Organization Before and After: Kids Game Closet

I used to keep my kids games out of their reach at all times.  I did this for three reasons:  so they could not make a huge mess when they did not clean the game up after themselves, that the pieces would not be lost, and that they would not destroy the games.   In Japan, the games were on the top shelf of a closet and were stacked so high, I never felt like getting them down, because it ended up like a game of Tetris trying to get them back up.  In our new house, it started off the same way, but the closet wasn't as big and we had more games- they were everywhere and I just did not like it.

I started thinking about the fact that we did not play the games very often because they were tucked away and that the kids could not decide to play a game on their own because they couldn't reach them.  I realized that in the end, they are kids, they are going to wreck stuff, they are going to lose stuff, and yes, they are going to make messes.  I did not buy the games to look pretty on a shelf or to maintain their value so that I could sell them underpriced at a yard sale.  

For all you parents out there, something to really think about- how many toys/games do your kids have that you limit playing time with because they were really expensive and/or you don't want it destroyed. I ask you this:  "why bother buying it then".  In this case- who are you really buying the toys for?  The kids or you?  Buy things for the right reason- if it's expensive because it's durable, that's great, or because it's made with less chemically, cheap materials- fine- but just because you paid a lot of money for it is not a reason to not let them play.  Make smarter decisions when you buy stuff for them, that's what I've been doing.  I don't buy things I'm going to worry about, and I certainly stopped buying things that I wished I had had when I was a kid, hoping I'd relive some childhood dream.  

I decided I wanted to give my kids access to all the games, but I was stumped on how to do it.  I am not good at rotating stuff, so I did not want to even cross that bridge.  I searched a lot online and did not really find too much.  I ended up flipping through a Better Homes and Gardens Organization magazine last summer and seeing a picture of a shelf with the games placed vertically instead of horizontally.  I was sold!  I set up an IKEA expedit shelf that we already had in our coat closet.  I alphabetized the games and laid them in there.  I had a few that were too wide so I put them up top with the adult games.  There were a few too many, so I placed one  horizontally on top in a few of the compartments.  

On top of the shelf, I placed all the smaller boxed games.  I used a canvas bin to stack them to keep them from falling all over the place.  There is a bowl in front of the canvas bin for all the random pieces we find in the couch or on the floor after a game has been put away.  Every Friday, one of my kids gets the job of putting the pieces back in the appropriate game and making sure the games are all put away neatly.  

I try to enforce a rule of only one game out at a time per kid.  The littlest one is having a hard time with this, but in the end, she still has the responsibility of cleaning up the games she had out and it's easy enough for her to do.  My kids definitely play their games a lot more now and that makes me happy!

Busy Playing: Family Games- Scrabble

It all started when I had Maeve- my husband got me an iphone a week later and I downloaded "Words with Friends" to play during her late night feedings.  During the day when an opponent would make a move against me, the phone would ding and my kids would jump up excitedly and grab the phone for me.  They were always watching me play, trying to get me to use their word suggestions.  When my husband left to go back to work and we weren't going to see him for a month, I decided to let each of the older boys start one game against him. This was a great way for them to interact with him daily since they wouldn't be seeing him for a while.  Well, the next thing I knew, they were playing against all three of my brothers, my dad, my sister-in-law, and several of my friends.  In fact, they had so many games going, when one of mine ended, I couldn't start a new one.

It is hard for me to complain about my kids monopolizing the game on my phone because they are reading, writing, thinking, calculating, and just plain having fun! When someone plays a word against them, they remember the word to play another time.  Example:  qi, the only 2 letter q word and it can make you a lot of points when played in the right spot.  We've looked several of the words up in the dictionary so they know what they mean.  

The other day, Nathaniel rattled off his letters to me and asked me what word he should play, I said "ninth", then from the way back of our car, Addison shouts, "Mom that's only nine points!"  OK- WHOA, he couldn't even see the phone from where he was- yes, my son has played so much he has memorized the point values of the letters and now can calculate in his head (not bad for an almost first grader).  

