Pudding Painting

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Aunt Mo

The delicious way to paint.

What can I say- pudding painting is a very messy, very fun activity. It’s perfect for days that you have planned a water slide or sprinkle under the trampoline activity because it makes clean up super easy!

The first time I did pudding painting was in the 80’s when I had a cousins party for all my nieces and nephews and they still talk about how fun it was. Most recently, I had a pudding painting party with my grandkids and they had a ball.

There are a couple of ways you can do pudding painting. You can mix up your own pudding (vanilla is great because you can add food coloring to make different colors) or you can buy the already made puddings in the single serving containers.

This was an activity I did outside on a table covered with a plastic table cloth. I gave each child a large sheet of paper (like teachers use on their bulletin boards) and let them paint away.

Over the years I have found that some children do not like getting their hands messy so I like to provide other “tools” for them to use. Things like spatulas and larger paint brushes work well.

When kids are done painting you can let their paintings dry in the sun and if you have planned a water activity,they’ll be all cleaned up in a splish and a splash.

Goose Chase- an App for Reunion Fun

Posted on September 2, 2019 by Aunt Mo

A Scavenger Hunt for Your Family Reunion

At our back to school faculty meeting we played a game using the Goose Chase app. The entire time we were playing the game I kept thinking how fun this game would be for a family reunion- and I couldn’t wait to share it with you.

Here’s how it works. GooseChase is basically a scavenger hunt. You go to the Goose Chase website where you build your game. You give your game a name and can also set how long the game will run and whether there’s a password to join.

Each GooseChase game has a list of missions for participants to complete. You can create your mission list using their bank of 100+ tested missions or by designing your own from scratch.

Missions have a name, description, point value and an optional link or photo to provide extra information. To complete a mission, select it from the list and follow the instructions to receive the allotted points. Our team had 6 people in it and we piled into a car and drove around to complete our challenges. With real-time activity feeds and rankings, you’re able to see everything as it happens. At the end of the game we were able to watch a slideshow of all the photos & videos which was a ton of fun.

“GooseChase got people moving around, talking to each other and laughing. If I have any reservations about GooseChase it is the cost. It may be out of the reach for some family reunions and church groups but they do have an educational license for schools etc. and there is a free version if you only have 3 teams.

You can read more about GooseChase at GooseChase.

Flour War

Posted on August 27, 2019 by Aunt Mo

Flour Fight Festival for your family reunion

I’ve seen a lot of fun group games but when I was invited to participate in a “Flour” war I was totally blown away- almost literally. I had never seen such a thing but it was sure a good time for everyone that participated.

Here’s how it works. First thing is to make your flour “bombs”. Use small popcorn bags and fill them with flour. Twist the end tightly on each bag but don’t tie or tape it closed. You will want to make lots and lots of these.

At the beginning of the game, put all of the flour bombs on the dividing line between the two teams. Have players line up on their side equal distances from the dividing line.

When someone yells “go,” all players can make a run for the flour bombs and grab as many as they can. Then it becomes like Dodge Ball. Players throw their flour bombs to the opposing team. When you run out of flour bomb just pick up more from the ground.

The white marks left by the flour bombs will help settle disputes as to whether someone was hit or not. (Wearing dark shirts is recommended).

You might want to make rules about hoarding flour bombs, and remind teams that all hits must be below the neck. In most games, if you get hit you are out of the game but when throwing flour bombs everyone stays in the game and when the flour is all gone everyone lines up and awards can be given for the most flour and the least etc.

Image result for els enfarinats

Flour wars is actually a real thing. For 200 years a battle has taken place in Ibi, Alicante, Spain. Not fought with swords or guns, but with flour and eggs. Every year on December 28^th the town celebrates Els Enfarinats, better known as the Flour Fight Festival. This is Spain’s version of April Fool’s Day. At the end of the day there is a massive food fight, complete with fire crackers, to commemorate the day. I’m not sure I could handle the egg part of that competition but if Spain is part of your heritage it might be fun to share this information with your family.

And most importantly, the flour will disappear within 10 minutes of your battle but please be good stewards of the environment by picking up all the discharged bombs- paper popcorn bags..

Water Games for Your Family Reunion

Posted on August 12, 2019 by Aunt Mo

Or… some fun ways to cool off on a hot summer day!
For the Little Ones

Birdie In My Cup

Image result for blue bird png

Players form a circle and one player goes to the center with a cup of water or a squirt bottle. He says, “I have a little birdie in my cup. What color is he? He then goes around the circle and gives each player a chance to guess the color. If they guess correctly he flicks or sprays water on the the player. Then they switch places and that player becomes ”It”.

