2006 News

FamilyTimeFun Dinner Games
(5-12, FamilyTimeFun, $16)

If you don't mind mixing food and play, you and your gang will enjoy the way these discussion-starter and activity cards help extend family time at the supper table.

What: FamilyTimeFun Dinner Games

Why: Does it sometimes seem like everyone's snarfing down dinner to get to watch television or the next rushed evening activity? Family Time Fun Games encourages you to serve up conversation, wit and amusements along with your meat and veggies. Entitled "Dinner Games and Activities," this little tin box includes 51 games to play with your 5-12 year olds while eating. You can partake in a virtual game of hide and seek as one person imagines herself "hiding" somewhere in the house and everyone has to guess where she is. Or, encourage creative problem solving and find out what your kids are really thinking by setting up "Situation Challenges" like "The new kid at school doesn't seem very friendly, but he has no one to play with at recess. What would you do?" In the best of times, dinner features both slow food and slow eating; these games give you fresh ideas about how to make dinner time fun family time.

Want the kids to stop playing with their food? Start playing some games at the dinner table! Ok, so it might sound a little odd to play games at the table, but I'm telling you, it's great. The award winning company, Family Time Fun, has a unique product called Dinner Games & Activities. This great little "recipe-style" tin is filled with 51 quick and easy games for families to play while they eat. Designed to improve family communication, each game is printed on a sturdy, easy to read, laminated card (so spills won't destroy them). The games are easy to play, there are no gameboards or pieces, and most take just 1-3 minutes to complete. The games are designed for ages 5 and up, but even kids as young as 2 1/2 to 3 can play some of them. My boys, ages 5 & 2 1/2 LOVED virtual hide and seek. I think we've played about 100 times in the past few days! Have someone pick a "hiding" spot in the house, think of it, but don't tell. The rest of the family takes turns trying to "find" you. The games are educational; they utilize creative thinking, math, memory, vocabulary, & social skills. You can visit the Family Time Fun site for sample games and try them for yourself. Personally, I think this is a GREAT item for on the go. Many of the games can be played in the car. I have added some of the cards to my purse. When we go out to eat, I plan to whip them out before the boys get "board." Keeping them occupied keeps them out of trouble! Dinner Games & Activities would make a unique gift, fun for the whole family! Pick up a few tins today, you won't be disappointed. Stock up, until December 31, you can buy 3 and get one free!

Dinner Games & Activities

So - you were able to schedule a family holiday dinner on a date that everyone could make it. You've served up a meal fit for a king, and everyone is silently eating....

Why not add some fun into that meal? We found Dinner Games & Activities: 51 Fun & Easy Games To Play While You Eat.

Though the games are designed for families with children ages 5-12, you can change some of the games slightly to make it either easier for younger children or more difficult for the older children at your table.

There are 6 categories of activities: Numbers & Math, Social Skills Games, Silly Games, Phonics & Vocabulary Games, Creative & Critical Thinking Games, and finally, Memory Games.

This award winning game is one that we HIGHLY recommend for either your family or as a great gift for anyone on your list with child

Name a geographic location that starts with the letter A. Next try to name one of your children's favorite school meals. Now, ask your children where you were born or what school you attended. These questions and conversation starters are just a sample of the various activities included in FamilyTimeFun. The game consists of 51 easy trivia questions and exercises to promote critical thinking, improve social skills and "bring families closer together."

It's no secret that it's beneficial for families to dine together. However, keeping the kids at the table (after they wolf down their food) for conversation can be challenging. Enter FamilyTimeFun Dinner Games. Designed for families with kids ages 5 to 12, these quick and fun games help families interact and enjoy one another. The games are simple and detailed on spillproof cards. For example, in the "What's in the Oven Mitt?" game, one person hides something in an oven mitt and passes it around the table for everyone to feel. The person who guesses correctly gets to hide the next item. The game comes in a sturdy, attractive tin that holds 51 cards.

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Playing games at the dinner table is not really what most families think is a good idea. However, activities that encourage family togetherness while sharing a healthy meal can aid daily family socialization. Here are some products that can help make breakfast and dinners more enjoyable.

