This is the first in a series of posts I'm doing this holiday season for Wii U - our first ever "family" gaming system, something we've been slowly drifting toward since Hal procured an iPad last Christmas and Archer started begging to go to "friends houses" for undisclosed reasons, ahem. As you may know, I am the worst kind of planner so for our first annual family-in-town-for-the-holidays-game-night I let the kids take control of the thing.
I don't remember the last time they were this excited about something which makes it a lot easier to hand them the reins. They've been begging for a gaming system since The Cold War and I've been putting it off pretty much every day since.
Full disclosure, I have not played a video game of any kind since I was thirteen playing Street Fighter at the local pizza joint. We had Nintendo when I was a pup, but that was a generation ago. Anyway, the deal was this: no violent games (and yes, I am being a hypocrite because I used to rule at Mortal Combat) and we will be choosing games to play TOGETHER in the living room and these games will not include violence because that is just how I roll and don't even try to change my mind, it's my thing.
Full disclosure, I have not played a video game of any kind since I was thirteen playing Street Fighter at the local pizza joint. We had Nintendo when I was a pup, but that was a generation ago. Anyway, the deal was this: no violent games (and yes, I am being a hypocrite because I used to rule at Mortal Combat) and we will be choosing games to play TOGETHER in the living room and these games will not include violence because that is just how I roll and don't even try to change my mind, it's my thing.
SO. Nintendoland non-violent family game night, it is!
What started as game night with the family and just my parents has taken on a kind of life of its own. My sister will be in town and Hal's friends will be joining us and we're pretty much inviting everyone we know at this point which means I've had no idea what to make or what to buy or how to organize AKA I totally gave up and let the kids (who are literally jumping up and down excited over this action) take over. Twist my arm, why don't you.
I also thought it would be fun to let the kids do the decorating. So? We rocked some dollar store action.
ED: the dollar store is an incredible place to take kids to teach them about money and math. It's the only place I can think of where you can give a four year old a budget she can grasp. Ish.
I gave the kids fifteen dollars each and here's what they came up with:
The kids picked out tickets and confetti, silly straws and centerpieces, wigs, hats, glow sticks, party favors, more confetti, paper plates, napkins and more confetti.
And then, upon going through our thirty-items of bounty, came up with some rules which will likely change 79879824 times before we actually PLAY. They are:
And then, upon going through our thirty-items of bounty, came up with some rules which will likely change 79879824 times before we actually PLAY. They are:
Game Rules
1. You HAVE to wear a wig or a a hat when you're playing a game.
2. If you win a game you get sixteen tickets and if you lose you get three tickets and at the end of the night whoever has the most tickets gets ALL of the hats and also some pinball thingy party favors.
3. Glow sticks are for everybody except the babies because they will try to eat them.
4. Plates are for snacks and food.
5. Have fun and share.
I couldn't have planned this thing better myself. Not in a thousand years.
GGC
1 comments:
I used to rock at Mortal Combat too! I even beat my husband who has worked making video games for 15 years!
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