11 minute read
Family Game Night
from FF July 2022
by Forsyth Mags
BY LISA S.T. DOSS
The sounds of crickets, a whippoorwill’s call and my grandparents’ stationary fan set on high remind me of those summer evenings we gathered at the kitchen table to play one of four games – Crazy 8s, Scrabble, Monopoly or Boggle. Without realizing the educational value, my sister and I gained much more than memories. Beyond the enjoyment of being together, we learned the importance of rules, patience, taking turns, observation and using decisions to solve problems. While the times have changed, today’s computer-savvy youth will still gain the same significant benefits from holding cards and moving tokens around a board; so, this summer, begin a new family routine by inviting the grandparents, the aunts and the uncles to your game nights. While there are new games to learn and enjoy, the classics remain family favorites!
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Spot It!
(Ages three and up)
“Spot it” can handle up to eight players; therefore, live up to the instructions by saying, “the more, the merrier!” Young players will not only develop picture recognition skills but learn how to make a match quickly! In “Spot It!” all ages of children will love the variety of themes to fit any player or occasion.
Crazy 8s
(Ages three and up)
Old Maid is a classic card game, but holding so many cards can be cumbersome for a young child. On the other hand, “Crazy 8s” is a great game to teach a preschooler the rules of shapes, colors and wild cards’ value. When the rules are understood, consider, for instance, requiring all “2” cards to result in the opponent picking up two cards and losing a turn. Adding one or two “wild rules” boosts the level of surprise and thrill in playing.
Classic Trouble
(Ages five and up)
Hitting the “pop-o-matic” die is one of the appealing qualities of this classic game. Young children can practice counting, waiting their turn and accepting the roll of the dice to either go forward or be sent back to start again. Excitement builds when all four players take a turn.
Qwirkle
(Ages six and up)
Everyone loves a game that all ages can enjoy. “Qwirkle” delivers. The game’s objective requires players to match colors and shapes through tactical maneuvers and well-played strategies. Some may think it is a cross between dominoes or Scrabble. In this game, the player who has the most points wins. Children can judge their scores based on previous games.
Ticket to Ride
(Ages eight to 12)
Children fascinated by maps and geography will love the game “Ticket to Ride.” For two to five players, participants collect train cards to claim railway routes across the map. Through skill and strategy, individuals learn how to connect distant cities by building the most extended route. Additional versions are available in various countries, and an expansion pack offers older maps and a profound history, such as the United States in 1910 or 1912 Europe.
PicWits
(Ages 10 and up)
A game of laughter and family fun, “PicWits” combines deductive reasoning with matching. Participants must look at their cards to see which pictures would best complement a caption. A judge determines who wins. One warning to this game: Some picture cards may appear “too bizarre” for young children; therefore, remove questionable cards before you start playing. “PicWits” is a game players can jump into at any time!
Game nights bring the family together, whether you decide to teach classic Yahtzee, Monopoly, Scrabble, chess or Clue, or learn a new game such as “Kids of Carcassonne,” “Professor Noggin’s Countries of the World Card Game” or “Power Grid.” No matter your child’s level of skill and ability, there is a game for everyone!
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‘Tis the Season
BY MICHAEL JOHNSON
Seasons are encapsulated miracles. They are predictable pockets of time and temperature and change that come and cycle as comforting markers of the year. Each season ushers in new celebrations and even challenges for everyone, especially parents.
Summer
Here we stand in the month of June. It is a time when we are coasting into the final weeks of school and into the shimmer of summer vacation. The sun burns brighter and later into the day. In the waning school days, I advise parents to use extreme caution. Not against the UV rays, but rather for kids who can trick you into thinking there are plenty of hours left in the day to get that homework done. It is easy to lose track of time as the days stay lighter later.
The whole of summer presents childcare issues with choosing just the right camp or daycare situation outside the bounds of preschools, as well as elementary and middle schools. As a parent now of a middle-school-aged summer camper, I have found myself asking my son, “Are you sure you like the idea of All-Sports Robotic Lego Bible Camp before I pay for this?”
It is also time to start the genuine revitalization of those friendships that can facilitate pool visits. Being a member or a humble-and-everappreciative guest, like me, of a great pool is always a vital puzzle piece to any of the dog days. I remember growing up in California that my favorite neighbors were a lively and convivial Italian couple who let the Lambrusco flow freely with my parents and let us kids splash wildly in their crystalclear backyard oasis.
Fall
Invariably, you will hear from many that this is their favorite season. It is the gateway into cooler temperatures, the normalcy of school day schedules and the reignition of sports seasons. The hot chocolate emerges and everything pumpkin floods the marketplace. For families, it is a time to get back on the sidelines of the soccer or baseball fields and to bundle up and helpfully cheer things like ‘Hit that ball!” or “Go score that goal!” with the best of them.