FamilyTimeFun Dinner Games. This collection of 51 activities are quick, easy to play games with the idea to encourage healthy eating and family time togetherness. One family member chooses a card and then the whole family participates in the activity listed. Game-play fosters creative thinking and socialization and strengthens personal character while providing entertainment and interaction. Starts at age 5.

Testers Tip: These games encourage discussion about sensitive topics and situations. The questions get your child to open up and discuss his day during school. There's room in the back of the tin case to hold recipe cards. Turn this into a memory maker – have everyone write a new family recipe.

Other dinner time products include Table Topics and MannerMinder.

Bring some fun to the table. October is Family History Month and the perfect time to create lasting memories. FamilyTimeFun offers a set of 51 games to play at the dinner table that will take you beyond the usual question: "How was your day?"

AblePlay™ toy evaluations are the key to unlocking the magic of play for children with special needs! Choosing toys for children with disabilities can be difficult. There are thousands of choices but finding just the right toy to match the varying abilities of each child with special needs can be a challenge. AblePlay's independent toy reviews and detailed information help you get "beyond the box" to understand each toy's unique features, creative ways each toy can be used with children with special needs and skills that will be enhanced as a result.

After sports practices and commutes and full-time jobs, sit-down dinners were just another obligation for the Bontempos – until mom Donna discovered FamilyTimeFun Dinner Games. The set of stainproof cards, created by Franklin's John Pandiscio, contains memory, vocabulary, and just plain silly games that make family dinners more fun. The cards promote a lot of laughter, a lot of interaction, and it's a great way for us to relax at the end of the day," says Bontempo.

By fostering open lines of communication between parents and children, family meals may also help improve grades and keep kids out of trouble. According to a Harvard Graduate School of Education study, dinner table talk improves literacy development among preschools. Teens who regularly eat dinner with their families are nearly 40 percent likelier to get As and Bs in school, say researchers at Columbia University, and are less likely to do drugs, smoke marijuana or cigarettes, and abuse alcohol than those who sit down with their family two or fewer nights per week.

Where FamilyTimeFun Dinner Games aims to keep kids at the table, Cape Cod-based DinnerDudes helps you get them involved in cooking. Cofounder Matt Landon, an investment consultant by day, got the idea when he asked friend Eric Jansen, chef and co-owner at Wellfleet restaurant the Wicked Oyster, for help creating simple, nutritious meals at home. Within a few months, the pair realized they were on to something. For $5.95 a month, subscribers get a weekly e-mail with advice on preparing five healthy dinners, such as this month's baked shells with pesto, in just 30 minutes. In addition to recipes, each e-mail offers a grocery list and step-by-step instructions that cut down on shopping and cooking time, plus nutritional information.

All of which make it easier than ever to get the family to the table. How you convince your kids to eat their Brussels sprouts once they're there is still up to you.

Make sure everyone's home for a nice relaxing supper on September 25 -- it's Family Day, when parents are encouraged to eat with their children. We don't know about your kids, but ours get pretty antsy after about 15 minutes at the table. Lucky for us, we recently discovered a whole slew of fun card games that get kids to chat and chew: FamilyTimeFun Dinner Games.

Snapshot Report:

Playing games while you eat is not really what most families think of at dinnertime. This collection of 51 activities are quick, easy to play games with the idea to encourage healthy eating and family time togetherness. One family member chooses a card and then the whole family participates in the activity listed. Gameplay fosters creative thinking and socialization and strengthens personal character while providing entertainment and interaction.

Tester's Tip:

Some of the games encourage discussion about sensitive topics and situations. These questions are a good way to get your shy child to open up and discuss his day during school. Also, there is extra room in the back of the tin case to hold recipe cards. Turn this into a memory maker and have everyone help to write a new family recipe.

The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

familydinnergames.com

The experts say eating meals as a family can improve nutrition and eating habits, prevent low grade-point averages and keep adolescents from drifting toward tobacco, alcohol and drugs.

But once you get the family and the meal to the table, there's another habit you might need to relearn: talking. That's right -- find out what went on during the day.

If getting a fun conversation going proves too challenging, check out this site, where you can order a box with a set of 51 cards containing games for families to play while they eat.

