Kid Games: A Review

I love games. Like, looooove them — enough to marry them. And I always have, and maybe more than most. I think it must be part of the Youngest Child Syndrome, where you always feel shortchanged because everyone was always too old or too busy to play with you all of your life and you never got to play as much as the other kids.

With that said, my family has always liked games (we take all-play-all-the-time Pictionary to new heights), but I could always handle more. I wanted to continue this tradition with Anna, so I started giving her a book and a game for her birthday and for Christmas so that we could build our collections of both. (I love books too.)  And then I buy several more throughout the year because I can't help myself. Luckily, Anna LOVES games and anyone who will play with her, so we are of like mind in this.

But all games are not created equal. Especially kid games. I have to be in a really good mood to sit down to Candyland, for instance, but Anna loves it because 1) it's set in a land made of candy and 2) Princess Frostine. But there are a few games we've found that are as fun for adults as they are for kids. So I thought I would post a few of my favorites here to spread the joy.

KID GAMES: A REVIEW

1. Cadoo

This is the kid version of Cranium. I like Cranium, and this is the perfect, pared-down version for kids. It has drawing and sculpting challenges, charades (which are nearly impossible a hoot when you're watching a six-year-old), word puzzles, and trivia. And secret word decoder glasses, which are a highlight. There are also fun challenges where you have one minute to get up and find objects in certain categories, like something sticky and something furry. It's good times. Since Anna's still a youngin', we just play without the timer.

2. Quelf Jr. 

This is another kid version of an adult game, but I've never played the adult version. Have any of you? This one's fun because it's totally random and silly. You draw cards that make you do silly things, like pretend your foot is a baby and cuddle with it until your next turn. It's definitely one to let your inhibitions out.

3. The Ugly Doll Card Game 

This is sort of a speed matching game with a very simple premise and one most everyone likes. Plus, if you grab a card at the same time as another player, the first person to say "ugly" three time gets it. Who doesn't like that?

4. Memory 

We have several versions of Memory, but I love this one because of its amazing design. I like the little green discs, but I love the different patterns that you can switch out: animal prints, colors, numbers, letters, etc. I feel like it's giving your brain an extra workout, which is a good feeling. This one is fun and cool.

5. The Scrambled States of America Game

This is a speed game centered around the 50 states, their nicknames, and capitals. Perhaps because of my insistance that she learn how to play every game with me, Anna is a little ahead of her time with this one, which I think is intended for kids 8 and up. But she seriously loves it. She even recently taught my dad how to play. And now she's basically ready for 9th-grade geography.

6. Wig Out 

And the game that probably gets the most playing time at our house is Wig Out. It's easy, it's fast, and everyone likes it, no matter their age or disposition. (Everyone I've made play it, anyway.) I got it on a whim when I went into this magical toy store last year, and it has been a HUGE hit.



A couple of these games came from gamewright.com, which, if I could be their spokesperson, I totally would. I can't think of one game we've gotten from there that we didn't like. Way to be, Gamewright.


Do you have any favorites we might need to try? Current favorites? Favorites from your childhood?

Brownie Coconut Ice Cream Sandwiches

I made these last night and we finally got to eat them today, since they had to freeze overnight. And they were as good as they sound. They were a little time consuming, and waiting several hours for them to freeze took the patience of a saint, but they were worth it. A delicious summer treat.

BROWNIE COCONUT           ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

Ingredients

• 12 ounces raspberries
• 1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cream of coconut (not coconut milk)
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 9- by 13-inch baking pans with nonstick foil, leaving a 3-inch overhang on two sides. In a large bowl, toss the berries with 2 tablespoons sugar. Let sit, tossing occasionally, for at least 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the butter and the chocolate in a medium saucepan and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar, then the eggs. Add the flour and stir until smooth.
3. Divide the batter between the prepared baking pans. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream of coconut and cream in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the berries and their juices into the coconut-cream mixture; spoon the cream-berry mixture over one pan of brownies.
5. Use the foil overhangs to lift the remaining brownie layer out of the pan. Invert onto a cutting board and gently peel away the foil. Invert again onto a cookie sheet and gently slide on top of the cream-berry mixture. Cover and freeze for at least 6 hours or up to 2 days.
6. Use the foil overhangs to lift and transfer to a cutting board. Let sit for 5 minutes, then cut into bars.

A couple of notes:

1. You might even want to start out with more than 12 oz. of raspberries because we could not resist several taste tests once they were all sugared up. Or maybe they accounted for several snitches when they made the recipe, who knows? All I know is that they were fresh and sweet and delicious, and I ate several.

