You know the song game where you select a word, split into teams, and then take turns coming up with songs that have the selected word in the lyrics? This game gives that concept a new life that not only is fun and that helps you create meaningful quality family time (even in the car) but that also helps you easily record more family stories for your family history. I call it the Memory Association game.
To play, simply select a word and then have everyone take turns sharing a memory associated with that word. You could divide into teams, or have everyone take turns sharing a memory and see who the last person is who can think of a memory with that word. To create a lasting family treasure, record the audio or even video the conversation for a fabulous keepsake. (You can even upload audio files to the FamilySearch Memories app for free so your family can access them in the future.)
30 "Memory Starter" Words
Try this list of 30 words that are great “memory” starter words for almost any family:
- Vacation
- Laughter
- Sky
- Car
- Water
- Grass
- Park
- Ride
- Dessert
- Adventure
- Tradition
- Grandparents (or aunt, uncle, etc.)
- Firsts
- Performance
- Skill
- Growth
- Scary
- Overcome
- Gratitude
- Long
- Fast
- Late
- Early
- Surprise
- Animals
- Winter
- Spring
- Summer
- Fall
- [Any holiday]
You can take this Memory Association game to a whole new level by having everyone act out the memory instead of saying it—see our “Sculpt a Memory” game for a super-fun twist on memory-charades that could be adapted for this Memory Association game.
Don’t miss these other ideas that make it fun and easy to record your family’s stories!
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Why This Activity Matters
“Children and adolescents who know more of their family stories show higher well-being on multiple measures, including higher self-esteem, higher academic competence, higher social competence, and fewer behavior problems” (Robyn Fivush, “The Stories of Our Lives”). Studies also show that it’s not just knowing the stories but also having a culture of sharing family stories that makes a difference. (See “The Stories That Bind Us: What Are the Twenty Questions” in the Huffington Post.) Games like this help you create a culture of sharing stories! (So does our Emoji Emotions game, which helps create a culture of talking about feelings in an Apples-to-Apples–like game.) This article from the New York Times is also an interesting read.
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5 Easy Printable Road Trip Games!
With more road trips happening than ever before, it’s important to have activities to entertain everyone on the road—and to help create tech-free time for teenagers. With all the other prep you’re doing to get ready for the road trip, keep the entertainment prep easy by printing our set of five fun printable road trip games geared for ages 9 and older! And to keep the road trip vibe strong, they’re all themed around license plates! You’ll love the fun these five easy printable road trip games provide.
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This easy and hilarious finish-the-sentence game to escape bears is perfect for parties, family nights, road trips, and campouts to get the creativity and laughter flowing. Simply take turns having one person read a card and letting the other players come up with creative ways to finish the sentence to safely escape if a grizzly came a comin’! Get this easy printable camp game here!