2010 News

Waiting at a restaurant with kids can quickly turn into w-a-i-t-i-n-g (fill in appropriate groaning sound effect here, yours or theirs). Enter the Gather 'Round Restaurant Game. Its flashing lights and flying saucer-style case draw kids like ants to a picnic. To play, place on the interchangeable cards in the case, then press the button to make the light jump around the saucer until it stops on a game space. The spaces are a mix of snappy conversations starters (name 5 bugs that could land on your vehicle's windshield) and activities (balance utensils on your fingers) that will keep your kids happily distracted until the burgers arrive.

Whether your pizza is pick-up or delivery, this game will add fun to family pizza night and bring everyone closer together! Includes pizza box packaging, spill-proof pizza-slice game cards and 150 different games to play while eating pizza. Quick and easy to play, just gather your family, grab a pizza and begin the fun.

Last year we started a fun tradition at the dinner table where we take turns discussing our favorite part of the day. My girls, who are 4 and 7, enjoy it so much that they will remind us if we've forgotten to do it! It's become as integral a part of our evening meal as saying grace and setting the table and it's a great way to promote family togetherness, especially since we are all so busy during the week with work and school and soccer.

We have been testing out a couple of fun home dinner games for families from Family Time Fun (they also have a Gather 'Round Restaurant Game which is perfect for road trips.) These games are available at several retailer, such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Toys R Us, Target, and Fat Brain Toys, and have son several awards such as Creative Child Magazine's Game of the Year in 2009!

We received three dinner games:

• Gather 'Round Dinner Game (the push-button action has made this game my girls' favorite)
• Beginner Dinner Games
• Original Dinner Games

The Gather 'Round game offers 132 dinnertime activities to play while you eat. My girls loved the push button feature on this game, which I love because all the game cards are stored within the round game unit. The Beginner Dinner Games and Original Dinner Games are both small tin sets of game cards. The beginner set is geared toward younger children (ages 3 to 6) while the Original Dinner Game set is perfect for older kids ages 6 to 12. Last night we chose a card that asked each adult to ask each child at the table four questions about themselves and vice versa. It was a fun way to learn about our family favorites. I learned, for example, that my 7-year-old's favorite food is candy (wink) and I also learned that my 4-year-old is quite good at coming up with creative questions. She asked me what my favorite type of jewelry is!

These are great games that encourage family conversation and fun. I highly recommend them as birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, or for family vacation as they are perfect at the dinner table. Right now you can purchase discounted bundles of the games. You can also keep up with special offerings via their Facebook page.

I want to give a huge thanks to Family Time Fun and Donna for giving me the chance to review their Family Dinner Games!

What exactly is Family Time Fun well here is a bit of about them from their website: About Family Time Fun

Also check out these benefits of family meals (from website).

I was sent all four games for review with the family: Restaurant Dinner Games, At-Home Dinner Games, Beginner Dinner Games, and Original Dinner Games! I have to say that I really enjoy playing these games with the family. Once I got them I took them to the family dinner we have every New Years day and the entire family played along and it was a real blast and everyone really seemed to love it and I'm sure it's going to be a new tradition at family gatherings.

Whether your pizza is pick-up or delivery, this game is designed to add fun to family pizza night and bring everyone closer together. It includes a pizza box packaging, 150 pizza-slice game cards and six game categories: Family Style, Fun Time, Get Creative, Brainy, Action Packed and Talk Town. Launch date: February 2010. 10/29/2009 (Price: $19.99; Age: 5 and Up)

Watch the Pizza Night Family Dinner Game in TDmonthly's Toy Video

Five years ago, John Pandiscio, founder of FamilyTimeFun and his wife discovered that the simple question, "What's the best and worst part of your day?" could start rounds of dinner time fun. Even better was that by the time they had finished playing games and talking the kids had also finished all their food. It gave John the idea to create Dinner Games. I count us lucky and blessed to have been given this game. It has been a dinnertime sanity-saver ever since we obtained it.

FamilyTimeFun has four different games for varying ages-

-Beginner Dinner Games -- 51 wholesome dinner games for young kids ages 3-6.

-Original Dinner Games -- 51 educational games for kids ages 6-12.

-Gather 'Round Dinner Game -- 132 engaging dinnertime activities with push-button action for ages 5 and up.

-Gather 'Round Restaurant Game -- A great travel game with 96 games to play at restaurants and 36 games for car rides. Ages five +.

Naturally, Beginner Dinner Games ($15.95) was the best fit for us. The small metal box that holds the cards is practical and easy to store. It is also light so it will not take up space or add much weight if you want to bring it with you to a restaurant or on a trip. The first night we played this card game, we had success. Not only did we have fun as a family, but also our three-year-old ate all her dinner without huffing, puffing or tears. The next day and every day after that she continued to request the Dinner Game. While we don't play it every night it has certainly been a blessing and loads of fun. The games are educational, inspiring and they create simple mealtime conversation that would not always occur with the preschool set. It is a chance for us to be silly as a family and show our children that dinnertime is a fun, relaxing, enjoyable time and not a form of torture. In fact, I love this product so much that while writing this review I purchased a set for another family with small children.

Play sample games here. Dinner Games can be purchased online via the company's website or at stores near you. 

MPR Rating: Five Stars.