Sprinkler Red Light Green Light

One child stands at the far side of the yard to be the caller and the rest of the children line up at the opposite side of the yard. Set up a sprinkler in the middle of the yard and turn it on. The caller will turn their back to the other kids and says “green light.” When they say green light, the rest of the kids will try to move across the yard to reach the caller. When the caller turns around and says, “red light,” kids have to freeze where they are. If they don’t freeze, they will be sent back to the starting line.

Whoever can tag the caller first wins and becomes the next caller.

For the Older “Kids”
Sponge Soaker

In sponge soaker, teams take turns running to a bucket to fill their sponge with water and run back (keeping the sponge above their head). Then squeeze it into an empty bucket, the winning team is the first to have a full bucket of water. You can also play this game with a glass of water instead of sponges.

WATER BALLOON DODGEBALL

Disclaimer: I’m not a fan of water balloons. Water balloons are labor intensive and a safety hazard if you don’t get them all picked up, but I always make an exception for Water Balloon Dodge ball.

For this game you will need water balloons (about 5 per person) and a container. (To keep your balloons from breaking prematurely, fill the container with water so the balloons can float rather than put pressure on each other. If you prefer not to use water to fill your container, try a plastic trash bag: This allows the balloons to spread out and may help to relieve the pressure.)

Divide the playing field into two halves using rope, tape or cones to make a line to mark the middle . Fill up the balloons and put them in the middle of the playing field. For this game, you probably want water balloons that are a bit bigger so they break easily (but not so easily they break when you throw it).

Split players into two teams and have one team go on each side of the line. Water balloon dodge ball is just like regular dodge ball. Players have to race to get a water balloon out of the bucket in the middle of the field and throw water balloons at each other from their side of the yard- no head shots. When the balloons are gone, the team with the most players is the winning team. Losing team has to help fill balloons for the next round. Be prepared with tons of water balloons.

Beach Ball Race.

You’ll need an inflatable beach ball and water gun for each player. Designate a Starting Line and a Finish Line. To begin, line up the beach balls on the Starting Line. On “Go”, everyone shoots their balls with their water guns. The first ball over the finish line wins.

Freeze Water Gun Tag

You’ll need one water-gun. Select one player to be “It”. Give “It” the water gun, and on “Go” have “It” try to tag the other players by squirting them. Whoever gets tagged becomes frozen until another player crawls between their legs.

Water Surprise
This is my favorite game!

Put a line of cups on a table. Fill about half of the cups full with water and leave the other ones empty.

Play: Take turns and have each player one at a time choose a cup without looking (blindfold or cover their eyes). Once they’ve chosen the cup, they have to dump it on their head.

If there is water in the cup, they get wet and are out. If there is not water, they continue to the next round. The last dry kid standing wins.

For the Artsy Family Members

KOOL-AID PAINTING… Sprinkle unsweetened Kool-Aid on a piece a paper. Move a piece of ice over the Kool-Aid. Watch as the Kool-Aid turns to liquid and makes a yummy smelling picture.

SIDE WALK PAINT- a twist on sidewalk chalk.

Image result for paint brush png

You will need equal portions of water and corn starch and mix well. Mix by adding a little at a time of both the water and cornstarch until you have the quantity and texture that you want. Your paint” should be thick and not runny. (Remember, cornstarch will get super thick as you’re mixing and thin out when you stop.) Start with 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. cornstarch and add a little less than 1/4 cup of cold water. To make colors add a drop of food coloring. You can then use this paint to paint on the sidewalk. Give it a few minutes to dry and you’ll have a wonderful work of ART! It washes off easily with a pail of water or hose.

Silver Dollar Game for Your Independence Day Party

Posted on July 1, 2019 by Aunt Mo

4th of July Games

We have a Independence Day tradition in our family- Whenever we get together for a family or reunion or party around Independence Day we play the “Silver Dollar” game. The Silver Dollar game is a game my Mom invented to encourage us to remember our American history and important United States facts.

Mom would ask a US history question and the first one to get the answer right would get a sliver dollar. Mom has a fun way off tossing the silver dollar to the winner- I’m not sure how to describe, it but basically she just tosses it to the family member that has the correct answer to the question.

