The Alphabet Game

When I take my boys out for dinner, as all boys are, they get bored. So a few years back, I created the 'Alphabet Game.' What we do is, we choose a topic (topics are dependent on age group).. the topic could be 'foods we love,' 'car brands,' 'games to play,' 'types of animals.' Anything you like, then you go around in a circle, and each person has to come up with a 'thing' from that topic. As my boys get older, and get used to the game, they come up with some funny antics... for instance, today's topic was 'flavours.' This is how we went...

Starting with the 8 year old...
A = apple
B = banana (me)
C = cranberry (the 10 year old)... we piped up and said 'what about chocolate?'
D = dill
E = egg flip
F = flavour
G = grape
H = hot chilli
I = ice-cream flavour
J = jalapeno
K = kalamata olive flavour
L = lime
M = malt
N = nutty
O = orange
P = pie flavour (after the ASDF movie cartoons at the moment!)
Q = quince
R = raspberry
S = sarcasm! (yes, sarcasm has a flavour!)
T = turtle
U = urine (!?!)
V = vanilla
W = water flavour
X = xylophone (it tastes woody!)
Y = yak flavour
Z = zippy-de-doo-dah flavour

So as you can see, we have a bit of fun with it. We've done electronic games, countries, city names, what you'd find in an Italian restaurant, what you'd find in a Chinese restaurant, movies, actors, singers, bands, boys names, girls names,  cartoon characters, you name it, anything can be a topic... and for the little ones, you do tend to help them out.

It's a great game to expand their knowledge, but also keep them under control in a public place, especially when the food's taking it's time to get to them and they are hungry. They always come up with something and say 'oh can I do "P?"' because they have the most perfect word for the game, but we always say we'll wait and see who's turn it is when we get there. Some nights we might have three or four games on different subject matter.

So when you're stuck for keeping the kids quiet when you're out and about, try the Alphabet Game... it will keep your sanity at bay!!