We also downloaded "Hanging with Friends", it's basically hangman for your iphone.  These two games are going to be a great way for my kids to communicate with their uncles, aunts, and grampa when we move 1,000 miles away in two weeks.  How fun is it to be able to play a game with your family and friends everyday even when you are so far away?

This week, I've been occupied packing, so two mornings I told the kids to get out Scrabble and play it.  How antiquated of me- no computer to do it for them.  They had to add up their own points and then verify with me if their word was real or not.  Even Owen, the almost kindergardener was playing.  Nathaniel would spell him the words and he would find the letters and place them where they belonged. Sometimes Owen just takes the board out on his own and lines up the letters and says them to me as he goes along.  

This is fun for everyone.  Maybe not everyone can make a real word (ages 3 and 5)- but they still have fun and when they do make a word, you could not wipe the smile off their face! I would much rather hear my kids fighting over whether a word is real or not or how many points it is versus over whose toy is whose or what show to watch.

How many words can you find in here?

Busy Playing: Family Games- Spot It

Before I had the baby, I wanted to have a few new toys around to keep the kids occupied when I was in the hospital.  This game, Spot It by blue Orange, was sitting right at the edge of the checkout counter. This game is one of my FAVORITE new games we have gotten this year!  This is a game that is fun for EVERYONE!!!  My kids can play it together, my husband and I can play it with the kids, or I would even consider pulling it out for my husband and I and possibly our friends to play- it's that fun and easy!

I wanted a game that we could all play (ages 3-me) together.  I also wanted something that would occupy the kids while I made dinner or  was distracted with the new baby.  This game is perfect for just that and then some!

The game is quite simple, each card in the deck has one object on it that matches one thing on every other card in the deck.  There are several suggested ways to play the game.  We play one way- you place all the cards in a pile face down in the center of the players.  Each player is dealt a card in front of them, face up.  When the top card in the deck is flipped, everyone rushes to find a match on their card with the card in the center.  The first one to shout out the name of the matching objects wins the card in the center. The player with the most number of cards at the end is the winner (great counting practice when you tally up your cards).

Seems simple enough, right?   Wrong!- each card has different arrays of the objects, some focus on objects of particular colors, and others seem to have great differences in object sizes.  Sometimes your eyes play tricks on you and no matter how much you compare, you will swear there is no match- usually someone else in the game can help you Spot it!  Here's an example of two cards- can you Spot the match?

I love this game because it doesn't invoke a lot of fighting, doesn't involve a lot of skill- so my 3 year old can play too (with assistance at times), and the kids can play it alone at the table while I am busy doing other things.

Here are my sons playing while I was painting one day:

My younger son is excited because he "spotted" the match before his big brother:

Both kids are stumped as the struggle to find the match:

If your little one has a birthday coming up or you're looking for a great game to add to your collection, this is the one for you!  It's small enough, you can even put it in your purse and bring it to restaurants to keep the kids busy.  Sometimes my son plays this on his own and just tries to find all the matches.

Hope you spot this game at the store next time you're looking for some fun!

                                                                                      

Busy Playing: Our Judy Moody Summer Thrill Points Challenge

A few weeks ago, we went to visit some of our old neighbors from Japan.  The girls wanted to go see the new Judy Moody movie, The Not So Bummer Summer.  I was worried that my boys wouldn't be that into the movie because it was about a girl.  We went to the movie anyways because they got excited when I mentioned going to see the movie (they had seen previews on TV).

Well, they LOVED it!  They loved it so much, when I took them to the bookstore to get a kick off summer reading book, they chose this:

Look what it's created:

My 6 year old hasn't gotten into any chapter books until these books came along, in fact, he can't put them down.  So far, he and my 7 year old have each read the No So Bummer Summer TWICE!!!  As soon as we get a new book, they start fighting over who gets it first.  One day, we had to alternate, by each reading a chapter, then switching.  In trying to be cheap, we went to the library, but all the books were checked out (then we found out we can't get cards yet anyways).  Luckily, at Barnes and Noble's, the books are buy 2 get the 3rd free.

