Photo by Kevin Lawver
Here’s a cool game to play around the dinner table. (And if you’re not gathering with your family around the dinner table regularly, what’s wrong with you?)
I learned about this from a friendly family I met after a speaking program in Witchita, and here’s how it works: Everyone at the table says in unison: “1-2-3 Hush Puppy!” Immediately, all participants have to be completely quiet for as long as possible. You make a noise, you’re out.
Now this sounds a lot like the game harried parents like to play in order to trick their kids into some much-needed quiet time, except for this little wrinkle: Everyone is strategically trying to get the other people to make a noise (or even better, laugh) by making silly faces or goofy gestures. The champion is the one who is able to maintain their silence the longest.
Something tells me that three-year-olds rarely emerge victorious.
It’s officially summer. (cue kids cheering) Life slows down a bit in the summer, at least it should, leaving you with more time to spit watermelon seeds, dip your toes in a swimming pool, and savor the sweet refreshing taste of freshly squeezed lemonade. Mmm! If I had to pick out a centerpiece of summer, though, it would have to be the campfire. They have a magical way of bringing people together, inviting them to laugh, sing, and tell secrets. The sparkling golden hues of the fire, the crackles of the wood popping, the bright constellations above, and the warmth of people gathered around a central focus… I love campfires. So much of our life is spent moving in different directions, but the summertime campfire grabs you by the hand and asks you to sit and relax… together. Enjoy these ten campfire games you have to play…
1. Telephone
2. Truth or dare
3. Chubby bunny
4. Two truths and a lie
5. Guess the jelly bean
6. Twenty questions
7. Name that tune
8. A What?
9. Do as I say… not as I do
10. I can tap this stick just right
P.S. This isn’t a game, so it didn’t make the list, but here’s a fun site with over 1,600 campfire songs.
P.S.S. Also, not a game, but here’s a cool site to inspire some spooky campfire stories.
Photo by lambchops
Wanna guess what the best-selling car in America was last year? Something by Honda? Or Toyota?
Nope.
At 457,000 units sold, the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe outsold every other car in the U.S. in 2008. And I hear it gets great gas mileage.
Now, I have super duper secret sources that tell me that — I shouldn’t even be telling you this — the auto industry is in trouble. You might be saying to yourself, “What? How can this be? How does he know these things?” Trust me, I’m a blogger, we have our ways.
So, yes, the auto industry is a mess (and as usual, Uncle Sam has done his part in making matter worse.) The bestseller from Little Tikes may be just a toy, but I believe that automakers can improve their fortunes by taking some cues from the Cozy Coupe.
1) Make ‘em unique. No, really.
Auto shows are cool for one main reason: the concept cars. A host of shiny, exciting prototypes are put on display, and everyone ogles the futuristic eye candy. It’s as if George and Jane Jetson decided to showcase all the cars they bought from the proceeds they earned from cashing in all their Google stock.
The problem is that the concept cars never show up. Instead, the car company introduces a boring lump of steel that looks eerily like last year’s model. Bleh. Talk about a letdown. I think in order for a car to be allowed to make it into production, it has to pass what I call the “Squint Test.” If you squint your eyes a bit, about 95% of the cars on the road today look EXACTLY the same. The Squint Test goes like this: if you squint your eyes and can’t tell the difference between your car and a Civic, it’s back to the drawing board time.
2) Make ‘em with a little personality.
Some of the Cozy Coupes actually have faces on them. While I’m not sure turning America’s highways into a scene from Pixar’s mega hit Cars will ever fly (although isn’t it kind of fun to imagine?), there’s something to be said about building in a little personality. Face it, the Toyota Camry screams, “I’m plain, practical (and a little boring.)”
Now think about the Ford Mustang GT. The ‘57 Chevy. The Mini Cooper. And yes, even the Hummer. For better or for worse, these vehicles come standard with personality. We need more of that. It’s the exact reason I love that I hate the 2004 Toyota Scion xB. I hate the look of the thing, but I love that they made it so I HAD to have an opinion about it.
3) Make ‘em fuel efficient.
