Last week, we took my brother and sister-in-law out for a night on the town. It was our Christmas gift to them – dinner, ice cream, live music and whatever else came up while we were downtown. Over an amazing meal, they relayed a story of a game that they play with their kids, ages 6 and 8, which was sparked by a recent viewing of the new movie Night at the Museum. I was fascinated by their story. I thought it was a wonderful and unique game, and I promptly obtained the green light to pass this creative idea along to the readers of Families.com.
When the sun goes down, my brother’s family finds a princess crown, a big fake diamond or something resembling a highly coveted artifact and places it in the center of the family room. They will then lay a few flashlights down on the ground, crisscrossing the beams of light to mimic a Mission: Impossible style security system around the treasure. One parent and one of the kids will pretend to be the two museum security guards on night patrol. Meanwhile, the other two play the role of the master thieves attempting to break in quietly, weave their way into the heavily protected room and come away with the prize. Each team obtains their own pair of walkie-talkies to communicate their plans and positions, and then the game begins.
You can probably imagine how cool this is for a child – as using a walkie-talkie by itself is generally awesome, let alone using the device while pretending to be a skilled thief or wily guard out to catch a criminal.
My brother reports that this is a sure-fire winner, as family activities go, and always results in a ton of laughter and fun. You can place just about anything in the center of the “security system” light grid – candy, money, etc. They prefer to use something that looks authentically museum-worthy, thus enhancing the realism of the experience.
If you have older kids, like my niece and nephew, consider playing this game one night. Be sure to leave a comment below and let us know what your family used as the prize and any other customizations you made to this game.
Have fun!
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