I personally love fall as a soccer coach who adores the chance to dust off the whistle and dive headfirst into the chaos of the car trunk for the practice cones and balls. If I am out front of the house, and you see sports equipment and old energy bar wrappers flying while my feet are sticking out of the trunk, you know it is me getting ready for the start of the season.
We all fret about bus schedules and bell schedules with intense well-meaning focus, knowing full well we will just simply downgrade in the winter to internally saying, “We’re doing the best we can. We can forgive the four tardies this week.’
Winter
It is the time of hunkering down inside. When outside, it means more clothing to keep up with. It means that the school lostand-found bin is jammed tight with our children’s hoodies, scarves and gloves.
It is the time of year where the local forecast can be monitored by me like an Air Force soldier watching a radar for signs of the enemy. We live in a region that is not altogether used to inclement winter weather. Because of this, abundant caution is the rule of the day when it comes to schools. During winter, parents can feel like their kids are out of school more than in school. Thanksgiving, Christmas, a whole host of national holidays and snow days reign supreme on the school calendar leaving parents with full-time jobs outside of the home in a quandary. All this being said, it is “the season.” It is the season to wish everyone “Season’s Greetings,” and so it clearly can be argued that winter is the most lively and celebratory season. The icicles and lights twinkle with the magic of the season, and such is the backdrop to a million memories.
Spring
The flowers and the raucous weather make for a varied re-emergence into the sunshine. Once again, it is time to start making noise in the garage and car trunks to rediscover the sports equipment. It is now time to breathe life back into the chilled bones and dust off the walking shoes. For this writer, it is also the time to wrestle with the foil packets of allergy medicine, as the North Carolina pollen is pure evil. Perhaps that is a dramatic statement; however, after my 126th sneeze for the day, I think otherwise. Lawn mowers whir, and yard work abounds. It is a glorious time to slide open the windows and let the light (and pollen) in. Who can resist the color and renewal of spring?
And, so remember the lyrics of the song “Turn, turn, turn” by the Byrds -
To everything turn, turn, turn
There is a season turn, turn, turn
Keep turning into the seasons and bend with them. We are definitely blessed in Forsyth County to witness all four seasons of our year and revel in the infinite colors and experiences of each.
Here is hoping you embrace the “turn, turn, turn” of it all.
Weeks Flooring
Novant Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
BY TABATHA RENEGAR
Baseball, bonfires, barbecue and beach trips! Summer in North Carolina is a time for families to be outdoors and on the move! And, never has this been truer than this summer, as we enjoy more and more opportunities for fun and gatherings in this post-pandemic era.
Yet, with physical activity comes the unavoidable possibility for injuries, bumps and bruises. Especially when many of us have not been as active recently as we would like to be! That’s where the compassionate and skilled professionals at Novant Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine come in. At Novant Orthopedics, the mission is to deliver remarkable care for orthopedic conditions and injuries right when you need it. They offer same-day scheduling for acute injuries, as well as walk-in hours each weekday, so you can receive care on your schedule.
From “weekend warrior” injuries to those sustained by both adult and youth athletes, Novant Orthopedics has a host of gifted sports medicine surgeons ready to help get you safely and comfortably on the road to recovery.
Meet Dr. Phillip Mason. Dr. Mason graduated from the University of South Carolina Medical School and did both an internship and residency with Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Dr. Mason completed a Fellowship in Pediatric Orthopedic surgery at Vanderbilt before coming to Novant Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. At Novant, Dr. Mason specializes in both adult and pediatric orthopedic surgery with a special interest in elbow, hip and knee injuries. Dr. Mason is one of only a few medical professionals in the Triad that specializes in pediatric orthopedics. Dr. Mason states, “We try to be readily available to handle all orthopedic issues quickly to get you back to the activities you enjoy.”
Meet Dr. Mark Schweppe. Dr. Schweppe has a real passion for working with an active patient population and specializes in orthopedic sports medicine, with an emphasis on treating injuries of the shoulder and knee. Additionally, he performs shoulder reconstructive surgery for both arthritis and complex fractures. Dr. Schweppe graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina and completed his residency in Orthopedics at Wake Forest. He then completed fellowship training in sports medicine and shoulder reconstruction at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic of the Carolinas.
Dr. Schweppe says, “We strive to provide the highest quality orthopedic care for patients of all ages. Our same-day access allows us to offer this care in a very efficient manner.”
Novant Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine has two convenient locations in the Triad. Their location at 200 Robinhood Medical Plaza in Winston-Salem is open 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. The Clemmons location at 7210 Village Medical Circle, Suite 110, closes at 5:00 p.m. and accepts walk in patients until 4:30 p.m.
For more information or to make an appointment, call 336.718.7950 or visit novanthealth.org.