The Cozy Coupe operates on pedal power. Not the most effective way to go from 0 to 60 in 6 seconds, but it’s as green as it gets. I’m not for big government stepping in and pushing mandates; innovation doesn’t work that way. But getting off of fossil fuels is a GAME CHANGER in a bajillion different ways. Be it hydrogen, nuclear, or Doc Brown’s garbage-fueled Mr. Fusion reactor, there is a huge pot of gold waiting for the company that can design a fast, ridiculously fuel efficient car that doesn’t look like a shoe.
4) Make ‘em durable.
The Cozy Coupe is made mostly of plastic. They last just shy of forever, and kids are not known for taking it easy on toys. Saturn was on to something with its dent-free body panels. Body shops might disagree, but I think it would be awesome if we could design some cars that could bounce off each other in a collision with little to no damage. I’d even settle for one that wouldn’t dent when bumped by a car door in the supermarket parking lot.
Just the act of writing this post got my playful juices bubbling, and I’m not even in the car industry (which may actually be the key.) How many more neat innovations could be generated with a little childlike creativity? Here’s a few I came up with:
- What if you could push a button to change the car’s color? Or what if it changed to reflect the driver’s mood?
- What if cars came in stripes, polka dots, camouflage or paisley?
- What if the body was translucent so you could see all the working parts underneath?
- What if every single car was one-of-a-kind? They can do it with shoes, why not cars?
- What if it was built to accommodate widgets? You could customize the dashboard controls, headlights, stereo. I know, mechanical types can pretty much do this now, but what if it was designed so the average Joe could just take the old one out and plug the new one in.
I don’t know, maybe I’m an unsophisticated rube, ignorant of how science, assembly lines, and the auto industry really works. Or maybe that’s exactly the type of thinking the auto industry needs right now.
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Kim and I have been watching the inaugural episodes of the new Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien. I think he’s doing a great job, and have been enjoying the shows. I’ve always connected with Conan’s goofy brand of humor. (I did this painting of him when I was in college.)
One of my favorite jokes from last night came during the “In The Year 2000″ segment Conan and sidekick Andy Richter resurrected from their old Late Night days. (The skit has been updated with fancy new costumes and the title, “In The Year 3000.”)…
In the year 3000, Jesus returns to Earth, but due to the bad economy, is forced to lay off seven of the twelve apostles.
It has been a fun little routine crawling into bed with Kim to watch the 6-foot-4 redhead. It’s always better to fall asleep with a smile on your face than with a heart burdened by the worries of the world (I’m looking at you, evening news.)
I’m not sure if The Tonight Show is a better antidote to the doom and gloom the news sprinkles on your pillow than a good children’s book, like I’ve written about before, but laughs are always good for what ails ya.
And definitely one of my new favorite ways to escape adulthood.
How about you? What’s your favorite bedtime routine for escaping adulthood?
Photo credit: bossanostra
So an employer decides that his team needs a little cheering up. It’s Christmastime, nearing the end of what has been a tumultuous year. He remembers his daughter’s recent birthday, and a simple party favor he purchased that was a huge hit with the kids. It was also a huge hit at his own birthday party, some twenty-five years earlier.
A simple red clown nose.
He bought enough for every one of his employees — he had to visit three different stores to collect enough for everyone. Because of the holiday, the clown noses became “Rudolph Noses” and everyone was encouraged to wear one.
He wore his all day long.
So the employees wore them too, and had quite a hoot. Laughter was everywhere. The customers enjoyed the fun as well. After all, it’s impossible to take yourself too seriously while wearing a clown nose.
Now, this didn’t occur at a place you might expect, like an elementary school or a design firm or an internet startup. Nope, this happened at a bank, arguably one of the least desirable places to work during this economic downturn. A place often filled with stuffed shirts and even stuffier demeanors. The story is true. The ringleader was the CEO, and his name is Morty. I met him today in Tampa, Florida.
Many industries have been hit hard by the weak economy, maybe yours is one of them. Don’t wait for someone on the news to give you something to smile about (you might be waiting a long time.) Clown noses cost about a quarter. If the CEO of a bank can give his employees permission to have a little fun with some red foam, imagine what fun you could have where you work.
The expense is minimal, but the benefits could be priceless.
