Family Game Night

One of the things that Jeremy and I enjoy the most is playing games. I tend more towards group board games and Jeremy prefers group video games, but we love playing games and have always planned on sharing that with Sydney.

For Christmas this year, Jeremy found (at an office gift exchange, no less), a game called "Don't Spill the Beans." The entire game is about taking turns putting plastic beans on the lid of the pot which is set on two end pieces so that it will rock if unbalanced or pushed. Each time the beans spill, the person who spilled them takes all of the spilled beans and the winner is the one who can get rid of all of his/her beans.

The game is so simple that we decided Sydney was ready to play. We actually played a dozen rounds before she got tired of taking turns and following rules (only one bean at a time) and we had to stop and let her "explore" her game. Overall, though, a complete success. It was the first time we felt that she was able to participate in a game and follow the rules. She owns Candyland and Parcheesi and loves to play with the pieces and throw the dice, but this game was simple enough that she could actually "get" it.

Two thumbs up, I say.



Oh, and if you want to know how easy Sydney thought it was: she decided that her baby could learn to play and after her dad and I left her to it, she spent a few minutes putting beans into Baby's hand so she could play.