We’re all about family here at mutterhood, but a little family can go a long way. And while there are always lots of holiday activities to do together, like ice skating, catching a movie, taking a hike or even playing a game of touch football, sometimes all that togetherness can be a bit much. As a gift to anyone hosting family in the next few weeks, here are some ideas we thought sounded like a different kind of fun for (almost) all ages.
Axe-throwing. The new hot hipster craze, axe-throwing venues are springing up about as fast as you can say Paul Bunyan. Basically, you get a team together and experts — or axeperts, as they’re called — show you how to throw an axe safely into a target, kind of like darts but way more dangerous. The winning team gets tattoos, or something. Anyway, little kids can’t do it but it’s an adrenaline-filled three hours perfect for college-aged relatives and older. Plus, you can dress the part in jeans and flannels, and anywhere that comfort-casual is okay by us.
Way more low-key than axes, bowling is the fall-back for any family get-together because anyone, no matter how old or young they are, can bowl. Other advantages: retro shoes, sometimes stuff glows in the dark, there’s computerized scoring, and usually they sell nachos and fries. And beer. Everyone knows that bowling is better with beer.
Card games bring the whole family together (unless there’s a lot of math, and then I’m out). Adults and children can play and even place bets with pretzels or M&Ms instead of money. A new-to-us game introduced by our college senior and her friends is Phase 10, a progressive rummy-like card game that requires players to complete one phase before they move on to the next. It’s fast and frustrating and typically involves lots of swearing.
Then there are board games, which can be very fun unless you have a surprising know-it-all who overtakes your Trivial Pursuit game (hi mom) or a take-no-prisoners Monopoly shark (I’m not naming names) who hands you a dollar after he bankrupts you. This year, add some laughs to your game table with The Game of Life: Quarter Life Crisis Edition. Players start the game with crippling debt (just like real 25-year-olds!) then play the game through typical adult twists and turns (you could lose your job, your spouse, even your wifi) to be the first person to pay it off. Totally relatable, and tons of fun with higher stakes than the regular version.
Finally, don’t sleep on older video games. Mario Kart never goes out of style, nor do any-K version of NBA basketball, NCAA basketball, FIFA soccer, MLB, and so on. Show granddad how to use the controller, and watch out. Then, when things get too heated, suggest a game of Yahtzee. That one never fails.