Plan to play the Silver Dollar game at your Independence Day family reunion or party. Don’t have Silver Dollars? How about using 50 states quarters, red, white and blue taffy, or patriotic pencils?

Warning: If your family is competitive, like mine is, you may have to assign someone to be the judge and determine who is the first to raise their hand and watch out- even if you do get the answer right someone may just reach out and snatch your prize right out of the air, Oh well, it’s just part of the game and family fun!

Below are a list of questions you can use for your Silver Dollar game:

1. What is the title of the National Anthem?
Answer: The Star-Spangled Banner

2. Which right is guaranteed by the first amendment
Answer: Freedom of Religion

3. What is the title of the head of a city government
Answer: Mayor

4. Who has the ability to declare war?
Answer: The Congress

5. How many full terms may a Senator serve?
Answer: No term limits for Senators

6. How many full terms can a President serve?
Answer: 2

7. How many years is a full term for a Representative?
Answer: 2

8. Which amendment sets the minimum voting age to 18?
Answer: 26th

9. Who becomes President if both the President and Vice President die?
Answer: The Speaker of the House

10. On July 4th, 1776 we declared Independence from whom?
Answer: Great Britain

11. How many branches of government do we have?
Answer: 3

12. Which is part of the Judicial branch at the federal level?
Answer: The Supreme Court

13. Who elects the President of the United States?
Answer: The Electoral College

14. How many states are there?
Answer: 50

15. How many stripes are there on the American Flag?
Answer: 13

16. Who was the President of the United States during the civil war?
Answer: Abraham Lincoln

17. What is the introduction to the Constitution called?
Answer: The Preamble

18. Who is the President of the United States?
Answer: Donald Trump

19. Who is the current Vice President of the United States?
Answer: Mike Pence

20. Why did the Pilgrims come to America?
Answer: to find religious freedom

21. How many total Senators are there?
Answer: 100

22. The Constitution has how many Amendments?
Answer: 27

23. Who was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: Thomas Jefferson

24. According to the Constitution, a person must meet certain requirements in order to be eligible to become President. Name one of these requirements.

Answer: Must be a natural born citizen of the United States; must be at least 35 years old by the time he/she will serve; must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years.

25. How many Presidents have been impeached
Answer: 2 Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton.

26. What is the Official Language of the United States?
Answer: None

27. Who was the first Vice President of the United States?
Answer: John Adams

28. Who said “Give me liberty or give me death?”
Answer: Patrick Henry

29. How many Presidents were assassinated while in office?
Answer: 4 Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, John F. Kennedy.

30. Is it ever appropriate to fly the flag upside down?
Answer: Yes, but only in an emergency. “The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.”

31. What is the tallest mountain the US?
Answer: Mt McKinley, located in the state of Alaska it reaches 20,320 ft (6,194 m) above sea level.

32. Who was the first man to walk on the moon?
Answer: American Neil Armstrong (July 21, 1969).

33. What ocean is off the Florida coast?
Answer: The Atlantic Ocean

Family Reunion Brag Badges

Posted on March 27, 2019 by Aunt Mo

The Ultimate “Getting to Know You” Game for Your Family Reunion

A family reunion “Brag Badge” is a small tag, somewhat resembling a “military dog tag” that represents the hobbies, interests, occupations and accomplishments of members of your family.

Collecting Brag Badges is so much fun that quite often children in the family will see a badge they want to earn and they’ll run off looking for a family member that will help them earn badge they desire and they’ll connect with a new cousin, aunt or uncle or be surprised by the accomplishments or interests of a favorite relative.

With Brag Badges, family members will have fun discovering their relatives that love ice cream, pizza and dancing. They’ll find relatives that drive trucks, teach school and relatives that have been to Hawaii. They’ll find relatives that are Eagle Scouts, Veterans and couples that have been married for 50 years. They’ll discover relatives that share their same birth month, like to read, play baseball and so much more.

Brag Badges are a perfect way for your family to to show off their interests, talents and achievements and are great way for family members to get to know each other!

When I use Brag Badges at a family reunion I require that badges are signed before they can be earned so that family members will always remember who the relative was that helped them earn the badge.

I display my brag badges at our family reunions in needle craft organizers you can purchase by following the link below. I like to leave the badges on a table and let reunion goers supervise themselves. You can purchase the needlepoint cases in the Family Reunion Store. If using all of the badges included in this download you will need to purchase several cases.