Look what I found at breakfast today- he just can't put it down:

For those of you who don't know about the Judy Moody movie, Judy is worried her summer will be boring, so she comes up with a list of challenges for her and her friends to complete over the summer.  Problems arise when one friend is going to Borneo with her mother, another is continuing a family tradition by going to circus camp, and the other has a hard time facing up to challenges.  Judy and her one friend left for the summer, try to complete the challenges, such as tight rope walking, riding a HUGE roller coaster, and seeing a scary movie.  Judy has a little brother who is trying to hunt BigFoot all summer, and her way cool aunt comes to visit for the summer too.  This movie was not just for girls by any means, and neither are the books.

One day, we were driving in the car, and my oldest son said "maybe we can do thrill points challenges mom".  The wheels began to turn in my head for ideas for challenges.  My oldest son is a picky eater, I could challenge him with trying new foods.  My kids haven't played many sports, I can challenge them to try new activities.  I can continue our Random Acts of Kindness by challenging them to do them on their own.  I can let them be silly by challenging them to do silly things and I can show them how to turn something boring into a fun challenge.

I came up with a point system and made a chart:

I put mine and my husband's names on it because this shows them we are willing to take the challenges too (but sorry,I am NOT holding a snake).  The way our point system works is:

 1 point for making a small attempt, whether or not you back out 

5 points if you attempt, but do not complete a challenge

10 points if you complete a challenge

20 points if you are the ONLY one to complete a challenge

I wanted to make the prizes worth it to get the kids really excited and willing to push their limits.  I made up first through fourth place prizes, and each one has two choices.  For example, first prize is either 1 hour of wii each day for a whole week (no exceptions) OR $10 worth of coins for you to use at Chuckee Cheese.  Second prize is going out to do something fun alone with me or dad OR choosing a new book at the bookstore.  Third prize is getting your choice of ice cream treat (sundae, shake, etc) OR being the LAST kid in bed every night for a week.  Fourth prize is choosing a movie of your choice from Netflix for movie night OR I will make them a batch of their favorite cupcakes.

Last week, when I made the blueberry pie, two of my kids refused to try it.  When they heard the prizes a few days later, they were begging me to try a bite.  My oldest son really wants to win that Wii time, so he actually ate the bite and didn't gag ;) My youngest son wants the Chuckee cheese time and he ate it and LOVED it!  Every day, they are asking me what is the challenge and can they add their own to the chart.  I hope by the end of the summer to have the whole posterboard filled with challenges we have tried.  

Here is a list of what we have come up with so far:

I hope you have a challenging and fun summer too!

Busy Playing: Family Games- Colorku

Growing up with five brothers and sisters, it's easy to find someone to play a game with.  My family was big into games, so it's not surprising, I try to play a LOT of games with my kids.  Sometimes choosing a game that's going to be fun in general and then fun for everyone can be difficult.  Looking at the box only, it's hard to judge if everyone's really going to like it and if it'll be one that comes off the shelves a lot.  I decided to try to post one of our favorite family games every week.

After our long drive a few weeks ago, I took the kids to a really cool local toy shop to get some new games.  The store had so many good ones, it was hard to choose.  This game, Colorku, stood out from all the rest to me.  I'm sure you can see why:

Doesn't this look so fun?!  It was like, "Hey buy me, I'm bright, cheery, and fun!"

Each box comes with 81 fun colored wooden beads:

"Play with us, we're so much more fun than writing numbers in squares!"

But, if you do want to convert the colors to numbers, and write out your own grid, there is a key to show you how:

The set comes with cards to start you off for over 100 games:

I sit down and work with my two oldest sons to solve the puzzles, they get harder the higher the number of the puzzle:

If you get stuck, there is a solutions sheet:

For the little ones, you can change it up a bit and do rows or columns of rainbows:

You can do blocks of rainbows too:

Or maybe even fill up each block with 9 beads of one color and do a giant rainbow block pattern.  There really is fun for everyone in this game!  It's been a big hit with all four of my "big" kids.

*I didn't get paid to do this review, it's my own decision to do it, so I am not biased in any way.*