book of Questions” at most bookstores that give you a ton of subjects to choose from! Word Games Word Sequence: Choose a topic such as animals, places, television shows, people, fruit, etc. Name something in your category. If you choose animals you might say “panda.” The next player has to name an animal that starts with the last letter of your animal. In this example, their animal would have to start with the letter “A” such as “alligator.” Play continues until someone can’t think of a word. They are then eliminated. When you have only 1 person left, they are the winner. You cannot use any animal name twice. (If you are playing with real young children, let them have the handicap of being able to use the same word twice). The Round Game: My daughter made up this one and we have had great fun with it. Even my best friend who is single and childless enjoys this game over dinner with us. We choose a topic such as vegetables, board games, television shows, cities, types of cereal, flowers, movies, etc. Then we name something within that category. For example for cereal the first player might say “Cheerios.” Then the next player names a cereal. Play continues until someone can’t think of an item, then they are “out.” Play continues until there is only one person left. For young children, let them have three “passes” as a handicap. The Rhyming Game: Someone picks a word to start with, such as “ball.” The next player has to come up with a word that rhymes. Play continues until someone cannot think of a rhyming word. As always, give younger players a hint or two. You make the game more difficult for older kids by having each player recite the previous list of words before adding their own. Tongue Twisters: Choose a person that you all know, example, “Sara.” Then start with a phrase about that person that uses only the first letter of her name such as “Sara says strawberries…” take turns adding “S” words with as few “connectors” as possible (a connector is a word that doesn’t start with S) to see how silly of a tongue twister you can create! Memory Games My father/mother owns a grocery store: One player begins the round by stating, “My father owns a grocery store, and in it he sells (something that begins with the letter A; e.g., ant traps).” The next player states, “My father owns a grocery store, and in it he sells ants traps and (something that begins with the letter B; e.g., bananas). “Play continues with each player having to recite the current list and then add something that begins with the next sequential letter of the alphabet. For young players, offer them “3 strikes” where you will help them if they forget the list. Adults–sorry, no handicap for you Variation: You can vary this game to match your interests or those of a child. Example: o My mother owns a clothing store and in it she sells ____________ o My brother owns a music store and in it he sells ______________ o My sister works as a producer and she has produced __________ (insert television show) o My father owns a bookstore and in it he sells _________________ Just Plain Silly Games Laugh A Lot: Choose a player to keep a straight face. The rest of the players choose a silly answer for the player to use such as “My shoe.” Then players take turns asking questions such as, o What do you brush your hair with? o What is your favorite snack? o Who is your hero? o Where is your favorite vacation destination? The player keeping the straight face has to answer with “My shoe,” while trying to keep a straight face. If they laugh then play passes to someone else and a new phrase is established. Math Games Add-it-up: Call out the numbers on the license plate and see who can add up the numbers the quickest. For example D572-43X – players would have to calculate 5+7+2+4+3. Whoever answers correctly gets a point. The one who reaches 5 points first is the winner. (No calculators allowed.) Games that Require a Bit of Preparation Travel Bingo: Make a bingo board with color names in the squares. Print out several on your home computer. As you drive, players place an X when they see a car of the specific color. You can add to the excitement by letting each car only be used by the first person to “call it.” Try 4 corners, blackout (filing up the whole card) making an X on the card, etc. Variation: Make a “mixed” car board and include different types of items on the card such as: o Fire truck o Stop light o Grocery store o National Historic Monument o Lake or Pond o Farm o Police Car o Billboard Speed Talking: (You will need either a timer or watch with a second hand) Choose a topic and then talk for 60 seconds straight without repeating yourself or pausing. One point is awarded if you accomplish the goal. Take turns playing to a designated number of points depending on the length of your drive. If someone makes it 30 seconds, award them ½ a point. Game for a Tired Driver Statue: On a long trip and need some quiet time? Play a round of statue. The person who can stay still and quiet the longest wins! Your Turn Review this list with your children of choose a few games to try to turn otherwise “long trips” or “long lines” into cherished family moments.
(c) 2011 Brook Noel and Make Today Matter, LLC. For more information visit www.brooknoel.com

Share/Bookmark

Share/Bookmark

I have always found it extremely difficult to watch television without multi-tasking. A few years ago, my daughter and I were both sick. She had strep and I had an ear infection. We were on our 3-day-doctor-ordered “lounge” when my daughter fell asleep while lying next to each other in the living room. I picked up the remote and began flipping through the channels.

