Family Fun

Every time my family gets together for any type of gathering, we end up playing board games. This has been a tradition with my five siblings since the 1960s. We have successful past this family tradition to the next generation. This afternoon we'll be celebrating my nephew Michael's 20th birthday. After a delicious BBQ and a yummy chocolate cake, we'll gather around the table to play some board games. Catch Phrase! has become the number one favorite the past couple of years.

Never played Catch Phrase!? Here's a quick description -- "Quick, rattle off as many clues until somebody on your team yells the word or phrase you want to hear. Get as physical as you want. Gesture. Say anything you want. Just keep talking. And keep passing 'Cause if the buzzer goes off while you're holding the disk, the other guys get the point in CATCH PHRASE...the fast-passing, fast-talking game."

The game is played in two teams. The goal for each player is to get their team to say the word displayed in the disc. One member of a team starts the timer and tries to get his or her team to guess the displayed word. A clue-giver can make any physical gesture and give almost any verbal clue. However, one may not say a word that rhymes with the word, give the first letter of the word, say the number of syllables, or say part of the word in the clue (e.g., "worry" for "worry wart"). When the team guesses correctly, the other team takes its turn. Play continues until the timer runs out. The team not holding the disc when time runs out scores a point. They also have one chance to guess the word (only one guess is allowed, and can be discussed amongst the team members); a correct answer earns a bonus point. The first team to seven points wins.

And boy, do we get physical! My niece Cassie has tossed the game disc across the dining room table like a Frisbee! LOL! Remember, holding onto that disc when the buzzer goes off means you lose. People have almost fallen off chairs, spit out mouthfuls of soda and margaritas, choked on a tortilla chip from laughing too hard, or been blown away when someone gets the right answer from some crazy, off the wall clue. If you enjoy raking your brain while laughing your head off, you'll definitely enjoy this game. I love times like this with my family and friends.