Dinnertime Can Be All Fun and Games

When many of our parents and grandparents were growing up, children were expected to sit quietly at the table and not speak unless spoken to.  Today, many of us are struggling just to keep the kids from dancing on their chairs, crawling under the table, or racing out to friends houses! Even if our kids are old enough to stay seated, many of us want to go achieve more than a simple family sit-in and actually make dinnertime a joyful time of day.  At our house, usually at the prompting of our eldest child (a.k.a. my husband, Andrew), we often play games that keep the conversation fresh and lively. Some of these games also help children develop their vocabulary, spelling or counting skills, and of course, their social skills: Speech Club: This is my daughter Celias favorite game.  Each family member has to talk for 30 seconds (use a timer) without preparation on a topic someone else chooses without saying um or like or pausing for more than 2 seconds. Subjects can include anything from eggs to Italy to fall. Progressive Story: My eight-year-old nephew Clark wants to play this game whenever he eats at our house, and its a great one for large family gatherings. The family tells a story with everyone at the table going around and adding just one word.  When someone wants to end the story they can say period.  The stories can be hilarious (especially if you do what weve done and ban potty talk at the table, lest all the answers involve a bodily function). Time Test: This game requires a stopwatch and kids who are old enough to count. Each family member tries to accurately count to 10 or 30 seconds, measured against a stopwatch. The adults at the table really get into the competition. Here are a few games suggested by other parents on The Six OClock Scramble Facebook page: Alphabet Game: We have young kids - so we do alphabet games. Everyone goes around (in order) and names a word that starts with A, the next person with B, so forth. As they get older, they can also spell the word. Beverly Cook Halperin, Plano, TX Spin the Dreidel: We spin a dreidel to get my almost 4 year old son to eat. He eats the meat, veggies, starch or drinks water based on what letter the dreidel lands on. My 6 year old daughter came up with this idea last winter, and it works well. Tracie Cohen, Singapore Guess the Animal: We do an animal guessing game, kind of like twenty questions but with actual answers to keep things easier for the little ones. This works great until my husband picks an animal no one knows, like a Wallaroo. Trudi Benford, Washington, DC There are, of course, some meals where the kids just dont feel like talking much, and others where they wont stop interrupting us and each other.  But we find the meals where we all happily engage in conversation to be some of the most memorable times for us as a family. Want more fun at the dinner table? Here are some of my favorite sites for more great ideas: * How to get your family back to the dinner table with tips and themes for every day of the week:  http://www.integratedmother.com/2010/02/get-back-to-the-family-dinner-table/ * More ideas for dinner table games: http://www.ehow.com/how_4623261_fun-dinner-table.html * Here are some dinner board games you can purchase for some extra inspiration: http://www.familieswithpurpose.com/family-dinner-games.html What fun and games do you create around your dinner table? Let us know in the Comments section below.