So, when I was young (ten or eleven) I made a board game. I spent hours on it. I used anything available to my 1985 crafting self – hot glue gun, fabric, cardboard, and letters that were like Iron-ons. Styrofoam squares with earrings pushed in were the game pieces. There were cards for good and bad consequences. I also took pictures of members of my family and cut out their heads and pasted them on cartoon bodies for a token to receive as part of the game. It made so much sense in my little eleven-year-old brain.
We played it as a family once. My older brother said it was stupid, and once that word is said to a neurotic, pre-teen crafter, the magic is gone and the item loses all value. I wanted to throw it away, but my mom held onto it for years. She’d pull it out every once in a while, I’d roll my eyes, beg her to toss it, and then she’d store it again, saying that it was hers and that she loved it.
Yesterday, she showed it to my daughters…
Well, you understand that I’m trying to raise them to be creative, and I guess for a four or seven-year-old, crafts made by an eleven-year-old look great (even ones that were made in the ’80’s).
My oldest daughter insisted that we play it, my husband was a fantastic sport, and it was easy to make up any rules, long since forgotten. We actually had a fun time, as it was so simplistic that my girls could enjoy it, and let’s face it family board game time can be really fun! (Except late night Monopoly when sleep is sparse, tension is running high, and someone is going bankrupt. The pieces are gonna fly, my friend!)
After we played, my brother’s family came over and the kids ran off to play another round of the game. My niece and my daughter have decided to create their own games now. My niece is planning on improving mine with cool, creative ideas 😉 and my daughter is planning one called, Count Your Blessings.
It’s so nice to see them, full of ideas, but it’s even nicer to know that little eleven-year-old crafter girl may not have been quite as lame as I thought she was. 🙂
Tamarack Idea Factory 