The graphics on these badges are so cute your family will love them! Over 60 different “Brag Badges” are included in this digital download- all in bright COLOR! There are 4 of each design but you can print as many copies as you need- depending on the size of your family. You don’t need one of each design for everyone in your family- it makes badges more valuable if the the number is limited.

Print the Brag Badges on card stock, laminate, cut and punch a hole in the top of each badge. The hole is for the ball bead chain to wear around your neck and to display the Brag Badge discoveries you have made. You can purchase 50 chains in the Family Reunion Helper store for less than $8.00.

This fun family reunion resource includes over 60 brag badges in color and printer friendly version. Brag Badges help family members connect in a way they will never forget. You can purchase a complete set of Brag Badges in the Family Reunion Helper Store

Aunt Lynn’s Camping Match Game

Posted on October 16, 2018 by Aunt Mo

Aunt Lynn’s Camping Match Game has been a favorite activity at our family reunions for over 20 years. You play this game like you do most match games but instead of only one winner, everyone that finds a match receives a prize.

To play the game lay the cards face down on a flat surface.

Youngest player goes first.

Players take turns turning over 2 cards at a time.

The cards must be turned over completely so that all players can see them. A player makes a “match” if the two cards turned over are identical. (When printing the cards you will need to make two copies)

When a match is made the player puts the pair of cards beside them and takes the prize associated with that match. (see list below) and the next player takes their turn. We don’t let the person that finds a match continue to make matches until they don’t make a match. That way more people are able to earn prizes.

Examples of prizes for matches include-

Hike- Rocky Road

Logs- Tootsie Roll

Mosquitos- Slap Stick

Mountains- Mounds

You can give a grand prize to the player with the most matches if you want to.

You can download the complete printable game here.

Lynn’s camping gamez.pdf

Punch a Bunch Party Game- DIY

Posted on April 5, 2018 by Aunt Mo

My family is really enjoying punch boards. A punch board is an exciting way to award prizes. This game show activity allows each person to punch through the tissue paper to find a toy or treat, or whatever you decide to put in it. We have even put gift cards in them. Punch boards are perfect for family reunions, especially if your theme is a circus or carnival theme.

You’ve seen punch boards on the popular TV game show, The Price is Right, but a punch board can be a fun addition to your family reunion. A punch board is a fun way to distribute prizes bit you can also use a punch board to make assignments or choose what activity you will do next.

A larger board can also be a fair way to divide into teams- for example- write families names on slips of paper (Aunt Geri’s family or Uncle Dan’s family etc.) Punch two or more holes- those families join together to make a tug a war, softball or family skit group. You can use the same strategy to assign seating for meals to mix things up a bit.

We have one punch board at our house that we change to fit the theme of the party we are having. If you’re having a super hero party or reunion the punch board becomes the perfect- Smash Hulk board.

Creating Your Punch Board

To create your punch board you will need:

sturdy poster board or a piece of cardboard
tissue paper
Plastic disposable bowls, lunch sacks or sandwich bags
prizes
tape & hot glue
The first punch board we created we used one sheet of tissue paper to cover the entire back of the board. Since then we have found that covering each hole with individual squares seems to work best as punching one hole may pull the paper from around other holes. Tape each square securely around individual holes.
Behind the Punch Board

There are several options for hiding prizes behind your punch board. My favorite option is plastic bowls. Carefully run a line of hot glue around the rim of your bowl and attach it to the inside of the tissue covered holes, with the prize inside. Be sure and put your prize or secret message inside the bowl before attaching it to the board. Other options include taping a lunch sack to the back of each hole or plastic sandwich bags.

Punch boards also make fun advent calendars. Create yours with 24 holes and 24 prizes. Punch out one prize each day to help count down days until Christmas or your favorite holiday.

It wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t admit to you that building your own punch board may drive your crazy. Taping all the bags on the back and making sure the prizes stay in place can be frustrating so if you don’t want to go through the hassle of making your own punch board you can purchase a reasonably priced board by following this link.

https://www.shindigz.com/personalized-prize-punch-game/p/GAMPAB?gclid=CjwKCAjwypjVBRANEiwAJAxlImgxyEZ7zdpjd0JzEVlt4UsIbx24ynwBLB78oJ53fDilfdoFGewT2xoCFD8QAvD_BwE

Personalized Prize Punch Game

Saddle Up For an Easter Egg Hunt on Horseback

Posted on March 28, 2018 by Aunt Mo

Easter Eggs, Horses & Family

Our Stewart family’s horseback Easter egg hunt has become a tradition that we have celebrated for the past seven years, ever since we moved to Bear River City. Easter is one of my favorite holidays and horses are my favorite animal, so it just seemed natural to put them together.

