Surviving The Holidays: Family Friendly Holiday Games, 2021 Edition
Hard to believe the holiday season is upon us! A lot of people who were hunkered down for the pandemic in 2020 are planning to travel this year. Whether it’s across the country or across town, it seems like everyone feels ready to see family and friends again!
But what should be joyful, can also be stressful, so I’m always a fan of holiday props! Games, puzzles and activities like karaoke can be good ways to help people feel connected and included… and they are FUN!
For 2021, I asked my Dr. Amy team to recommend some of their favorites, here are three games that I’m excited to try with my friends and family this holiday season:
1) Rachel’s new favorite game is SUSHI GO, a fast-playing card game for two to five players. She likes it because the game-play is simple enough that kids as young as five can figure it out (and they love the fun art!), but adults will discover that there’s a lot of strategic choices that keep the game interesting. She describes it as fast and fun, and says “people really get into it!” I enjoyed this “how to play” video, that will have you and your family playing and shouting “Sushi Go!” in no time. And if your group is a little larger, SUSHI GO PARTY goes up to eight players and adds more kinds of cards.
2) My friend Paul loves games that involve trickery, bluffing and making people laugh. His recommendation is COCKROACH POKER, another card passing game with super fun artwork. The product description describes the game play:
“Eight types of creepy critters are depicted on the Cockroach Poker cards! Players take turns passing a card, face down, to one of their opponents and say out loud what's on the card. They might bluff, or they might be telling the truth... is it a rat? or is it really a stink bug? The recipient can either accept the card, saying if they think the player is telling the truth or bluffing... or they can peek at the card and pass it on...If you're caught bluffing you have keep the card face up in front of you. As soon as one player has four of the same critter cards in front of them, or when a player has no cards left to pass, they lose - and everyone else wins!”
Up to six people can play, and one of the things Paul likes is that instead of having only one winner, everyone wins — except for one loser. This is another one that is fun for kids and adults alike, and is good for getting to know someone — at least getting to know if they have a tell when they’re bluffing!
3) Barrington’s pick is WAVELENGTH. It’s another good game for all ages, but it can play up to 20 people, making it a great choice for those huge Thanksgiving gatherings where everybody brings a friend! Wavelength calls itself a “telepathy” game. It’s actually a game that involves guessing how your partner thinks. For instance, the game might give you the words “plain” and “fancy.” Then the dial might land somewhere closer to fancy. What example can you give your partners that is “65%” fancy?!! Is it a restaurant, or an outfit? Your opponents also get to weigh in on what they think your partners will guess! You can imagine that explaining your reasons after the turn starts interesting conversations!
So, grab one of these games to pull people away from their phones and smooth your way through the holidays!