I was awed by the entertainment-power in my hand through this 7-inch remote control. I hadn’t even realized that a channel 999 existed! It took me over an hour just to surf through the options—lifestyle, entertainment, gossip, food, reality, music, news, sports… and every subcategory one could imagine!

The previous week I had read…

…while there are 2.5 people in the average US home, they are outnumbered by their 2.73 television average per home. The average home has the television on for more than 8 hours each day! And the average person watches 4.35 hours of television daily.

One of the laments I hear most often is about “lack of free time.” If the average person within the United States watches 4.35 hours a day… well, that’s over 30 hours per week! Watching television has become a part-time job for many and a full time-job for many others! No wonder we don’t have a lot of free time–if we are TV-watches we all have a second (or third) job!

I couldn’t choose between the 999 stations because by the time I made it through looking at all of them, over an hour had passed and I now had 999 new options. Instead, I reached for a pile of paper nearby. On the top, I had one a set of index cards with a spiral binding. On the first index card I wrote, “The Channels of Our Lives.” I figured if the networks have pinpointed our interests so well they can support this many stations, this extensive 999 channel guide might be able to teach me a thing or two.

I began a list of all the stations someone in my household might watch. I then imagined what activity would have to take its place if we couldn’t watch it. After all, the shows we watch represent our interests, right?

I began dividing up the categories and channels and listing them one per card, looking for an equivalent activity. I was just about done with the station list when my daughter woke up and asked what I was doing. I explained that I was making a “Channel Guide for Life.” My plan was to review our life channel guide when we were tempted by the remote to check for activities that might add more fulfillment, interaction and balance to our lives. I think Sammy thought I had taken too many antibiotics.

“Why do you like to watch cartoons?” I asked.

“Because they are funny.”

“Okay, so what else makes you laugh?”

“Funny movies.”

I tried again. “What else makes you laugh that isn’t on a screen?”

This took a little more thought. “Playing a game, reading a funny book…” She quickly began to list activities while I wrote each one down on the back of an index card. On the front I numbered the stations, Cartoon Life Network #1, Cartoon Life Network #2, she quickly took over the numbering, adding funny names for our imaginary networks.

“I also like movies and spy shows,” she offered.

“Why do you like them?”

“Because they capture you in and you get lost in them.”

“What else captures you ‘in’?”

“Reading, painting, drawing…” We began another set of stations around “entertainment.”

Here is a sampling from our “Channel Guide…”

Cartoon Channels

Playing a family game

Getting together with a friend

Playing with the dogs

Pictionary ® game

Apples to Apples ® Game

Whoonu ® Game

Catch-Phrase Game

Drawing cartoons

Sports Biking

Walking

Dancing

Frisbee

Kickball

Hopscotch

Swimming

Home/Craft

Gardening

Trying a new recipe

Preparing a nice dinner

Scrapbooking

Stamping

Painting

Coloring / Drawing

Friendship Bracelets

Sewing Projects (misc)

Art Collage

Shrinky-Dinks®

Nature Shows

Hiking

Watching a sunset

Setting up bird feeders

Pressing flowers

Nature Walks

Photography

Discovery

Looking at the stars

Easy make-at-home experiments

Planting a tree

Learning about the environment

Recycling

News
Volunteering

Learning about issues that are important to us

Doing something each day to make a difference

Random Acts of Kindness

Reading the newspaper, forming and discussing our personal opinions

Music
Dancing
Karaoke

Going to a concert

Learning an instrument

Then I offered for the next week that we should turn off the television for the whole week and try our Life Channel Guide and see what it was like to actually “do” instead of “watch.” I could see Sammy’s eyes light up at the thought. Her expression interested me. It was almost as if we forget that we can actually “do” these things and the television becomes a means to vicariously do the things we would like to do.

Your Weekly Challenge:

Make a channel guide to your life. Keep it with your remote or television guide. Before turning on the TV, check your personal channel listing and see if there is anything more fulfilling within that guide–I bet there is!

Variation: If, like me, you aren’t a big television watcher, adapt to this to the free time you do have. While many people say it is impossible to find extra time in the day, I believe we can all find at least an hour in each day if we want to do so. I divided my personal channel guide into interests and time increments. Even in 10 minutes, there are many rewarding things I can do!

Reluctant Kids: Can’t get the family to turn the TV off for a whole week? Choose one or two days to try your channel guide. If they still won’t join you, try it yourself! When they hear your experiences they will likely join you!

Share/Bookmark