games – Ericka O Smith

532180_382579435158666_782925171_n For years I have resented Black Friday. I remember a time not too long ago in which the “thanks” was kept in “Thanksgiving.” It was a treasured time of counting your blessings and adjusting your attitude to one of gratitude.

Not too far in the recent past, however, the commercialization of the Christmas season began it’s hostile takeover of Thanksgiving with the creation of my new nemesis, Black Friday. Not content with preempting the remaining Thanksgiving weekend with a consumerism mindset, early bird specials soon followed – beginning on Thanksgiving Day itself!

In an effort to keep the “thanks” in Thanksgiving, a few years ago our family started the tradition of getting together on Black Friday for dinner with another family, combining our leftovers from the day before and enjoying a good time of family fellowship instead of shopping. The past two years, we have added games to our night of fellowship. This year, we’re planning the whole evening as an extension of Thanksgiving Day with Gratitude Game Night.

Gratitude Game

Everyone gets two slips of paper and writes one word on each slip of something for which they are thankful. For example, my daughter bought her first car this summer, so it would be entirely appropriate for her to write “car” on one. All slips are collected in a bowl. The bowl is passed around the table with players selecting one at a time. Take turns trying to get the table to guess your word without using that word, similar to CatchPhrase. Alternate version – play as family teams.

Thanksgiving Scattergories

One person at a time chooses a letter of the alphabet. Using a timer, each player (or team) writes as many things for which they are thankful that begin with that letter as they can imagine. When the timer goes off, each player (or team) shares their list one item at a time. All duplicated items on everyone’s lists are marked out. The player (or team) with the most items still on their list is the winner!

Wiki-Thanksgiving

Each player thinks of something for which they are thankful. On a 3×5 card, they write a definition of that thing from the general to the more specific. All cards go into a bowl, which gets sent around the table one player at a time. Each player takes one card out, reads the definition to the group and each person tries to 1) figure out what the object of thanks is, and 2) who wrote it.

How does your family keep the “thanks” in Thanksgiving? Please share your bright ideas (or links) in the comments.

Once a month, these two head out for a weekend of camping and adventure. These are special weekends spent bonding over learning new outdoor skills, cooking over a campfire, and growing ripe from days without bathing - you know, boy stuff. — Once a month, these two head out for a weekend of camping and adventure. These are special weekends spent bonding over learning new outdoor skills, cooking over a campfire, and growing ripe from days without bathing – you know, boy stuff.

For years now, the girls and I have been having what we call “Girls Only Weekends” once a month while the boys go into Bear Grylls mode.

When my sister and niece lived nearby, we included them in our adventures, like this one to an indoor ropes course…

417692_10150690577382915_1095526943_n — My daughter was fearless! This is right before we found out she needed glasses, but still. She earned a ton of street cred that night.

My niece was brave and tore through the challenges like a boss!

Over the years, we have also made some great memories with fantastic Mom & Daughter Duos like these at our Pinterest Party –

This Pinterest game was so fun... — This Pinterest game was so fun…

...the Moms decided to give it a go! — …the Moms decided to give it a go!

Making some good memories with these sweet Moms & Daughters — We made some good memories with these sweet Moms & Daughters, one game at a time.

These sweet Mamas & Daughters joined us for a Back-to-School Hair Bash one year –

Sometimes we do something completely new, like here when we volunteered with these cuties at a For the Nations Refugee Outreach event –

Or here when we volunteered in the community at the annual Plano Balloon Festival…

Or here volunteering to walk four-legged friends at the local animal shelter –

My sweet girl has such a soft spot for furry friends. Volunteering at the animal shelter is her most requested Girls Only Weekend activity.

We’ve camped out at a state park, just the two of us in the tent…

Thankfully we travel with books because this campout, it rained. We spent a lot of time chilling on the bed reading about the Netherfield Ball. — It rained, so we read about the Netherfield Ball – together.

And we’ve hit the trails, like here –

Tonight is another such night. It is the annual Mother/Daughter Lock-In at my church, where we have bonded over things like fashion shows and scavenger hunts, like here –

My daughter is too old for us to attend now, but the two of us will still arrive early & leave late…as volunteers. We will serve alongside other Moms & Daughters who have “aged out”, setting up, cooking, helping with crafts, organizing games, taking pictures and cleaning up. And in the doing of these things, we will add another mental image to the photo album of our daughter’s childhoods.

You, too, are in the midst of making the memories of your daughter’s childhood. Look for ways to turn the ordinary days into extraordinary ones. These are the days that will stand out in her mind in the future – and she will have shared them with you. Seize the circumstances that present themselves! Create your own opportunities! Invite other Moms & Daughters to join you. Or keep it simple, just the two of you. Ride a bike. Have a picnic in your daughter’s bedroom. Pick something from here or here or here. Just do something. Don’t put it off. They are memories that will be enjoyed by both of you long after the moments have passed.