Creating Family Traditions with Family Game Night
I was talking with a few friends on Twitter recently about Back to School and routines and the question was asked, “How do you keep your kids interested in family once school starts and friends become more important”. I was surprised by my answer, considering I don’t have a child in school yet, but I responded with “Create family traditions now like family game night or dinner together”. Maybe I’m just tooting my own horn here, but I thought that was a pretty good answer!
The Boy is still a year away from school, but he’s completely interested in family time and he’s a creature of routine, habits, and schedules. He thrives on the expected and gets very upset when family time is interrupted or changed in some way. This is the perfect time for us to take advantage and create our own family traditions. He has shown a lot of interest in games lately, quite a few online or on our smart phones, but also in board games, so we decided to start with Friday night Family Game Night!!
Friday Night Family Game Night
We picked The Boy up from daycare on Friday evening and were excited to tell him about Family Game Night and he was just as excited as we were. We asked him if he would like to stay home with Daddy and play with the new surprise that came in the mail earlier while I went to the store to pick up some dinner and maybe a new game. He asked what game we were playing and we told him we weren’t sure yet, but we would definitely be playing a game.
He loves his special Daddy time so he was just fine with skipping the shopping part and couldn’t wait to see what was in the box. He saw that it said Halloween so we all took guesses about what was inside. I think he decided that it was a purple monkey in space (or something silly like that) so I dropped off the boys at home and headed to Walmart!
I have really enjoyed shopping at Walmart alone lately because I have time to look around without being rushed. When I think Family Game Night, I always think about Hasbro so I checked out the game aisle for some 4-year-old friendly games.
Then I headed over and picked up some Tyson chicken nuggets (the dinosaur nuggets, of course), some Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Crinkle Fries, and we needed some ketchup. Since we are planning to spend more time on playing games than on cooking for this Family Game Night, I was looking for something quick and easy. I wouldn’t want DADDY stuck in the kitchen all night! We’re sticking with a five-item quick meal with chicken nuggets, french fries, ketchup, strawberries, and cool whip! Yummy!!
#DipDipHooray
Tyson, Ore-Ida, and Heinz, along with Hasbro Game Night, have joined together to create a Dip to Play Sweepstakes online. Shoppers who purchase Heinz® Ketchup, Ore-Ida® Frozen Potato Products, and Tyson® Chicken Nuggets (29-32 oz.) can log in at DiptoPlay.com and enter the UPC codes and unlock a new online game every week. We are quickly becoming an online game playing family so I know my boy will love this weekly family tradition!
You can also return to the site daily to enter for a chance to win a $1000 Hasbro Game Night Grand Prize!! Check out the Dip to Play Official Rules and let the winning begin!!
After a gentle reminder from my boys (via text with pictures) that they were hungry and looking for Mommy, I headed home so we could start playing! For more about my shopping trip (and a few pics from our Family Game Night) check out my #DipDipHooray Family Game Night shopping Google Album.
Family Game Night
My boy was jumping up and down (in his new HULK costume) when he heard that we were going to play Hungry Hungry Hippos. He LOVES this game and we admittedly don’t play it very often. Mommy may or may not hide it from time to time because it is very loud, but tonight is all about fun and creating family traditions so let’s get to playing! Daddy put the dinner in the oven and The Boy and I set the game up. He wouldn’t let me start anything until Daddy was ready. We made a little video, but then it was time for me to put down the camera and really get into the game.
**Please excuse the angle of the video because apparently I was holding the camera phone the wrong direction, but I had to show how much fun we were having! Lesson learned.
Hungry Hungry Hippos – Family Game Night
Dinner time – Dinosaur nuggets on a French Fries Volcano!!
After a few rounds of Hungry Hungry Hippos (and The Boy started cheating), we were all getting hungry and the smell of nuggets and fries was getting stronger. The Boy and I headed to the bedroom to get settled in for a new Phineas and Ferb episode while Daddy got dinner ready. If you’re wondering about the whole “eating in bed” thing, yes, we do that. It’s our Family Bed, what can I say?
Daddy surprised us when he brought dinner, though, because he made a FRENCH FRIES VOLCANO WITH DINOSAUR NUGGETS!! The Boy loved it so much that he wouldn’t even touch the small plate that Daddy made for him. He wanted to eat the volcano!! After we all dug in and about halfway through the dinner, my boy looks at me and says…
“Uh oh, Mommy, now it’s a BOWLcano!!”
That boy has a quick wit…and he’s only FOUR!!
