In this game, our family literally laughed nonstop the entire activity! But first, a little background:
While watching Frozen 2, I loved how “frozen memories” in water played an important part in helping Elsa and Anna create solutions for the future. Many studies have shown that children who know their family’s stories are better able to cope with emotions and challenges. (See more in “Why This Activity Matters” below.) I realized that these frozen sculptures could be the base for a fun frozen twist on charades that strengthens a culture of family storytelling—one where you have to sculpt a memory into a single pose (or two or three) to relive your family’s favorite moments! Not only is it fun (aka, nonstop laughter!), but it’s also a great way to capture your family’s story through favorite memories.
Download a PDF of this activity’s “recipe” to add to your family activity binder.
What You’ll Need
- No supplies needed! (But you could download our PDF with category prompts.)
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How to Play
1. Each player picks a memory that all players share or know about. (Use the category helps in our recipe PDF for ideas if needed.)
2. One person at a time “sculpts” their memory by striking a single pose while other players take 15 to seconds to guess the memory. As with charades, the player who is sculpting cannot talk or make noise.
3. If nobody guesses correctly, the player sculpts a second pose from the memory, while players take another 15 seconds to guess.
4. If still nobody guesses, the player gives a hint about the memory (usually the category type) and then sculpts a third pose.
5. Whoever guesses the memory first gets to be up next or choose the next player to sculpt their memory.
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Adaptation
Turn your game into an easy way to record your family’s stories! After each memory is guessed, pull out your phone, start a video with your camera, and ask, “Why is that memory important to you?” You’ll have incredible memories recorded for your family!
Tip: The FamilySearch Tree app (on Apple or on Android) is my favorite app to easily record the memories—and also learn about other family stories of your ancestors.)
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Conversation Starter
Do you have hidden memories that haven’t been recorded? Think of one favorite memory and share it in a video, audio recording, or journal this week.
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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.
Play our Emoji Emotions game to help your family create a safe place to talk about their emotions!