Inventing fun

This is Mike...
They say necessity is the mother of invention. Well, I guess my kids had a necessity to invent a board game. Though we can buy any of the major board games here, in Nicaragua, my kids still took it upon themselves to innovate and create their own game. As a parent, this modern world often times seems to be moving too fast. Pokemon mania is sweeping the world, people seem evermore immersed in their gadgets and experiences increasingly virtual. We are so happy our kids reminded us about the importance of using imagination, and letting go.
   As this summer break comes to an end and many millions of families get back to the grind of everyday living. Don't forget what you enjoyed about summer, it most likely had less to do with the weather and more to do with being together. In fact, the happiest summers usually have less to do with "Stuff" and more to do with grilling, swimming, and hanging out with loved ones. If I could make a recommendation for fellow families reading this post - try something different. Don't buy anything new for a while and see if you can make do with what you have. Better yet, see if you can build it. Regardless if it is a planter, bench or board game, build it and you will give life to the object. Our kids reminded us how easy making lasting memories from a piece of construction paper can be, and for that we are blessed.

We used rocks for marking territory and paper money for purchases.

Happy camper was satisfied with her creation.

Money laying around

We used sea shells as our game tokens to play the game.

Family game night thanks to our kid's creation.