Gotta Catch Them All - Pokemon Go!

 We are a pop culture loving, video game playing, movie watching family.  That being said, we prefer games that allow us to play together.  We are drawn to trivia games like You Don't Know Jack and Scene it?, as well as group games like Mario Kart, Peggle, Mario Party and Super Smash Bros.  So when Pokemon Go! was announced we were both wary and intrigued. If you haven't yet begun you journey to be a Master Pokemon trainer, Pokemon Go! is an augmented reality gaming app that gets you outside to track down Pokemon.  

Now while only one of us is really into Pokemon, the game drew us all in fairly quickly.  By the second day of playing, we were planning a trip downtown to see if we could find rare Pokemon.

Hanging with his non-digital brethren. 

Our favorite part of the game (besides collecting them all) is that it gets us outside and moving while also keeping us engaged with each other.  On our walk downtown, our youngest worked as the spotter, letting us know each time the phone vibrated when a Pokemon was near and our oldest directed us towards better areas to track them down.  All said and done, we walked over 6 miles together tracking down elusive Pokemon.  Six miles of laughing and hanging out as a family... Just keep track of where you are so you don't stop traffic trying to catch a Pikachu.   

Pokemon Go is available on both iTunes and Android. 

Frightful Family Fun - Halloween Hoopla

Explore Imagination - Fantasy Exhibit @ The EMP

There is a inherent draw to fantastic worlds and stories in all of us.  Mythical creatures, epic battles, magical duels...these things fill the stories and games that entertain us.  So the Fantasy exhibit at the EMP is a great peak behind the curtain of the things that captivate us.   With items from The Wizard of Oz to original manuscript pages from The Lord of The Rings (Plus a Dragon!) The exhibit gives a taste of many of the iconic stories from the fantasy genre.  The only downside is you will want more.  As an added bonus, your ticket to the Fantasy exhibit also gives you admission to the Can't Look Away Horror exhibit, the Icons of Science Fiction exhibit and the entire EMP Music exhibit. (we talk about it here)
EMP Fantasy Exhibit

May The Fourth Be With You - Star Wars Day

May the Fourth is Star Wars Day.  We are big Star Wars fans. (Which may be the understatement of the year.) Therefore, logic dictates that we will be celebrating.   Star Wars is a worldwide institution with countless fans and it has it's own day to celebrate all it's glory.  There are various ways you can get your geek on to commemorate the occasion.

You can:

1. Watch all 6 movies (this one's obvious, but important nonetheless)
2. Have a lightsaber battle throughout your neighborhood (bonus points if you can get passerbys involved)
3. Go to a bar/restaurant with a live band and convince them to play the song from the Cantina bar
4. Have a Wookie calling contest from the tallest hill you can find
5. Head to Card Kingdom and try one of the several Star Wars themed games
6. Have a creative party and craft yourself some awesome Star Wars tchotchkes (head over to StarWars.com for some great ideas)
7. Get a Star Wars themed tattoo (only for advanced Fans)
8. Host a dramatic reading of one of the many Star Wars novels
9. Take some time to create your own Star Wars fan film (See ours here or check out some awesome ones here)
10. Be Vader for a day and tell your kids you are their father (or mother) in a loud and raspy voice as much as you can

Whatever you do, Have Fun!    And May the Force be with you!

Epic Snowball Fight! - Seattle Snow Day 2013

For those of us looking forward to some winter shenanigans, Seattle often lets us down.  We've learned that when you want to play in the snow, it's best to head on a short drive to the mountains.  Not this year.  On Saturday,  January 12th,  the Seattle Center will be hosting an attempted world record snowball fight.  Over 162,000 lbs of snow will be trucked into the Center grounds to ensure there will be plenty for everyone.  The day will start with snow fort building and will culminate in the largest snowball fight you have ever seen.  The entire event is a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, so every perfectly aimed snowball is for a good cause.  http://www.snow.co/ 

The Family That Plays Together... - Card Kingdom/Cafe Mox

Games are an integral part of our family dynamic.  We love settling into classic favorites such as Candyland or trying something new like Fortune and Glory.  And there's no better place to find and play these games then Card Kingdom.  Located in Ballard, Card Kingdom has an incredible selection of games and an amazing staff that are ready with just the right recommendation.  And when you're ready to try out that game, step over to the connected cafe, Cafe Mox.  Cafe Mox offers a great selection of food and beverages in a cozy setting.  But the best part is the ability to bring a game over from the game library and give it a test run.  We have discovered many family favorites after giving them a try at Mox.  http://www.cardkingdom.com/    http://www.cafemox.com/   http://www.cardkingdom.com/static/storeinfo/events

Blast From The Past - SIMM

If you were a kid in the late 70's- 80's there was a mind-altering event that tore the barrier between fantasy and reality itself...the Video Game.  Most can tell you when they first experienced the hypnotic flashing lights for the first time.  Since then, there have been countless variations of systems, games and controllers , from wired to wireless and handheld to worn on the hands (Powerglove, I'm looking at you)  And now, everyone is carrying a stronger, more powerful video game system in their pocket, but there is something amazing about revisiting those earlier systems...  and now you can.  The Seattle Interactive Media Museum is a hands-on collection of the early pioneers in video gaming.  From the Atari 2600 and ColecoVision to all variations of Nintendo(NES, SNES, N64) and Playstation, the SIMM exhibit not only will give you a chance to play a variety of games on each system, but also supplies in depth information on their evolution through placards, a very well informed host and sticky notes with various facts left behind by visitors themselves.   The SIMM will be at the Seattle Center through early January 2013 with the goal of creating a permanent museum ASAP.  So go get your game on and revel in the nostalgia!  http://www.thesimm.org/ 

Flip Out - NW Pinball and Arcade Show

 

If your family is as into Pinball and Video Games as ours, you have to check out the  NW Pinball and Arcade Show at the Seattle Center.  The Show brings together game designers, game related vendors, and other guest speakers along with over 300 Pinball and Video Games.  The best part is, the cost of admission includes free-play on all 300+ games!  My family can't wait and maybe we'll see you there!  The show is June 8-10 so you'll have plenty of time to try all the games. http://nwpinballshow.com/