I like this idea a lot. Beckie of Infarrantly Creative was not a big fan of board game boxes, so she did something about it. She framed the colorful game boards and turned them into functional art.

And when I say “functional,” I really mean functional:

See that — all the pieces stuffed in a bag attached to the back of the frame. Pure genius! And I suddenly have the urge to play a game of Chutes & Ladders.

Here’s how she did it.

Photo credit: Beckie

Ze Frank is an intense and insanely creative dude. In this episode of his web show, he shares a number of awesome ideas for fun having. Such as:

Happy Typing: Type like a crazy secretary in a silent film.
Sad Sad Happy Tube: Take a cardboard tube and look through it at your friends who very quietly make sad faces until one of them decides to make a happy face.
The Nostril Game: You control the flaring of someone’s nostrils just by making sounds.
Bullsh*t Tour: You take someone on a tour of wherever you are and you have to start every line with the word, “Interestingly…”
Bored Aristocrats: Have a conversation with another person as if you were a bored uncomfortable aristocrat
High Five the Universe: Yeah, you just have to watch the video for this one.

Actually, it’s worth watching the video to get the full effect of ALL of these ideas. There are some bits of language not safe for little (or easily offended) ears, but the ideas within are fun, cheap, and borderline genius.

Lisa’s favorite is her mother-in-law, who is in the third row down, third from left. Although not a particularly wild and crazy person, she got into the fun just like everybody else.

Lisa dubbed it “Mustache Christmas.” But this is June, and Christmas is still half a year away (although we’ll probably start seeing Christmas decorations any day now…) So do you see what I did there in the title? I changed “Christmas” to “Cookout” because it’s summer and that would be more timely. Pretty clever, huh?

Ok, ok, not as clever as the idea itself, which of course can be done any time of year. But I can only assume that the more people you have, the more fun it becomes.

Next time you gather for a cookout, a campfire, Christmas, or pretty much anything else, be sure to pack a marker to make finger mustaches for all!

Talk about a buzzkill.

Jarts are safer now, but removing the element of bodily harm seems to have dampened some of the fun as well. Fortunately, here are a few backyard game ideas that will — safely — bring back a fresh spirit of fun.

Lawn Jenga
Ok, your toes may not put “blocks of falling wood” in the “safe” category, but since when do they get a say? This giant-sized Jenga game is irresistible! Here’s a tutorial to make your own or you can buy a slightly smaller version online.

Twister on the Grass
The coolest thing about this is that you can make your Twister board as big as your backyard will allow, which means more people can play, which means the amount of uncomfortable positions just went up exponentially! Here’s a pretty good tutorial.

Backyard Scrabble
Move over Words with Friends, Scrabble is back, baby! This project requires some time and effort, but the payoff is out of this world!

Finally, in honor of Jarts, I give you this video of John Krasinski (aka Jim from The Office) sharing a traumatic lawn dart story from his childhood that pretty much sums up why it’s a good thing they don’t make ’em that way anymore.

One small example is the arena of organized sports. My kids are too young to be involved in things like baseball or soccer, but I hear stories of peers who are looking down the barrel of a summer in which the majority of weeknights and weekends will be spent at the ball field. For some families, this is a cause for joy, but for most, it brings a feeling of dread. Apparently, it’s a necessary evil required to make sure our children are well-adjusted, socially competent and attractive to institutions of higher learning.

And besides, everyone’s doing it.

I myself spent many summer nights of my youth at the ball diamond, as did my brothers and my parents. It was a good experience for me and I grew a lot through it. But I have to be honest: the idea of spending the bulk of my future summer nights at the sports field is as appealing as a Spam sandwich. Especially because in the years that have past since my ball playing days, the games and practices have gotten more competitive and more numerous, as if we are training children to become pros. I do want my kids to learn how to compete, get some exercise, and have fun, but the cost that comes with the “beaten path” seems too high. I fear the busyness will exhaust and strain our entire family. Is there another way?

It seems that there may be, thanks to an email I got last fall from a guy named Jay. He wrote to tell me about “Dirt League”:

It all started when Ted, the Dad of of three kids ages 9, 8 and 6 found it overwhelming — if not impossible — to keep up with all the scheduling of t-ball and the other programs the kids wanted to sign up for. He decided summer should be FUN, not scheduling. He rapidly found many like-minded parents and decided we should get together for some good old fashioned pick-up games just like when we were kids. We decided to get together at St. Dennis field in Madison every Thursday night. Everyone’s welcome: parents, grandparents, kids of all ages. The parents respect the kids’ size, the kids respect the parents age and slowness;) If someone drives by looking, we wave them in and invite them to play.