For instance, there's a card titled "Get to Know Ya Trivia." It has questions for the kids such as "What do I usually play at recess?" and "What is my favorite school meal?" For the parents, there are questions such as "Where was I born?" and "Where were my parents born?"

As someone who cherishes the dying tradition of the sit-down family meal, this seems like a good time to promote its resurrection, with the school year ending and busy family schedules letting up a little.

I've run across a few tools to help get families back together at mealtime, starting with a new magazine by Better Homes and Gardens, EAT -- Easy Family Food. Published quarterly, it's geared to busy parents, offering simple recipes and inspiration for planning family-friendly food. You'll find shopping lists, time-saving tips, step-by-step cooking techniques and ideas for picky eaters -- and the editors have kept an eye to nutrition.

Perusing the first issue -- on newsstands for $4.99 -- I zeroed in on a story titled "Sunday Dinner Together" that had this menu: Creamy Cheddar Dip, Fruit and Broccoli Salad, Maple Chicken Fettuccine, Parmesan Dinner Rolls and Brownie Walnut Pie. It included a schedule for doing some of the prep work the day before, two hours before and 30 minutes before, and suggested things kids could do to help.

I found the meal delicious and easy to prepare. Shortcuts included using store-bought broccoli slaw mix for the salad; boxed hot-roll mix; frozen stir-fry veggies for the entree; and a refrigerated pie shell for the dessert. (I've included the recipe for that addictive dessert.)

Once you get the family and the meal to the table, there's another habit you might need to relearn: talking.

If getting a fun conversation going proves too challenging, check out www.Fami lyDinnerGames.com, where you can order a box with a set of 51 cards containing games for families to play while they eat.

For instance, there's a card titled "Get to Know Ya Trivia." It has questions for the kids such as "What do I usually play at recess?" and "What is my favorite school meal?" For the parents, there are questions such as "Where was I born?" and "Where were my parents born?"

Order the set online or by calling 1-508-346-3844. Cost is $15.95, plus $5 shipping.

FamilyTimeFun Dinner Games
The National Parenting Center
Seal of Approval Winner 2006

As parents we know that the most reliable family time is the time spent at the dinner table. Many parents want to make it a time for fun, not just eating and rehashing the day's events.

Our testers were intrigued by this set of ideas for transforming dinner time into playtime. Their intrigue turned to delight when they shared these easy to play game ideas with their families. We received reports how dinner time had become the most eagerly anticipated time of the day, and not because Mom's cooking got significantly better! There are challenges and other ideas that keep everyone engaged, involved and laughing. This one tip: try to time the laughs to a moment when someone isn't drinking their milk (if you know what we mean!).

Recommended Age: 5 to 12
Price: $15.95

Maybe this won't make you gasp, but I sure did: In America, we eat one out of every five meals in the car.

That's according to University of California-Berkeley journalism professor Michael Pollan in his new book, "The Omnivore's Dilemma."

Now, I suspect those meals eaten in a car are not lovingly prepared by someone interested in the health benefits of what's being eaten; most likely, this is food picked up at a drivethrough window.

Nor do I think these on-therun meals do anything to foster what mealtime should be: a chance to connect with family and friends.

As someone who cherishes the dying tradition of the sitdown family meal, this seems like a good time to promote its resurrection, with the school year ending and busy family schedules letting up a little.

I've run across a few tools to help get families back together at mealtime, starting with a new magazine by Better Homes and Gardens, EAT - Easy Family Food. Published quarterly, it's geared to busy parents, offering simple recipes and inspiration for planning family-friendly food. You'll find shopping lists, time-saving tips, step-by-step cooking techniques and ideas for picky eaters - and the editors have kept an eye to nutrition.

Perusing the first issue - on newsstands for $4.99 - I zeroed in on a story titled "Sunday Dinner Together" that had this menu: Creamy Cheddar Dip, Fruit and Broccoli Salad, Maple Chicken Fettuccine, Parmesan Dinner Rolls and Brownie Walnut Pie. It included a schedule for doing some of the prep work the day before, two hours before and 30 minutes before, and suggested things kids could do to help.

