I know lots of folks travel at holiday time and every now and then we will too, but most times we like to host the big holiday meals at our home. Years ago, in an effort to create an evening that was not only tasty but also lots of fun, I like created a game for everyone to play. Some years it was Family Feud, but I've also done Wheel of Fortune, Match Game, Hollywood Squares just to name a few. Though there have been a variety of games over the years, one thing has remained constant- a good time was had by all. It's a great way to create a little space between dinner and dessert and it's something all the guests look forward to. So what does this have to do with traveling to all 50 states you ask?....well, your travels can be great inspiration for game categories, questions, and answers as they have been for me.
Right now I am preparing for Thanksgiving and this year our game will be Jeopardy-The Explore All 50 Edition. My creative juices have been flowing thinking about all our trips and all the questions I can ask. We'll have creative categories that include Geography, History and Foods just to name a few. For example (I don't want to give out too many because some folks who'll be at my house read my newsletter..but) here are some categories from my upcoming game..."Presidential Libraries", "A River Runs Through It" and "American Pie" (all about regional foods). Each category will have 5 questions and somewhere on the board will be a "Daily Double". Our guests will be divided into 3 teams each having a little bell to ring in. The players with the most points after Final Jeopardy will get a small prize
I put the board together with poster board and some little velcro stickers and try to emulate the Jeopardy board with dollar values and such, all things I can print out on my computer. Yes, it's a lot of work, but it is so worth it when you see all your guests engaged in fun competition, guessing and learning and just having a great time-jaded teenagers included!
At your next holiday gathering, I hope I can inspire you to use your travels to create a fun activity for your own family. I promise it will be something they will fully enjoy and won't soon forget.
