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“No, no, no! We’re not talking about this.” That is usually what we hear from mom as soon as the touchy political or religious topics start to come up at family gatherings. It is an easy segway into a lovely heated argument (that is sarcasm, of course) where the dividing lines of everyone’s beliefs become clear. Tempers rise, feelings get hurt, grudges form. It’s so fun to try to have an opinion since the years following the pandemic (not!). However, there are plenty of ways to enjoy family and friends despite differing opinions on personal and world events.
Check out a few of my holiday activities below that take the awkward small talk or heated debates and turn them into heart-warming core memories!
My Favorites Family Games - A Twist on the Classics
Who’s the Dude? - This game got the deepest belly laughs from my dad and my nephew that I have ever heard. It takes the good ol game of Charades and adds in a silly, inflatable man. You thought you had to act out the card? NOPE! You must move and manipulate the Dude and get your family and friends to guess what in the world he is doing. You’ll be impressed and thoroughly entertained by how your people take on this challenge!
Pictionary vs. AI - This has piqued my interest and I will be trying it this holiday season! With all the buss around Artificial Intelligence, did you really think we wouldn’t be able to use it for a little bit of fun??? Pictionary has adopted AI to be the judge of your artistic ability in this classic game. I wonder if it’s a compliment or not if you stump the AI from guessing your drawing.
Educational Insights Kanoodle 3D Brain Teaser Puzzle Game - Want a hands on game to spark conversation and strategy? See you the gang handles the 3D Brain Teaser Challenges of the Kanoodle! Everyone will want to try their hand at it!
Pokemon TCG Cards - Don’t let nostalgia slip away! These Pokemon cards are sure to pull most generations away from the world news conversations and back into the world of Mew, Pikachu, and more fun Pokemon. I am sure some stories of recess battles and card trading will even come up.
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza - This one sounds almost as silly as Exploding Kittens. Taking Family Game Night by storm is this exciting challenge that is highly ranked and reviewed by top news stations and publishers. Give it a go!
Let’s Get Techy!
Mario Kart - Fire this one up for all the people in the room to speed through obstacles and try to be the first to the finish line! Are there people in the crowd who don’t care for video games? No worries! I personally am terrible at video games, but love to choose a player to cheer on. Fun for all!
Playstation 5 Spiderman 2 Bundle - Nostalgia wins again with Spiderman, but this time with the newest tech to deliver the experience through the Playstation 5.
Entertain the littles, too!
Kids Craft - Holiday Window Sun Catchers - Set up that kids table as a craft table before dinner and get the creative juices flowing! Sun catchers were one of my favorite crafts growing up as you get to proudly display them in the window for all to see! It’s a great experience fro kids to also see how their work light sup and looks differently in the natural light.
Kids Paint Pages - The easiest setup and clean up in the world of painting! The paint pads are already right on the paper just waiting for a wet paintbrush. This is sure to delight the young party goers as a quick and creative craft. Encourage an aunt, uncle, or cousin, to sit along side them and chat about the project. The way to a child’s heart is through play, afterall!
Kids Long Sleeve Paint Shirts - Worried about messing up those cute holiday outfits? No fear with these long sleeve bibs that I love to use as paint shirts. They come pretty oversize, so my 2 year old still wears it for messy meals and arts and crafts. Want to reuse it? Give it a rinse and lay or hang to dry! Mess avoided and lovely memories created!
With any of these activities, your crew will be sure to focus on the great qualities we all love about each other. Smiles, laughs, and cheer will be abound this holiday season!
For more strategies on building meaningful connections throughout the year, visit us at www.ayearconnected.com
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