2. I made a valiant effort to whip the cream and cream of coconut, but it just didn't seem to want to whip. It's true that I didn't use heavy cream, but still. I swear I was at the mixer for like 15 minutes, but it just ended up being a thick creamy liquid. Even so, it was delicious and I had to test that several times as well.

3. Definitely wait the five minutes before you cut and eat the frozen sandwiches. We just couldn't wait to get our mits on them, after having to wait a whole day for our dessert, so we instantly chowed down. But biting into the crunchy frozen raspberries just about did me in. Another option we might try next time is to just add a layer of jam instead of the berries.

A Day in Kid Heaven

Last month, Anna and I joined my brother and his wife and their three kids on an all-day excursion to Salt Lake, which basically turned out to be an entire day spent in kid heaven.

First, we started out at the children's museum. Games were played, knowledge was increased, creations were . . . created. It was magical.

Waitin' on the customers

inside the helicopter, although you'd never know it was a helicopter by my amazing photography skills

Then we went out to lunch and got pizza and kid sundaes. (Let's be honest, I was also in heaven.)

After lunch, we headed over to Liberty Park, where the kids played at the splash pad in their clothes and then played on the super hot playground sets. (It turns out that was the only way to survive. It was 9,000,000 degrees that day.) For some reason, Anna sometimes likes getting wet in her clothes more than in her swimsuit. She must like feeling rebellious, or something. But I'd totally take this over stealing or drugs. Anyhow, she was delighted that I actually encouraged her to get her clothes wet. And it cooled her off nicely.

After some play time, we walked through the park over to the part with a merry-go-round, ferris wheel, and crazy-fast swing ride.

I rode with Anna and my niece Emme on the ferris wheel, and Emme was a little uncertain about the ride. She said anxiously, over and over when we got to the top, "I did not think this through. I did not think this through." She turned out to love it by the end, and Anna loved the whole thing.

Then, after a lot of questions from my other niece about the swing ride (how high does it actually go? how fast?), five of us decided to give it a go.

Now let me explain. I haven't always loved big amusement park rides or roller coasters. I had a pretty substantial fear of them until I finally decided to get over it around age 15. Even now I'll go on them, but they're not my favorite. But I do like swinging.

However.

I have known for some time that I may have reached the age where my equilibrium no longer enjoys swinging, making me a real adult, I guess. I still try it every once in a while, just to make sure, but these days it just kind of makes me want to throw up. So depressing.

Anyhow, the ride probably went faster and higher than any of us planned on, and my swing got turned around so I was flying backwards, so I spent most of the ride trying hard to not throw up. I really wondered how Anna was doing, since she had never been on anything besides a ferris wheel or two and a kiddie ride. But I shouldn't have worried. When I asked her how she was doing in the middle of the ride, she yelled, "This is the best ride ever!!!" She LOVED it. And I couldn't believe it. So I, the scaredy cat, yelled, "Then you're no child of mine!" So crazy. I don't know where she came from.

On our way home, and once our stomachs had returned to normal, we decided to take advantage of the free slurpies at 7-11 since it was, in fact 7/11. I had a lemon creme one, and it was fresh tasting and delightful.

By that time, we had to go home and rest from all the fun. It turns out that games and creativity + pizza + sundaes + splash pad + getting wet in your clothes + amusement park rides + slurpies = a magically fun and totally exhausting day for everyone.

Olympic Ideas

I've been loving the olympics. Obviously. But I had two ideas that I think might need to be added to the program. Organizers, take note.

First, I thought it would be fun to see the olympians compete in an event totally different from the one they've trained for. If not compete, then just try it out . . . and broadcast it so the rest of us can see. They're highly trained athletes, so I think they would be better than the average layman, and it would be interesting to see how much better. Wouldn't you like to see how far Ryan Lochte throws the shot put? He lifts 600-pound tires to warm up, for  heaven's sake. I also think gymnasts, who have to have a very trained eye, would be great at something like archery. That's the kind of reality TV I'd like to see.

Secondly, and speaking of laymen, I think at some point during an event, they need to have an ordinary person swim 100 meters or attempt some cartwheels on the balance beam. Sometimes it's hard to tell how truly exceptional the olympians are, when all the swimmers are amazing swimmers. Sometimes I find myself thinking things like, "4-minute mile? Meh." (Or some other recognizable record in meters.) But occasionally, when certain camera angles make the swimmers seem like they're flying through that water, I feel like I get a more accurate portrayal of how fast they truly are, and I remember that yeah, they're totally amazing. I know swimming 200 meters would probably give me a heart attack, but sometimes I need to see the comparison. I also think it would be a little bit funny to see Bob Johnson swimming in lane 9, finishing his last 50 meters while everyone else has been done for five minutes.

So Rio 2016? Anyone?