Savvy Family

By Jennifer Dumke

When the temperature drops, boredom can rise. Many families struggle to stay entertained during the cold winter months. Avoid spending endless hours on electronics, impromptu shopping sprees, dining out and other activities that require spending your hard earned money with these alternative family friendly ideas.

“Bored” Games

Nothing beats a good old fashioned family game night. Depending on the age range of your family members and the number of players, there’s something for everybody. Get out snacks, play some fun tunes and you can easily create a night of laughter and bonding.

If you are feeling creative and like trivia, step outside the gaming box by creating your own night of fun. Does your family have a special television sitcom or movie that’s frequented your television? Try testing your viewing knowledge by writing your own trivia questions. You can even test your family history knowledge by coming up with facts about family members. Who knows, you may even learn something new about your loved ones? And if you have a wide range of ages and need to appeal to every family member, take it down a notch with the details and maybe offer a few hints. For those not feeling creative - no worries - you can always try changing a favorite game by adding a new twist. After all, you can only play Candyland so many times. Don’t Get Puzzled

If all this sounds like too much or you simply don’t have enough players, try putting together a puzzle. What’s great about puzzles is that they cater to all age ranges and you’d be surprised how time flies when getting into the groove. When finished, leave it assembled for a child’s room décor or take it apart and repurpose. Even though you may have already assembled it, you’d be surprised at how challenging puzzles can be despite the number of times they have been put together.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

Kick up the competition and have fun with prizes. Let the winners relish their glory with unique, budget friendly rewards. Some suggestions would be choosing dinner for the night or getting out of doing a particular household chore. Feeling bold? Try adding crazy hats, opposing team logo wear and other fun ways to ramp up the competition. Offering these little incentives often times are more rewarding than picking a restaurant or going shopping.

So next time you struggle with a house full of bored children and adults during the frigid winter months, get out the BOARD games and enjoy an old fashioned evening of fun on an old fashioned budget. n