We finished the evening with a bowl of fresh strawberries and fat-free cool whip. We were both surprised when our boy actually ate some strawberries! He always tries them and then they end up in my hand, but he has been developing some new taste buds lately and we are loving it!
We had a blast creating our new Friday night Family Game Night family tradition and I can’t wait to see what Dip to Play has in store for us in the coming weeks! To learn more about the sweepstakes, Hasbro Game Night, and more, visit these social media outlets:
♦ Heinz on Twitter @DipandSqueeze ♦ Tyson on Twitter @ClubTysonLive ♦
♦ Heinz on Facebook ♦ Tyson on Facebook ♦ Ore-Ida on Facebook ♦
I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ Tyson and Heinz #CBias #SocialFabric. All stories and opinions are completely my own.
My children are older so we play scrabble. monopoly, etc
I love hungry hippos lol. Way too much fun. And your chicken nuggets and fries made me hungry. I may have to get some and do some dipping of my own. I might even enter that contest. Thanks for sharing.
Family game night is good for getting the family together and enjoy having fun together
Kids like to play game even when younger . Even if your an adult its still so much fun playing the kiddie games with them or teaching them how to play. Have Fun : )
family game nights are always fun
Alicia Keen recently posted..Monday Class Reminder
We actually had a family game night this past Sunday! It was my husband and I, and our 5 year old son. We made BBQ ribs and Con-on-the-cob for supper, then played Chutes & Ladders and Hi-Ho Cherrio! We had a great time together! And my son caught my husband cheating at Chutes & Ladders! LOL We vowed to definitely have family game night more often!
Tammy Allgood-Hemmerling recently posted..Lucky Emerald’s Giveaway Linky (New Format!)
Now that my daughter is old enough to enjoy family game night I think this is something we are going to have to do! It really brings the family closer together! By the way, I love the Hulk costume!
Oh my gosh, I LOVED Hungry, Hungry Hippos when I was little! We need to get that game and start a game night too!
my family loves games so much, we love to play and spend time together. i hope it never ends
What an amazing story and a fun family! Creating family traditions is so important because as kids get older, schedules get nothing but more hectic! Thanks for sharing your sweet family!
Nicole (SAHM Reviews) recently posted..It Has Been a Bad Day
Our daughter is a junior in high school, but we still have family game nights. We really enjoy playing Monopoly together. That “french fry volcano” was such a cool idea dad
Tammy recently posted..Del Monte Fruit Cups are a #SmartSnack for Back to School #CBias
I think game night are fantastic idea.
That looks like one fun evening! I loved the Hungry Hippos game as a child, and I can’t wait to play it with my kids. So much fun!
We have been long time lovers of family game night. We do Scrabble once a month so we can toss a little education in. The rest of the time we take turns picking. My son can be counted on to pick Apples to Apples, my husband is a big fan of Connect Four tournaments, and I love Scene It. Though no one really likes playing it with me. I can’t help that I am a movie genius.
Kelly Blackwell recently posted..Thrifty Tips for August 30, 2012
My husband would be our movie genius. Sometimes, we will finish a movie and I can’t remember what happened. I think it is because my brain is constantly churning on what I have planned next…
When my sister and I were growing up our family played cribbage. In school we could always add numbers up better than other kids.
Love Hungry Hungry Hippos, love that volcano, and love your son’s quick wit!
Christy recently posted..Letting Go and Growing Up
Thanks! He and hubs…the reason I’m going crazy…
Oh my goodness that volcano is ADORABLE! &So is your son!
Shell Fruscione recently posted..Have Fun on the Go with VTech’s MobiGo2!
Thank you…we loved the game night…and we’ll probably keep the boy, too.
So much fun! My little one would’ve loved that volcano!
Lindsey recently posted..Labor Day Blogfest and Book Fair Giveaway
It looks like you guys had a BLAST! That volcano is awesome!
Gena recently posted..Try Progressive Snapshot {review & giveaway} #TrySnapshot
My husband is pretty creative when it comes to food.
I am officially inviting myself over! Your family game night sounds awesome!!! Some of my favorite memories are the special traditions that we had growing up, like playing Scrabble with Grandma and making pancakes with my little sister for our mom…it’s so great that you are establishing those early!
Liz (Woof Woof Mama) recently posted..20% Off Pawalla Mystery Box for Cat or Dog w/ Promo Code!
Come on over!! Your dogs and my dogs can chase each other around while we play Hungry Hungry Hippos!!
What a fun evening! We love Hungry Hungry HIppos too!
Tonia @TheGunnySack recently posted..What’s In The Gunny Sack? Link Party #52