LilSugar

Host a Budget-Friendly Night in: Board Game Potluck

SavvySugar — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:32:03 PST

After months of traveling, gift-giving, and pricey nights out, save money and score quality time with your pals by hosting a board game potluck party. Invite over a handful of friends and ask each person to bring his or her favorite board game plus a snack to share. Take care of the drinks yourself or ask guests to pitch in if things become costly.

A few entertaining tips to try:

Set up a table to stack all the games and, when guests arrive, ask them to write the name of their game on a slip of paper. Toss all the slips into a hat and draw them throughout the night to decide which game will be played next.
Create fun, festive decorations and drink recipes that follow the board game theme. Glue Sorry game pieces to the top of cocktail stirrers, swap your living room rug for a Twister mat, or laminate Uno cards and turn them into drink coasters.
Give the party a nostalgic feel and ask guests to bring the board games they loved as kids. Add to the old-school vibe by creating playlists of the songs that were popular when you were younger.

Have you hosted a board game potluck? Share your suggestions below.

Special Edition Board Games for Girls Who Love Pink

LilSugar — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:16:55 PDT

Playing board games with your children is the perfect way to spend some indoor quality time together this Summer. It helps build important learning and social skills too. Paint the town, or Summer, pink with these special editions of your favorite classic board games just for girls, both big and small.

Scrabble Junior - Pinkalicious Edition ($18): This fun word and picture version of the famous crossword game shows off its Pinkalicious style. Young players match the Pinkalicious pictured words with letter tiles. Older players form their own words on the reverse side of the board. For ages 5 and up.
Hello Kitty Big Roll Bingo ($13): It's Hello Kitty and friends in a kids' first bingo game. Oversized dice reveal the letter and a picture. The set includes an extra die and rules for older players. For ages 4 and up.
Monopoly - Pink Boutique Edition ($20): This Monopoly is dressed up in pink and all about things girls love! It comes in a keepsake box (which doubles as a jewelry box) and includes a pink gameboard, boutiques, and malls instead of houses and hotels, and Instant Message and Text Message cards instead of Chance and Community Chest. For ages 10 and up.
The Game of Life - Pink Edition ($35): Choose a girl and spin the dial to begin your journey down the funky, flowery path, making decisions, and earning money along the way. For ages 9 and up.

'90s Sleepover Magic Remembered

TresSugar — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 06:00:32 PDT

After all the pizza was finished and the necessary prank calls were made, playing a girly board game was next on the agenda for an ultimate '90s slumber party. As we look back at the board games and their respective commercials, strap a scrunchie on that side pony, pop in your Ace of Base cassette, and get ready for a serious trip down memory lane. Did your favorite make the list?

Throw a Candyland-Inspired Birthday Party!

Leta Shy — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:01:01 PDT

The classic board game Candyland has been a kid favorite since its debut in the 1940s. If your lil one can't get enough of Candy Cane Forest or Gum Drop Mountain, a Candyland-inspired birthday party is easy to put together and fun to attend! Get ready for a sugar high with these ideas on turning your house into a candy kingdom!

The New Monopoly Game Is Run by a Computer

Kristen Hawley — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:10:59 PST

What is this madness? Hasbro unveiled a new version of Monopoly this week, and instead of the classic, pastel-colored currency, the game is run by a computer. Called Monopoly Live, it retains some familiar elements - the board itself has stayed the same. But other elements have changed, including ditching fake cash and dice, and adding an infrared tower that keeps track of players' money and makes sure players stick to the rules - even counting the number of spaces they advance!

Apparently creators wanted to give the classic board game "a social experience." And while this game certainly won't replace the classic, its makers hope that it will attract a younger generation that prefers video games to older classics.

Monopoly Live will be available this Fall for $50. Fans of the classic game Battleship can also expect an updated version of the game this Fall.

6 Geek-Approved Board Games to Beat Thanksgiving Boredom

Michele Foley — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 14:45:19 PST

If you're heading home for Thanksgiving, there's a good chance that there's going be some downtime. Instead of parking it in front of the TV, get your family involved in some good old-fashioned fun. I'm talking board games! Not a Wii or a Kinect, but geeky board games that you and your less-than-tech-savvy uncle will enjoy.

From left to right: Zombie Board Game: Last Night on Earth ($40), Solarquest: The Space-Age Real Estate Game ($130), Roborally ($33), Nintendo Monopoly ($31), The Settlers of Catan ($34), Scene It? Star Trek Deluxe Edition ($22)

Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Game: Love It or Hate It?

YumSugar — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 04:00:38 PDT

The astute folk at Eater discovered that the Travel Channel's popular show Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern is now a board game. The goal of the "wild bluffing game" designed for kids 8 and older? To convince your opponents you know the most about odd food fodder from around the world. Seems like an interesting extension of the Zimmern brand. Since I do often catch the show, I think I'm going to have to check this out. What about you?

Source

Friday Game Night: Kids Want to Know What's in Ned's Head?

babysugar — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:07:36 PDT

Gathering around the table isn't just something in Norman Rockwell's pictures. For generations, families have been bonding over board games. And we've got one to keep both parents and kids busy! What's in Ned's Head? ($20) is a bit of a gross game that invites tots to reach into Ned's fleece head in search of objects pictured on playing cards - the first one to find the object wins. Ned's mushed-up head is filled with plastic dirty Q-tips, insects, and a lost lunch, so lil ones delight in the ick factor. We put the game to the test and here's how it fared:

Who is this game designed for? Playing cards feature both photos and words, so tots don't have to read to play the game. It's best for children ages 4 and up.
How long does it take to play? Each round takes about three minutes, which was quick enough to keep everyone's attention. To clear all of the objects from the head took about 20 minutes including a lot of laughter as we compared our finds.
What separates it from other games? A simple hidden object game, the "gross-out" factor steps it up a notch and makes it exciting for kiddos who love bathroom humor.
Would I give it as a gift? Definitely (two boxes are already wrapped up for birthday parties this weekend)!
Did the kids play again? We play several rounds of Ned every night before bath time, and my son brags about it.

Modern Monopoly Board For Family Game Night?

LilSugar — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:00:29 PST

Generations of families have made a tradition out of gathering around the game Monopoly for a night of competitive fun. It is on the beloved square board that many youngsters saved up to buy their first home or hotel. While sisters and brothers squabbled over pawns - who got to be the dog, the boot, or the race car - they also learned to count bills by testing out their banking skills. In honor of the game's 75th anniversary, Hasbro modernized the game's look with a circular makeover (CasaSugar has all the details!). Will you purchase the new version?

Buzz In: What Board Games Would You Like to See as Movies?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:30:06 PDT

Earlier this week, we learned that Peter Berg will be directing a movie based on the board game Battleship. A couple of years ago, I joked about other potential films based on my childhood toys, but now I'm approaching the matter with a whole new attitude. This is no longer a laughing matter; these projects are going forward into production. Don't Break the Ice: The Movie may be just around the corner.

The Battleship movie sounds like it's going to be pretty heavy - ship fleets engaged in violent battle and what not - but I'd rather explore the lighter side of the genre. Personally, I've always been curious about what the peppermint forest from Candy Land would actually look like, and I'm sure there's some exec in Hollywood who's already dreaming up some amazing, 3-D, sweet, sweet world for me. What about you - no matter how far-fetched, what board games would you like to see on the big screen?