Fabulous Family Fun

I love family. Not just mine but the entire concept of family. Despite all its craziness, it’s the perfect environment for growth. Where else can imperfect people learn the skills to become great? (patience, forgiveness, listening, understanding, compassion, selflessness, and on and on)

But, like anything worthwhile, it takes work. At the start of our marriage, my husband and I made 2 commitments. First, we would make sure that we went on a date every week. And, second, we would dedicate one night a week to family fun. On family night, we do anything from bowling to swimming to board games to wii tournaments to service or even to yardwork. It doesn’t really matter what we do, as long as we do it together.

Today, I thought I’d share one of our all-time favorite activities. If you haven’t had a set family night, it just may be the perfect activity to start with. It’s called BUMP IN THE DARK. Of course, you would recognize it as Sardines (the game of Hide and Seek where one person hides and everyone else seeks. When you find the hider, you hide with them). In BUMP IN THE DARK, there’s a twist. You turn off as many lights in the house as your kids will tolerate. Too afraid of the dark? Leave a few more on. Older kids? Turn them all off! We played this once with only adults and had a blast! Naturally, the darker the house, the harder it will be to find people.

So, why call it Bump In the Dark? When the hider feels like they have hidden too long (which may not be very long at all for a little one who doesn’t like to be hiding alone), they knock, giving a hint to their whereabouts to the other players. This one little twist has made it a fun game to play even for the 2 year olds.

Try it. You will be amazed at the amazing places people can hide in the dark and not be found. Just the other day, after searching forever for my oldest, we finally found him. Who would have guessed an 11-year-old could fit in a storage bin?

What’s your favorite family night game? Let us know so we can add it to ours!