Three more games are described here which you and your family can enjoy playing together over this unusually distant holiday. Keep it light, keep it entertaining, and most importantly keep it fun.
Dance Party
Ages
0 - 99
How to play
This is a great one to get people moving and laughing easily. The group dances together, enjoying the music, along with making one another smile and laugh. The host plays music over their computer audio system. (On Zoom: screen share -> advanced share -> computer audio). When the host starts the music the group can move free form, ideally standing up. After a few seconds the host can initiate one of these variations, which should be explained before starting:
Variations
Follow the leader – The host displays participant’s names on a slip of paper to show who is the new leader. Everyone then follows the new leader. The leader’s job is to help everyone be successful in following them. They are not trying to trick the followers but leading in a way that others can follow. Dancing is not what is important in this activity, but instead to have fun. So the leader can pretend they are walking downstairs (the head going out of site at the bottom of the screen as if walking down a staircase). Dancing with just the hands showing, or just the thumbs showing on the screen.
Secret admirer – After a few seconds of free-form dancing each person chooses one other person to follow dancing. Everyone will be following everyone else. Some patterns may start forming. After the dance everyone can say whom they were following.
Music genres – This is a great moment to share different styles and genres of music. Of course there is pop music that everyone will like dancing to, but try out a movie soundtrack to change up the mood. "I'm Forrest" from Forrest Gump will conjure a whole different style of movement and dance 'stories' for the group. Mix together traditional dance music pieces, marches, and classical ballads and see what your crazy family comes up with.
Here's Looking at You
Ages
6 - 99
How to Play
This game requires everyone to have a piece of paper and pencil or pen to draw with. Each person is assigned to another person to draw. You can assign it by alphabetical order by first name (Beauregard draws Callie; Callie draws Denzel; Denzel draws Gwyneth, etc.).
When drawing the other person, you cannot look down at your paper. You can only look directly at your drawing subject and never at your work. Give 30 - 40 seconds for everyone to do their drawing without looking down. At the end of the time each person shows, one at a time, their drawing of the other person.
Your family will enjoy the Picasso-esqu creations you made of each other!
Lip Dub
Ages
8 - 99
How to Play
This game involves 4 players total: 2 players that we can see but can't hear (videos on but microphones off) and 2 players that we can hear but can't see (microphones on but videos off). The rest of the group should turn off of their videos AND microphones, and just be the audience to watch the funny scene. The 2 players whose video is on are the 'live actors'. The 2 players with only their audio on are the 'voice over actors'.
The leader/host asks the audience for a suggestion of a relationship (for example, best friends, boss and employee, etc.) and a location (for example, butcher shop, beauty parlor, etc.) The four actors will act out a scene together based on the suggestions given. The two live actors will provide the visual of the scene by moving and gesturing, while the voice over actors provide all of the dialogue of the scene.
Assign which voice over actor is speaking for which live actor, so they are paired accordingly. Whenever the voice over actor speaks, the live actor can move their lips, however, the lip dub is not so important. More importantly is the exaggerated movement and physical emotion that the live actors do to justify what has been said. Generally, the voice over actors are leading the story and action, however, the live actors can also influence the scene by grabbing props and costume items. The host will determine when the scene is done and will break in to the scene with an enthusiastic, "End scene!" Have fun with this wacky game!