I decided to make the meal and found it delicious and easy to prepare. Shortcuts included using store-bought broccoli slaw mix for the salad; boxed hot-roll mix; frozen stir-fry veggies for the entree; and a refrigerated pie shell for the dessert. (I've included the recipe for that addictive dessert.)

Once you get the family and the meal to the table, there's another habit you might need to relearn: talking. That's right - find out what went on during the day.

If getting a fun conversation going proves too challenging, check out www.FamilyDinner Games.com, where you can order a box with a set of 51 cards containing games for families to play while they eat.

For instance, there's a card titled "Get to Know Ya Trivia." It has questions for the kids such as "What do I usually play at recess?" and "What is my favorite school meal?" For the parents, there are questions such as "Where was I born?" and "Where were my parents born?"

According to the Web site, eating meals as a family can promote family communication, improve nutrition and eating habits, prevent low gradepoint averages and keep adolescents from drifting toward tobacco, alcohol and drugs.

Order the set online or by calling 1-508-346-3844. Cost is $15.95, plus $5 shipping.

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Product Review Report

	Quality Rating (1-5):
	Ease Of Use Rating (1-5):
	Reliability Rating (1-5):
	Recommendation Rating (1-5):

Summary:
Dinner Time in America has lost some of its closeness in families. There was a time when every meal consisted of every family member sitting around the table, eating and sharing together. Today, more and more families have moved from this traditional setting and have begun eating dinner in the living room, alone one by one, or on the run.

If you are looking for a fun way to keep the intrigue in dinner time, and keep the family wanting to come to the table, here is a great way! Family Time Fun offers 51 games in a box - all prepared for the family dinner.

Great for ages 5 to adult, this game has cards in multiple categories. They add a bit of learning (to make the parents feel good) but add a LOT of fun!

Now families can share fun, stories, thoughts, and laughter - all at the nightly dinner table.

While not every group of family members will prefer the same games made available, every family will find their own selection of favorites, as they spend the next 51 dinner times exploring all there is to choose from.

Footnotes:
A game example: Counting Moo - In this game you go around the table counting. Odd numbers as said normally - even numbers are extracted and replaced with a MOO ... Example (one, moo, three, moo, five, moo, etc.) The person who misses a moo takes a drink of milk and the game continues.

Another example: Time For Tunes - In this game one person hums a tune - everyone else tries to guess what they are humming. The first one to get it correct, goes next.

I highly recommend this game for every family. Sharing fun and laughter together is so needed in our families and in our society. Take some time out to just hang out and have some fun, sharing some good food, good fun, and good laughter. This will most likely become a fast family tradition, and a favored childhood memory for your children.

Thank you Family Time Fun, for bringing some good fun into our family time.

Family Time Fun Dinner Games and Activities: If you're looking for dinner games which the whole family can join into, take a look at the Family Time Fun Dinner Games and Activities. These are a set of extremely simple, and yet highly enjoyable dinner games and activities for families with kids aged 5 to 12. These dinner games promote unity within the family, and make dinner time pleasurable and fun.

Description: The set of game cards is nicely packaged in a colorful metal tin. The games and activities are of a wide variety, ranging from puzzles, to counting, to naming your favorite things, to guessing games and more. There are more than 50 colorful game cards which your kids will really enjoy. The games are simple, and take a few minutes each.

The Good: The dinner games and activities promote a healthy interest in dinnertime with the family. Young kids are even encouraged to eat their veggies and drink their milk via the fun games and activities. The games encourage the kids to open up, share their experiences, and get to know a lot of things about each other and their parents. The games are good for a wide range of ages, and definitely make dinnertime fun!

The Not So Good: Not all of the games are suited for all families. Some games may be better received than others. However, to be fair, there is a good mix of interesting games and activities to choose from.

Play Possibilities: The Family Time Fun Dinner Games and Activities is easy to carry around. In addition to dinnertime at home, these games are also great to play with at a restaurant, at grandma's or even during travel.

Where to Buy: The Family Time Fun Dinner Games can be purchased at a variety of different stores all over the country. For the list of places where you can pick one up, click on Where to Buy.