From PokemonGo to Instagram Stories

Third Friday of the month: Hobbies / Recreation

When August came around, there have been so many new stuff to try, and the hottest of which is the worldwide phenomenon -- PokemonGo.  Naturally, J and the kids immediately got the app as soon as it was launched in the country last August 6. It was a Saturday, so the kids were too happy to be able to register their own accounts and started playing with the rest of the world. Two days earlier, I was the one excited to try Instagram Stories, the latest feature on this popular social media platform.

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Learning the Game of Economics and Family Finance

If there's a chance for us parents to teach lessons through games, then that would be awesome, right? One of my weaknesses is finance. I just can't digest the topic (or I refuse to understand it). To be honest, I'm just not interested in learning and talking about it. But of course, I want to earn lots of money, hehee...who wouldn't?! A few weeks ago, I was invited by Mommy Mundo to one of their Mom School workshops with the theme Family Game Time. With the help of Sun Life, this was the first time for me and the boy to really have fun learning about business and investments, insurance and stocks through a board game!

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Fun Friday: Gadget-Free, Old-Fashioned Fun

Third Friday of the month:  Recreation / Hobby

I was pondering about what I should post for today's Fun Friday, and I realized that my feature a week ago was more appropriate for today. Consider this a follow-up.  All I have in mind right now is what I did to have fun when I was a kid -- when there were no iPads, no Nintendo, no Playstation, and other cool gadgets and electronics that preoccupy many children of this digital age.

Jackstone set, image from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacks

You see, in the early 80s, I only used to borrow the Game & Watch and Atari games of my cousins which were all the rage back then. That's the most "high-tech" we could get.  But what I enjoyed most was playing "street games" with my friends and cousins like dodge ball, Chinese garter, local game of "patintero" (no direct English translation), water gun fights, and endless rounds of jackstones.  My kids are clueless about the games I used to play, so here's what we are able to do to have some fun, without gadgets, at home and outdoors.

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Family Friday: Time for Family Game Nights!

Second Friday of the month:  Family, Kids and Parenting

Scrabble. Monopoly. Sorry. Clue. Snakes 'n Ladders. Boggle. Pictionary. 
These are just some of the super fun games I used to play in my younger years with family and friends. And we can play them for hours!

In this digital age, most of the younger generation would not even recognize some of the popular board games that we, the parents, used to enjoy so much. How can these compete with "exciting" video games, high-tech toys and gadgets, and the ever growing number of cartoons shown on cable TV? My own kids would easily choose to play with their Nintendo DS over our Monopoly in a snap!

I'm still hopeful, especially now that I've learned about the Family Game Night by Hasbro, maker of the most popular board games. To tell you the truth, I was excited to know what this "game night" thing is all about when I got invited for an afternoon get-together hosted by Color Mix Corp., Philippine distributor of Hasbro board games.

The group of parenting bloggers was welcomed by Color Mix head Daniel Dionisio (above, left) and his lovely wife Roanne at Borough (in The Podium mall). After the introductions, we were asked to share what our favorite games were and everyone ended up reminiscing about the good 'ol days! It was so much simple then. We were also enlightened by child psychologist Jingo Zara (above, right) about how game nights with his family made a positive impact on him and his children, with its numerous benefits:

• strengthen bonds between family members and practice respect towards each "player"
• teaching moments during the games like learning math with "play money", improve reading and vocabulary with word games
• gain life skills through teamwork, following rules, patience, and accepting defeat when losing a game
• bring fun and laughter with each new experience, creating happy memories
• money-saving too if you played your game in the comforts of your home with some yummy snacks on the side

Who knew that playing a simple board game can bring a lot of good?

Mom bloggers were so game to play Taboo, as explained by Daniel Dionisio

It's only a matter of time for my kiddos to get interested with some of my favorite games and reap the benefits of playing together as a family. With the help of Color Mix and Hasbro, I'm looking forward to start my own Family Game Night, and who knows, this could be the start of a new tradition in the family!

Let's get started:

1. Schedule It : Choose the day or night and mark your calendars. It's gonna be like your once or twice weekly date with the family
2. Create a Tradition : Serving a favorite family meal before the game, or maybe extend bedtime by 30 minutes can become a much anticipated ritual
3. Keep a Family Scoreboard :  Everyone wants to know the scores and keeping a written record you can display adds excitement; a motivation to play more, to win, and have more fun together
4. Invite Guests : Spice things up and invite neighbors or friends over; perhaps take the games with you to outings and gatherings and share the fun

Thanks to Color Mix, we can now start our Family Game Night with 'The Game of Life'

Here's what we've been playing lately...

Towering blocks of fun

...and these two are my favorites! =)

Can't decide which games to play? Check out this game recommendation guide for your next game night!

Related post:

No power, no gadgets. Time for blackout games and activities.

Hasbro Games
Exclusively distributed in the Philippines by Color Mix Corporation
Products are available at leading toy stores and department stores.

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