I tell my adult children, “I don’t care if I have to share you on Christmas and Thanksgiving, but I want you for the Saturday before Easter.” And they come, sometimes bringing friends or other family members. Each year it seems our family changes and grows and we plan our Easter egg hunt around those changes.

To make things more fair for the inexperienced and younger riders, Uncle Steven and I hide the eggs according to color. Each rider has a different color or style of egg. For instance, last year we had basketball eggs for Kory, purple eggs for Megan, football eggs for Ryan, chicken shaped eggs for Brynna, pink eggs for Janie, and so forth.

We’ve been collecting eggs for years, and since we ask everyone to leave their eggs and just take the candy home, we have quite a collection. Assigning each rider their own color makes it possible for us to hide the eggs according to the rider’s ability. Uncle Steven especially likes to hide eggs in unusual places- like hanging them from tree branches.

A few of our family members are experienced riders and we love hiding their eggs in difficult locations- over ditches, in trees, through gates and around obstacles such as wood piles and water hazards. For our lower level riders, we have a rule that you have to be touching some part of your horse when you pick up an egg. This makes it possible for riders with less experience to get off their horse to get an egg.

Last year we added “jumbo” sized eggs to the hunt and they sure made things more challenging and interesting .

After the riders find their designated colored eggs, they are allowed to hunt for the prized golden eggs, which hold items like movie tickets, gift certificates and money.

This is the most exciting part of the hunt, as riders become a little more daring and often find themselves racing for the same golden egg as another rider.

Last year we had more little ones, so we did a hunt for them before the adult riding hunt began. We have to work the hunt around the weather, so it usually begins at about 11:00. Following the hunt, we usually play with the horses, give them their annual vaccinations and worm them, eat barbecue and potato salad and play badminton.

This year we add a new son-in-law and grandson to the mix so we’ll need two more colors of eggs and two more chairs at our Easter table. And as our family continues to grow and change, so will our Easter Egg hunt.

As for our horses, they aren’t too fond peanut butter eggs or jelly beans but they do receive their own prizes in the form of carrots, apples and other treats.

Aunt MO

Rules of Chocolate Easter Eggs

If you get melted chocolate all over your hands, you’re eating it too slowly.

If calories are an issue, store your chocolate on top of the fridge. Calories are afraid of heights, and they will jump out of the chocolate to protect themselves.

Chocolate covered raisins, cherries, orange slices and strawberries all count as fruit, so eat as many as you want.

St Patrick’s Day Party Games

Posted on March 5, 2018 by Aunt Mo

Game Ideas for Your Irish Party

Whether celebrating St Patrick’s Day or considering your Irish roots at your next family reunion here are a couple of fun Irish game ideas.

Musical Shamrock Game

Make very large green shamrock shapes about 2 feet square. They don’t need to be fancy just simple shamrock shapes. The ideas is similar to “musical chairs” game- you want to have fewer shamrocks than players. Scatter shamrocks over the playing area. Explain that as the music plays all the players must keep moving but must stay off the shamrocks. When the music stops players run to a shamrock. However, each shamrock must have three players on it. Those with only one or two as well as those that have nowhere to stand are eliminated. Remove a shamrock or two after each round. (You always want to have fewer shamrocks than players) Winners of the game are those who have not been eliminated when only one shamrock remains. Give out green lollypops, cupcakes or stickers for prizes.

Irish Scavenger Hunt

Divide into teams, giving each team an identical list of green items. Tell each team that they must stay together when searching for their green items.

Some ideas to search for:

Something that grows green
Something you are wearing that is green
Green crayon, green colored pencil, green marker
Find a plastic item that is green
Find something soft that is green
Something hard that is green
Find something you can build with that is green
Green snack
3 leaf clover
Fruit that is green
Vegetable that is green
Pop Can

Irish “Road Bowling” Game

Croquet is supposed to have come from a game called Crookey in Northern Ireland but another fun “real” Irish game is “Road Bowling”.
Road bowling is an unusual version of bowling that is particular to Ireland. It is played with a steal shot, (or use your own idea for a ball of some sort) which is tossed under arm by the player down a twisty road. The player who gets to the finish line with the least amount of throws wins.

Why should you never iron a 4-leaf clover? You
don’t want to press your luck.

May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow, and may trouble avoid you wherever you go.

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Category Archives: Games