Ages 6 and up

I never gave much thought to the age requirements that are posted on the side panels of board games.

I saw them as giving me a general idea as to the difficulty of the game.

They did, however, come in very useful when needing a reason why your little siblings couldn't participate in play with all the big kids.

"Sorry Lou.... It says you have to be seven to play. It's your bedtime anyway." Laura would then go off crying. And who would blame her. It's hard being the youngest of eight. We'd consider the problem resolved and continue on happily in our self-serving ways.

I do, I do feel a little bad about it. Lou, Chrissy, Grant... sorry. I was young and foolish.

Last night we had an "Ellis Family Game Night." I offered up the choices for games, trying to pick options I thought Jack and Ty would both be old enough for.

Jack chose, "Sorry!"

Good, that will be fun. We don't have to play something too babyish. I suggested that we play on teams so someone could help Ty count.

Ty and Mike verses Jack and Me.

Except that Jack and My union dissolved before we started.

Excitedly we began.

Ty drew a "1" and I drew a "2" the first round. This means we were out of start and off to the races. Five rounds later Jack still hadn't gotten out of start.

I rigged the cards.

Next turn he drew a "1."

Every time Ty drew a card he'd flip it over and exclaim: "Fourteeeeeennnn!!"

"No, Ty, that is a 5.... No, Ty it's a 7.... Ty, that's a 4."

Finally we told him there were no 14s in the deck. From that point on he'd just pick a number at random and yell it out. I've got to work harder with him on his numbers.

Mike had everyone watch while he counted out the numbers while simultaneously moving his pawn one space at a time. It amazes me what all has to be taught to kids. They aren't born knowing this stuff.

Then...

Jack drew the infamous "Sorry!" card. (Ya know, the one that has you take a pawn from your start and exchange it with another players pawn --which then goes back to start.)

It just so happened that Ty was the only other guy with a piece on the board.

Mike and I quickly decided how we'd spin this one.

We cheered and high fived Ty. "Yay! Way to go! Good job Jack, good job Ty!" Our kids are going to be so confused one day.

We were having a blast. I mean as much fun as you can have playing a game with kids who don't really know how to play.

The game really got out of control when Jack drew the "11" card. Let me remind you of the specific directions written on the "11" card:

Move forward 11
or change places
with an opponent.

We read the card then explained to Jack what his options were. First, he announced that he wanted to change places with Ty, but quickly decided it would be more fun to count to 11. But it was too late; Ty was already up out of his spot and walking around the table to "change places" with Jack.

Jack reminded Ty that he was going with the "move forward 11" option and didn't want to trade spots with him. Ty, who was all geared up for a new seat at the table, looked pretty bummed, so I told him he could play in my spot.

Jack saw how much fun it was to get a new view so he changed his mind (yet again) and went over to Ty's seat to play. Mike, formerly on Ty's team, but now ousted as Ty traded his franchise, decided he'd play with Jack's old pieces...

What started out as: Mike and Ty, red; Jack on blue; and Me, yellow

Had changed to: Mike on blue; Ty and Me, yellow; and Jack, red.


And that's just about where it all ended.

We played a couple more rounds before I announced:

Time for ice cream!