Do Your Family Gatherings Involve Playing Games

I must admit yesterday’s Easter gathering went from stale to fun once the game of LCR began

As an ambivert I had mixed feelings about going to our daughter’s home for another Easter dinner. If you don’t know what an ambivert is, we crave solitude, but we can rise to being a social butterfly when a situation calls for it.

Having mixed emotions about a social gathering is normal for me because I I have a well established self-made rut… My rut is how I describe my normal routine which involves writing and reading, mostly here on Medium; but I also play games on my iPad and I interact daily with my husband, Mr. Pam, and our dog and parakeet.

I do a little housework almost daily and I rarely leave the house except to grocery shop, garden, attend church and sorority, and run errands. It’s my preferred way of life, but even I have to admit my days gets dull and boring at times.

So when holiday get togethers arrive I have to get myself in the mood to handle all the peopling and I do this by concentrating on the positives of these gatherings. I envision the great food, interacting with my grandsons and the other adults, all of who are people I actually like. I know it’s a blessing.

However, after dinner is over I’m always ready to leave, but we don’t because it’s time to socialize (dread) but I do it anyway. You’d never guess I’m mostly introverted because I’m actually great at doing this — for awhile. I get up to date on all 5 kids’ activities. I commensurate with the adults about their jobs, and other aspects of their lives. I learn a lot and I share somethings which is all normal behavior which leads us to winding back down to play this game which has become a family tradition. Yes, the kids got to enjoy an Easter egg hunt in the backyard, too.

If you haven’t played, this is how to play LCR…

Yesterday we had 9 adults and 4 kids who wanted to play, which meant 13 of us crowded around their dining room table. (One adult and one kid were missing due to illness). Each of us had 3 one dollar bills and 3 special dice as that’s all the game requires. The official game calls for poker chips but we play with ones. A starter player is appointed and he/she begins the game by tossing the dice. The dice are marked with an L which means you have to pass a dollar to the left. An R which means pass a bill to the right. And, if you’re really lucky, a black dot which mean you keep your dollar(s). If you’re lucky enough to roll three black dots, you get to keep all 3 of your bills.

It doesn’t take long before even the youngest child catches on. This game teaches them right from left which as we all know, is a basic skill.

The 1st player, who starts the game, then passes the dice to the next player after their play and everyone else follows suit. Soon the room fills with the sounds of Ooh’s, Ah’s, and Yeah when a player is lucky enough to roll three black dots. It’s a fast paced game that’s won when a player has one bill left and everyone else is out of dollars. The winner then gets the pot which is all the bills that were tossed in the center. Kids LOVE to win all those dollar bills — It makes their day!

If you’ve never played LCR I hope I’ve inspired you to check it out. It’s a fast paced, fun game that everyone from age 5 and above can enjoy. We play three rounds so each person brings 9 one dollar bills. We’re so cash adverse anymore this meant Mr. Pam had to make a run to the bank on Saturday.

So how does your family enjoy holiday get togethers? Do you play games like this one? We once considered Monopoly, but decided it’s not really a good game for antsy kids and it takes too long to play. Likewise, most card games are too much for little kids who have trouble just holding a hand of cards.

Let me know in your comments.

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