A couple of weeks ago we took our annual family vacation. This consisted of the family, the extended family, a condo in Perdido Key, Florida, and no gadgets for amusement. No Xbox 360, no laptop, not a single luxury; like Robinson Crusoe, as primitive as can be. But hey, it’s the beach! We did pack some board game fun to take on the trip, so here is what I discovered playing these new games with my kids and my in-laws.
Cloud 9
What goes up, must come down!CLOUD 9® will take you straight up through the clouds! The higher the balloon rises, the more points you can score. But watch out, the balloon can fall at anytime… how long are you willing to stay on and risk losing it all?
Reach new heights with CLOUD 9!
We had a great time playing this colorful game. My kindergarten age son is just getting into numbers, so this was a good learning experience also. The game is based on levels of risk versus reward. Of course being five, he played with zero fear of risk so the games went fairly quick. Remember that tip if you tell the kids they can have one quick game before bed. The box states designed for ages eight and up, but I think six could handle it. Also you do need three people to play.
Backseat Drawing Junior
The Silly Game of Sketchy Directions!Backseat Drawing Junior brings the outrageous fun of Backseat Drawing to the entire family.
Players race to identify a drawing done by the “artist”— but the artist doesn’t know what he or she is drawing! It’s up to the “director” to tell the artist how to draw the picture without giving away the name of the item shown on the picture card.
The laughter builds as the artist attempts to follow directions and everyone tries to identify the drawing. With Backseat Drawing Junior everyone can play and the fun never stops!
1. The director looks at the Picture Card and tells the artist what to draw.
2. The artist uses the drawing board to draw the picture.
3. Everybody tries to guess what the picture might be.
This game proved to be the trip's saving grace. When it comes down to trying to draw an object from someone else's description, the playing field is level between kids and adults. Imagine trying to tell someone how to draw a truck, but you cannot say "draw a truck."
Our first match went like this (by the way, it was a truck):
"Draw a circle, now draw another circle by that one, now draw a box on top, now draw another box in that one."
" I know what this is!"
"What is it?"
"Toast and pancakes!"
Another great tip: The dry erase boards that the game comes with and the matching markers and erasers are fun for the kids even when you are not gaming. We would give them those and a couple of the cards and ask them to draw the picture from the card. All the objects are comprised of basic shapes and are easy to draw. Great fun on a rainy day.
Both games are from the company Out of the Box Publishing and are available to purchase from their site as well as fine bookstores everywhere. Above photos and descriptions are from Out of the Box Publishing.
