Got a houseful of folks and nothing to do? Try family challenges! This is a great way to engage everyone of every age, since you can either participate, judge, scorekeep, or just serve as the cheering squad. All you need are a few household items, a timer, and a score pad. You may be surprised to learn just how nimble Uncle Joe is when the clock is ticking!
Cookie Crumb Facial turns treats into physical fun! The audience has just as much fun as the players, watching their friends and family make silly, contorted faces to complete the task in time.
Age
School-age, Tweens, Teens, Adults, SeniorsNumber of Players
3 to 4, 5 to 10, 10 to 20, 20+, As many as you can handle!Prep Time
5 minutes or lessTime Length
5 minutes or lessDifficulty
Attention, please! (a few rules to follow)Indoor/Outdoor
EitherSpace Needed
Small (a clearable open space the size of a 1-car garage), Medium (a clearable open space the size of a 2-car garage)Noise Level
Semi-rambunctiousMess Factor
Dustpan, pleaseSupplies
Setup
The rules for all Family Challenges are simple:
1. Set a time limit, usually 1 minute per challenge
2. Read or demonstrate the challenge for the players.
3. Say "Go!" and see who can complete the action in the given amount of time.
You can play with one person going at a time, groups of players all going at the same time to see who can be the first one to finish in under a minute, or play as teams with one person from each team representing the team in each task.
For Cookie Crumb Facial:
1. Decide if you will be playing as individuals or as teams, and break up into teams as necessary.
2. Make sure each person (or each team) has their cookies and a chair.
3. Appoint a judge, timer, and scorekeeper -- if you don't have enough people for all three duties, you can give one person multiple responsibilities.
4. Have players sit in a chair and tilt their heads back.
How to Play
1. On "Go!" have the player place a cookie on their forehead, and using only their facial muscles (not gravity, or head flinging) move the cookie from their forehead into their mouth. A slight shaking of the head is okay, but no hands or "flipping" the cookie from forehead to mouth is allowed!
2. Whoever gets the cookie in their mouth first wins!
Variations
1. If you prefer, you can simply time folks and keep a record of how long it takes each person to complete each task. It's really up to you how you decide to play, but the basic rules are the same: complete the task before the clock runs out!
Tips
1. Have extra cookies on hand and close to the players. If a cookie falls during the challenge, a new one may be placed in its stead.
2. No hands may be used once the cookie has been placed on the forehead.
3. People will develop their own methods, but the "over-exaggerated chewing method" seems to work best!