GAOLI MOUA

Over the years, I have scoured the internet for fun and interesting games to engage family members during our holiday parties. We have played nearly all of the silly games easily found, from scooping cotton balls while blindfolded to charades; but as the children have become older (and less interested) and schedules have become busier, finding the perfect game has ever become a task. We needed a game that could entice all ages and also encourage the family unit to be together.

And then, it came to me in search results: Jeopardy! But have it be about all of us.

I found a free Jeopardy template online, customized the questions/answers with facts about family members I knew would be coming to the party, and inserted pictures of the individuals , places or events on the answer slides. I included questions about birthdays, the past year’s events, accomplishments, and any interesting facts that most of us would know. Fortunately for the convenience of cell phone cameras and social media, pictures were not hard to find at all.

On Christmas day, we set up the projector, divided into groups, and played.

It was a success! When the attendees started to realize that the questions were about them, their eyes lit up with pride. When they saw the accompanying pictures, everyone was able to reminisce and honor them. I am so glad I was able to find a game that everyone could enjoy and be rewarded with good feelings and comradery. Although took extra effort to put together, it was all worth it. This will become a tradition to revisit for years to come!