*Wander safe, wander local. Check your region’s local health guidelines before heading out.
If we had to pick a single month that would be awesome for playing games, it would be March (okay, and maybe February). Mother Nature can’t decide if it’s winter, spring (or sometimes summer), and there are times when it seems safer to hunker down at home and wait until the weather can make up its mind.
Whether you’re looking at virtual or in-person game playing, we can’t think of a better way to spend a chilly evening than curled up with friends or family in a little friendly competition. When the weather cooperates heading out to find the latest geocache can be just the thing to fill a quiet Sunday afternoon.
If you are a white knuckler, down to the last Monopoly dollar game player or a laid back, content to roll the dice player, you can make memories with these family-friendly ideas.
Go Virtual
The rise of the virtual meeting has introduced so many fun options for game playing when we can’t be together. You can use any number of free virtual meeting platforms to connect socially, a few good ones are Zoom, Skype, or Google Meet.
G-Rated Fun
Get on board with what co-operative games are all about by trying some of the fun games from Family Pastimes. These games are great for kids and teach the basics of co-operative play in a fun and educational way. Family Pastimes is located in Lanark County and they make games that teach strategy, and cater to various age ranges. Order from their extensive online catalogue to have it shipped straight to your door.
Puzzle it Out
You may not be able to do puzzling virtually, but can be lots of fun for an ongoing family project. Purchase a locally made puzzle from Haliburton’s The Occurrence, and learn more about science or recreate beautiful works of art at the same time. Establish a home base for your puzzle and work away at it a few pieces at a time for days or weeks at a time.
Get Into Geocaching
Playing games doesn’t need to be an indoor activity, you can take the fun on the road with a geocaching adventure. Geocaching gets you out and about where you can learn how to navigate using GPS, maps, or compasses, it’s treasure hunting for all ages!
To get started, download the Geocaching app to find a geocache near you and get started hunting for treasure. If you’re in the Haliburton area (which also just happens to be the Geocaching Capital of Canada) check out this story for more info on getting started with geocaching.
For Adults Only
Why not combine a little game playing with some yummy cocktails? Top Shelf Distillers has created fun games packages that include an interactive specialty game designed for small groups of adult players, along with everything you need to make a fun cocktail to amp up the experience.
Hint: these games are not your ordinary Clue or Monopoly games, they’re inspired, creative, and made for playing virtually or in person.
- The Z Files comes with everything you need to make a raspberry-chocolate cocktail.
- Stuck in the Present: A Time Traveler’s Experience (think Back to the Future in reverse) comes with gin, vodka, and limited edition bitters.
- Séance of Victoria Hall Experience is just-a-little-bit creepy and comes complete with three 200 mL bottles of Reunion Moonshine.