We played baseball, soccer, gatorball (also called speedball, a combination of football, soccer, and basketball), and quidditch with the help of a hula hoop and some duct tape. We also played kickball in 90-degree weather, in which you had to go through the slip-n-slide from third to home. We make up a lot of little twists.

The rules are very loosely interpreted. We all bring something to pass to eat and drink or just order 10 pizzas. Everyone comes and goes in and out of the game as they please. Sometimes it ends up mostly parents out on the field and the kids watching us and laughing. The one major rule is: No electronic devices!

On any given night we had anywhere from 6 to 10 families. It just kept growing. All of us agree it was the awesomest part of our summer! The funniest thing is that now we tell people “Is that on a Thursday night? Can’t make it. Got Dirt League.” We also call ourselves The Dirtballs now ;)

Holy. Freaking. Cow.

Now THIS is how I’d like to spend my summers with my kids. It’s truly a small rebellion of epic proportions.

I love how all the ages are included, as normally, kids have their own leagues and adults have theirs. To me, this makes the experience much more rich. And I also love the little twists they add, which reminds me of Calvinball from the comic strip Calvin & Hobbes.

When my kids get a bit older, I’m going to look into joining this Dirt League or starting one of my own. Perhaps this is the summer for you to do the same.

It takes a brave person to break free from the interstate and head down a road less travelled.

But it’s often the roads less traveled that end up being way more fun.

Holiday parties are among us as we celebrate with coworkers, friends, and family. This is the time of year (sometimes the onlytime all year) where we make great efforts and travel long distances amidst the busyness to gather together with those we care about, even if it’s just for one evening.

How do you spend these valuable moments together?

Are memories made?

Are relationships deepened?

Is laughter abundant?

I invite you to avoid the obligatory small talk this year and instead, be the one to add a dose of frivolity to the mix by inviting others to join you in having some good ‘ol fashioned fun together. Here are six super duper memory making activities you can play at your next holiday get together to help you turn the mundane into treasured memories.

1. Twister
Yep, dust off that classic plastic mat with the bright circles. It’s guaranteed to get folks laughing and your chiropractor might even get some business out of it.

2. Trivia
Find out who has the best memory and have fun recalling things you haven’t thought about in years. Each person writes down two trivia questions regarding people or common experiences of people present- things that most people would know (but may not necessarily remember). Everyone writes down their answers, as well as shares their questions. The person with the most correct answers wins. Embarrassing stories are welcome!!

3. Telephone
Classic fun – just like in elementary school. Gather everyone in a circle and start with something holiday themed. Watch as “The Christmas Story” turns into “Blades of Glory.” Get the kids involved and you’ll be sure to get some doozies!

4. Two Truths and a Lie
This is a fantastic way to learn random things about people you think you know and to discover who has the best poker face.

5. Holiday Pictionary
Come up with a bunch of holiday themed ideas and put them on slips of paper. Divide into two teams and have some fun trying to guess different Christmas carols, holiday movies, traditions, holiday desserts, etc. Set the timer to put the pressure on!

6. Name that Holiday Tune
Who are your music savvy friends? See who can name that tune in 3 seconds… or 5… or 10. Start with the classics and move to more obscure songs.

Bonus Tip: If you live in a snow covered area, consider these three fun ideas to take advantage of the white stuff.

Share Your Thoughts…
What do you think about this week’s show? How do you think the airlines could make flying more fun? We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below or in the video itself by clicking the little plus sign in the player. Got photos or videos? Send ’em to eashow@kimandjason.com
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Linkety Links

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So here’s a fun game to play with friends, family, co-workers, or fellow mental patients. It’s an idea that was shared with me by a woman at a nursing home social workers convention I recently spokeat. What I love about it is that it doesn’t cost a dime, you can play with any number of people, you don’t need any special props, and you can avoid boring small talk. (Score!) It’s perfect for road trips and family get togethers. Here’s how it works:

One person starts the conversation with any random statement. Immediately, the next person has to follow that up with a statement or question that has absolutely NOTHING to do with the previous one.

“I have to change the oil in my Honda.”

“Don’t you just adore eggplant?”

“Those postage stamps are quite colorful.”

On and on the game goes until someone hesitates or trips up and responds with something relevant. Pausing for a second is bad. Being relevant is bad. For instance, if you replied to the first statement above about the Honda, “My car needs a brake job,” you’re out, baby.

Up the level of fun and difficulty by seeing just how fast you can keep the crazy conversation going.

P.S. I cannot be held responsible for anyone who may be inadvertently taken off to the looney bin during the course of playing this game. I say we blame the nursing home social worker.

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Which one would YOU most want to own? Simply place your vote in the poll below. Oh, and if you leave a comment, you’ll automatically be eligible to be one of three random people who will get a free shirt when it comes out!

(Click on a t-shirt to see a close-up view.)