Favorite Family Game for All Ages

Usually, we started with the youngest child. They had to say "I packed my grandma's suitcase with an " _______. It always had to be "an", because the game starts with something that begins with "A". Let's use, for our example game, the word "anteater".

The next player has to say - "I packed my Grandma's suitcase with an anteater, and a _____. That would be something that starts with the letter "B". Not only does that player have to add an item that starts with "B", they also have to accurately repeat what the player before them added. So, that one would say "I packed my grandma's suitcase with an anteater, and a balloon."

The game continues that way, until the alphabet is exhausted. If a player misses one of the items in the alphabetical list, they are "out of the game".

Of course, we helped the little ones a lot, and everyone had a great time!

P.S. Don't be surprised if the children beat you - they have a lot less to remember than we do!

Invariably, when I packed my offspring into our vehicle for a jaunt or a journey, someone wanted to play this game. It is simple enough even for toddlers to enjoy, and never failed to bring some joy to our excursion, as we all found some very strange things to pack into "Grandma's" suitcase.

Since the game is a product of imagination, any items will do. They can be large, or small - real or imaginary - animal, mineral or vegetable - tangible or intangible.

Some of the things that we chose, fell into the categories of:

• Animals
• Appliances
• Clothing
• Food
• Games
• Household furnishings
• Ideas
• Insects
• People
• Places
• Plants
• Toys
• Vehicles, or anything else we could conjure up in our brains...

The game can be played with only two people or a crowd of people. Often, when driving home from my store, one granddaughter and I almost managed to get through the entire alphabet - and the trip only takes about six minutes. We played it as fast as we could, but we never quite made it to "Z" before we had to get out of the car.

Sometimes, other people want to get "technical" with this game. Don't let them - it will spoil it for everyone, especially for the youngsters.

Of course you cannot put an elephant into a suitcase, or clouds, or memories, or "nothing", or a cup of coffee. That's ridiculous! Part of the fun of the game, is that children and adults alike can let their imaginations have free-roam. Anything they can think of that starts with the letter in the alphabet that they have to apply when it is their turn - works!

How droll, to think of a porcupine in a suitcase with a balloon, or a cat with a mouse, or French fries with icicles. Keep it light, and keep it going.

Before you scratch this entertaining game off your list of games to play, I thought I had better tell you that "I Packed My Grandma's Suitcase" is not just for families, children, or car journeys.

At any gathering of people, it is one game that can be played without:

• a board
• game pieces
• dice
• cards
• a table
• a score pad
• pens or pencils, or any other "props".

That is one thing that makes "I Packed My Grandma's Suitcase" so easy to play, and once you learn it, you will want to play it again and again.

Before you dismiss this game as foolish nonsense, let's look at a few more reasons why you should be playing it.

A brain that is not challenged, deteriorates. One way to keep it active, is by playing "brain games". Watching television is not a brain game. Watching movies is not a brain game. Shopping is not a brain game. I can think of many other ways people occupy their time, that do not truly stimulate their brains.

In order for those little neurons to keep racing around inside your head, sparking the neurotransmitters in your brain functioning properly, they need stimulation.

One of my sons is determined to get his brain stimulated at least once a day, by playing video games. Well, he is a grown man, and limits himself, so I cannot object to his recreation. There is a lot of evidence today that shows the brain is stimulated that way.

However, when playing "I Packed My Grandma's Suitcase", you do not need a computer, a monitor, a cell phone, or anything else --- just your brain.

Try playing it all by yourself. You might just be surprised how hard it is, the first time, to remember the words - in alphabetical order - that you chose...YOURSELF!

Well, are you getting a hankering to play the game? Believe it or not - the children do it better than the adults, as I stated earlier.

At a party, this is really a lot of fun, especially for those who have never played it before. Not only does it make people think - which does not go on a lot at most parties, but very often, the party-goers will learn a lot of new words they didn't even know EXISTED!

I hope you play the game. Cost - $0.00. All you have to spend, is your time!

Exclusive clip art from Clip Art Lord:

• ambulance
• brown bear
• eggplant
• Grandfather
• hippopotamus
• iguana
• koala bear
• orangutan
• rattlesnake - that I call our "venomous viper"
• shark

From CamStockPhotos:

• yegg - rights purchased by Emily Tack

For the pink octopus, the credit goes to: tobian.DeviantArt.com

Credit to: Vladimir Zuñiga for the lion and the king: Foca.tk

Many thanks also, to:

Clker

WPClipArt

OpenClipArt

FreePik

PDClipArt

PublicDomainPhotos

Public domain clip art:

• apple
• airplane
• balloons
• beach
• broccoli
• cheese
• chocolate chip cookie
• crab
• dolphin
• doughnut
• dump truck
• elephant
• envelope
• fairy
• fox
• French fries
• gingerbread man
• gold
• honey
• hummingbird
• ice cream cone
• iron
• jacket
• jellyfish
• jukebox
• key
• limes *
• llama
• mailman
• mango
• mouse
• newspaper
• numbers **
• nutcracker
• orange
• piggy bank
• pizza
• pumpkin pie
• quarterhorse
• queen
• quintuplets *
• rainbow
• rainstorm
• red radishes
• rod and reel
• sandals
• squid
• toucan
• trophy
• trumpet
• umbrella
• unicorn *
• unicycle *
• vacuum cleaner *
• vase
• vitamin bottles *
• walrus
• watermelon
• wristwatch
• xylitol gum *
• xylologist *
• xylophone
• yam
• yarn
• zeppelin *
• zipper *
• zucchini

* Altered by Emily Tack from clip art in public domain

** Created by Emily Tack