Play Update #1

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We did 30 Days of Playing in June! I had been planning to post a few updates along the way, not just for accountability, but for inspiration, as well, because it's always fun learning new ways to connect with our kids.

But here we are, weeks passed June, and I'm just posting the first list. I guess we've just been having too much fun playing to stop and sit at a computer!

Here is what we played the beginning of the month. Maybe you can find a new toy or game to play with your family. Feel free to share what you've played last month, too!

1. Frisbee -- This ring frisbee is a fun variation of the classic and much easier for little ones to catch.

2. Rummikub -- This is our current favorite game! It's a rummy-style game played with tiles for 2-4 players. Alyssa (11 yr) loves this one because you manipulate the tiles to do what you want. It's a great strategy game for the older ones, but also a good game to reinforce numbers and matches for our 4-year-old. 

3. Football -- This is my favorite football! It's small enough that it fits perfectly in my hand and is a much better fit for the younger kids. It's softer than a regular football, too. Easy to catch, easy to throw. Perfect. The kids and I spent many hours tossing it around. 

4. Water Balloons -- Who doesn't love water balloons on a hot, summer day?! We grabbed a pack of 100 from the dollar store and filled them all. Many were thrown in a typical water balloon fight, others were reserved for tossing back and forth, and some were used for slow-motion videos. We had a lot of fun throwing the balloons on the ground or hitting them with a baseball bat and watching the replays in slo-mo.  

5. Melissa & Doug Castle Puzzle -- A few months ago we started putting together regular puzzles as a family. After many years of babies and toddlers in the house, we're at a point where we don't have to worry about a little one pulling pieces off a table or putting them in their mouth. We've mostly done 1,000-piece puzzles, but I had gotten this 200-piece castle one a couple years ago and never opened it. It's since been discontinued, but it was a fun and super quick build. I have my eye on this colorful doors puzzle next!

6. Football -- We spent another full day tossing, throwing, playing, and tackling.

7. White Mountain Candy Wrappers Puzzle -- Another puzzle! I had just purchased this one because the price had dropped and even though I hadn't been planning to assemble it right away, the kids asked. We finished it up that evening when Leighton came home from work. The White Mountain puzzles are our favorites. They are well-made and have fun designs. This candy one was a fun puzzle for everybody!

8. Painting and Shopping -- No, those things aren't really playing. I know. Leighton had pulled up the carpet in our living room and had just refinished the hardwood floor. Since the room was empty, I thought it was the perfect time to paint--the living room, the entryway, and the hallway. It took the whole day to get it done. Even though there was no time to stop and play, I let the older kids paint for a bit (they thought it was like playing!) and then took them with me grocery shopping after the first coat of paint. We laughed and joked a lot and still spent quality time together even though we didn't play a game.

9. Yes and No -- We've been playing this game for so many years that I don't remember how it started.  It's like Twenty Questions, except the number of questions doesn't matter. Everything has to be a yes or no question and it has to be something everyone knows. Even toddlers like this one, even if they don't fully understand. We play mostly during dinner, but car rides are fun, too. Whoever guesses correctly gets to pick the next round.

10. Pirate Maze Book -- This is such a fun puzzle book from Usborne! It has over 60 pages of pirate-themed mazes. It is filled with cute details and tons of sailor, undersea, and treasure references--perfect for pirates and landlubbers alike. My younger boys love this book and have spent hours poring through the pages. There is so much going on in the book that we always find something new to enjoy when we do it.

That's only some of the fun we had during our 30 Days of Playing challenge! The fun hasn't ended just because the month did though, so feel free to list some of your family's favorite games and toys! 

And be watching for more ways that we played in the month of June.

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