Connect. Belong. Play. RootsTech :-)

In preparation for RootsTech, the largest genealogy conference in the world, I just have to tell you about a couple of family history games that you’ll want to check out as you stroll the Expo Hall. This year’s RootsTech theme is “Connect. Belong.” and these items are sure to carry this theme back into your home to the enjoyment of your family!

The first game is geared towards young adults as a “getting to know you” game titled, “Did You Know …” Just imagine saying that title with a Minnesota accent! It’s in our family’s DNA. :-) This game comes as a pack of cards with questions covering five different categories: Bon-Appétit, Dating, Nice 2 Know, Adventure, and Pop Culture. The one question that stays with me is, Which do you prefer—Star Wars or Harry Potter?, and in our family we discovered a defector among us … lol :-)

The second game is titled, “Roots & Branches,” formerly called “Your Family Tree—The Game.” It’s a cute tree with roots and branches exposed revealing the path from start to finish. A player rolls the dice and moves the determined spaces. If time is an issue, you can speed up the game by using more dice. There are gophers and squirrels involved in this game, which I love, and here’s why:

When a player lands on a gopher, that player says something about everyone else playing the game. When a player lands on a squirrel, every player says something nice about you!

The game is over after each person crosses the finish point, but the first one to cross receives a larger portion of the family dessert. The game came with a small packet of M&M’s that never made it to the first time we played in our family. [I just don’t know what happened.]

The card categories are: About You, Our Family, Our Ancestors, Nice to Know. I highly recommend that you sort through the cards for those applicable to your family members’ ages and your family situation.

Sample questions from each category include:

About You:

“What sport would you like to eliminate from the world and why? [Definitely not football … lol :-)]

Our Family:

“If your siblings reminded you of animals, which animals would they be and why?” [You can only imagine the responses!]

Our Ancestors:

“What is a story of an ancestor which has strengthened your faith in God?” [Although questions in this category cover many topics, the question I just shared reminded me of a story President Russell M. Nelson told at RootsTech 2017. The story can be found beginning at 15:50.]

Nice to Know:

“What are some good family rules for using the internet?” [Other questions involve safety, preparedness, favorites, traditions, etc.]

Roots & Branches is a board game targeted for ages 4-Adult and can be played with 2-6 Players. My children described the game as a family history “Chutes and Ladders” or “Candy Land.” This game has the potential to become a game board classic!

Here’s just one other idea to use from time to time. The game board can be mounted to a vertical magnetic surface, such as the front of a refrigerator, and played with magnet dots purchased from your local office supply store. Families tend to congregate in the kitchen and these questions can be great for conversation before, during, or after dinner. It doesn’t need to be played all in one sitting. At the end of the week, the family members that complete the path can receive a special treat.

If you have young children, if you like playing games, if you want to pique your family’s interest in their history, these games are for you!

Stop by The Connections Games booth (1647 & 1746 noted on the above map) in the RootsTech Expo Hall February 28 – March 3 during regular hours. Not at RootsTech this year? You can order online at The Connections Games, LLC.