One of the best parts about my job speaking to different groups around the country are the stories people share after the program. Our audiences are a treasure trove of great ideas for escaping adulthood!
While in Tampa, Florida, one woman came up to me and shared a game her brother-in-law (Lowell Allen) plays with his family. I’d heard of it before, but didn’t really know what it was. It’s called Peep Jousting. If its new to you. here’s the skinny, according to Urban Dictionary:
A game involving the classic Easter candy, Marshmallow Peeps. Each Peep has a toothpick sticking out of the front of it, like a lance. Two Peeps, so armed, are placed in a microwave facing each other. As they are heated, they expand, until one Peep’s toothpick makes contact with the other, causing the unfortunate bugger to pop.
Now, as awesome as that sounds, it’s even awesomer to watch:
Now, is this little game the result of people up north having too much time on their hands during long winter months spent indoors? Maybe. Does it border on childish? Perhaps. (But it doesn’t hurt anybody — except maybe for Peeps unskilled in the art of jousting…)
One thing is certain: it is definitely a cheap way to escape adulthood.
Every once in a while I run across something in adulthood that I would’ve died for as a kid. Superfan Steven Sauke shared with us one of these things. FAO Schwartz has an online section of their store where you can actually build your own Muppet. Yep, you get to choose the color of the body, the type of eyes, nose and hair, as well as the outfit. Way cool! What a way to whisk you back to childhood. I certainly would’ve saved up my allowance for a chance to design and own my very own Muppet.
Now does anyone really need a custom designed, $90, Muppet? No, especially not in this economy, however I would argue that now more than ever one needs to treat themselves to a little fun. It would definitely be the “most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, muppetational” experience!
Reigniting memories from joyful childhood experiences is a simple way to decrease the stress in your life. For instance, the simple act of watching the intro to The Muppet Show brings me back to a simpler time in my life, when sprawling out on the carpet for an episode of The Muppet Show was a highlight of my week. We are so fortunate these days, with the Internet at our fingertips, to be able to Google things from our childhood and to steal a few smiles and memories. This is time well spent. Give it a try!
In a matter of seconds, with the help of YouTube, I was able to find the intro for you here. However, I also found a hilarious version of Beaker singing Coldplay’s “Yellow.” Enjoy!
We read recently that around two months of age a baby starts to recognize repeated events. It’s funny how we have naturally implemented goofy games and such into different parts of Lucy’s day (like Jason’s attack of the zurbert monster on her ultra-soft belly, each time he changes her dipe). Well, a new routine we’ve started is something I want to invite you to try, whether you have kids or not. After dinner, before bed, each person in the household gets to pick a song… and you all get to dance. Depending on your mood, you could rock out and release some energy (a great stress reliever), you could pick a slow one (a great way to relax from the day)… whatever fits your fancy. Maybe you enjoy a classic waltz with your sweetheart or you’d like to bust a move by yourself in front of the mirror. It’s your choice, each and every night.
You officially have permission.
We’ve been doing this with Lucy. Since the evenings tend to be her fussier time of the day, she seems to quiet down when we’re all dancing, so… let’s dance, baby!
We shared yesterday in the Escape Adulthood Show about doing the Macarena in the bathroom mirror in the morning, in your birthday suit. It’s a surefire way to stop taking yourself too seriously. It’s a great way to start the day and the idea of dancing after dinner is a fun way to end the day. Now, more than ever, we need to inject our lives with fun, things to look forward to. The idea of dancing everyday is not novel… Ellen DeGeneres is known for this and her audience has a blast with it everyday. We just need to do it. If Ellen doesn’t inspire you, there’s always Matt, the guy who literally dances all over the world. What a cool job!
Those of you who enjoyed watching The Cosby Show will fondly remember the classic scenes where the family danced and lip sang for Cliff’s parents. (not to mention the beginning credits, with Bill and the fam dancing to different music each season). We can learn a lot from the Cosby’s.
Even if the uncertainty of tomorrow is weighing you down, the idea of taking these small proactive measures to super size the fun in your day will go a long way in fighting Adultitis. Let us know how it goes! In the meantime, enjoy being inspired by America’s favorite family… (sorry about the quality on the “Night & Day” video)
