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Category: Fun Tidbits

Batkid Saves San Francisco

Posted on November 16, 2013 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Make-a-Wish Foundation Transforms San Francisco into Gotham City. Hearts melt, lives saved!

Today San Francisco has been transformed into an elaborate Make-A-Wish Foundation Adventure for an awesome kid named Miles, who has been successfully battling Leukemia at just five years old. His wish? To save Gotham City! Have no fear, Batkid is here! Below are some truly heart warming and exciting photos from Batkid’s adventures though our city. You’re a hero to all of us, Miles!

Make a Wish Foundation Batkid SF

Donate to Make a Wish

Batkid’s day of fighting crime

Batkid Takes off in Batmobile after being called by Police! There’s an issue with the Cable Car on Nob Hill!

Oh no! A Damsel is in Distress she seems to be tied to a mysterious bomb on the cable cars! Will Batkid arrive in time?

Phew- Here come’s Batkid!

Focused and determined, he calmly dismantles the bomb tied to the victim!

An emotional thanks and Batkid saves the Damsel! (We are officially crying over here too.)

But the moment of peace was fleeting. Soon after he saves the lady, Batkid receives word that all these shenanigans are the product of the Riddler, and now he is off to the Financial District to rob a bank!

Batkid fortunately has the help of his trusty sidekick Robin (played by his younger brother)!

Batkid zooms to the financial district and into the Bank to stop the robbery.

Batkid apprehends Riddler!

And throws him in the slammer!

After successfully locking up the Riddler, Batkid hears a loud grumble. He looks around and hears it again…why, it’s his stomach! “Time for a lunch break,” he declares (hey, superheroes gotta eat too!) and takes off to Union Square to grab lunch. While enjoying his meal, he hears the shrill cry of our beloved San Francisco Giants mascot, Lou Seal.

He looks out the window and sees an all too familiar faced Penguin. And he has captured Lou Seal! Batman leaps from his seat. The chase to rescue Lou Seal is on!

Penguin flees with Lou Seal. They’re headed to AT&T Park!

Oh now what is Penguin going to do with Lou Seal tied up in the batting cages?!

Thankfully Batkid was close behind and was able to capture Penguin with the helps of the police officers!

After a congratulatory hug, it’s announced to Batkid over the big screen that he has earned the Key to San Francisco! Or is it Gotham? No matter, just pass the tissue box please!

Batkid on his way to City Hall! Crowds flock to the grand building where he will be commemorated for his bold actions!

batkid at sf city hall

Batkid with Mayor Ed Le receiving the Key to the City!

Thank you Batkid for protecting our beloved city! Please donate to Make a Wish Foundation to help hundreds of kids like Miles achieve their dreams.

Time Warp! Board Game Commercials from the Past

Posted on November 8, 2013November 16, 2013 by Blue Orange Games

The 80’s and 90’s made up the heyday of cheesy board game commercials. For many of us at Blue Orange Headquarters, the jingles and catch phrases from these games are forever ingrained in our memories. Looking back on them with our 21st century, ultra-PC point of view, it’s amazing to think some of these products were successful. But others, like Operation and Candy Land are classics and will most likely survive for many years to come.

Since it’s Friday and we’re all in a light-hearted mood, we’ve collected some of our favorite commercials for reasons good and bad. Press play and take a trip down memory lane!

Don’t Wake Daddy

Teaching kids to sneak behind their parents’ backs after everyone has gone to bed. This sort of behavior certainly becomes troublesome after puberty hits. Fun game though! The little fabric night cap (who wears a night cap?) flying off the plastic Dad was endlessly entertaining as a kid. And what’s so wrong with getting a midnight snack anyway?

Operation

In some ways, this commercial perpetuates the old stereotype that all doctors are “wacky” quacks that are just out to make a buck. Look at the face on the patient! Someone get that guy some anesthetic!

Thanks Operation for fine-tuning my fine motor skills and teaching me to appreciate idioms such as “butterflies in your stomach” and “charlie horse.”

Candy Land

This is the driest Candy Land commercial ever: “This is candy land. A place you pretend to visit when your play this game.” Pretend to visit! We’re just pretending??

Compare to the contemporary version. “A place that’s made of sweets and yummy treats.” Count me in! Rebranding like this is what keeps classics like Candy Land alive.

Socker Boppers

Okay this isn’t exactly a game per se, but aren’t all physical contests a game?

“Sock all day and bop all night!” Bop all night? Hmm…as if encouraging kids to bash each other over the head wasn’t enough. I don’t see this flying in 2013. But how funny are all those kids delightfully beating each other with inflatables?!

Pogs

The commercial is as ambiguous as the game. I knew tons of kids who had pogs and collected dozens myself, but nobody really seemed to know how to play.

Hungry Hippo

“Hungry Hungry Hip-POS!” This jingle was even all the more appealing with its punctuation by the cartoon hippos’ bulging bottoms mid-Conga line. I remember my siblings and I used to mimic the commercial and conga around the living room while singing the diddy. Apparently this game is still around and this commercial is still used. It just goes to show how much kids like repetitive motions and banging on things.

Dream Phone

Basically a reworking of Guess Who? marketed to tween girls. This game was a part of a whole slew of releases that combined gender norms and electronics (the big gimmick in the 90’s, always accompanied with “batteries not included” disclaimer). Want a boy crazy girl who competes to win guys and uses the word “hunk”? Get her Dream Phone!

For a hilarious round up of the other questionable board games targeted to girls from this era, check out this BuzzFeed article. (Warning: contains strong language)

And for a game that’s clearly meant for boys, judging by the commercial we have….

Crossfire

Notice that the jingle is just a repetition of the game’s tagline, “Win it in the Crossfire,” which is probably the most original and descriptive tagline I’ve ever heard. He he.

Family Game Night in 3 Easy Steps

Posted on October 11, 2013November 16, 2013 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Family game night can be a great way for your family to bond and catch up on what’s going on in each other’s lives. If you schedule it for after dinner, it will give your family something to discuss while eating (and avoid the dreaded “nothing” response to “What did you do at school today?”). Games are a great way to foster communication; a relaxed, fun atmosphere makes the chit chat come naturally.

Here are three easy steps to organize your own family game night that works for your family.

1. Pick a night that works for everyone’s schedule.

You don’t want the kids distracted my school or an upcoming play date, and you don’t want mom n dad to be distracted by a looming work project. I recommend either Friday or Sunday night. In my experience these days have the best success because people are either looking forward to an entire weekend of fun, or have finished up the weekend fun and are feeling relaxed. Whatever day works for your family’s individual schedule, make sure to stick to it. Ritual and routine are important. It will give your family something to look forward to every week or month.

2. Create your own house rules

It’s important to make your family’s game night feel personal. Make up your own variations on games. Or if you’re feeling ambitious, make up your own original games. I also recommend playing so that each night has a winner and a loser. You can reward the the winner with a special dessert or treat, and make the loser do the dishes. Losing can be frustrating, but it is also a great opportunity for your young one to learn about sportsmanship.

3. Award good sportsmanship

Game night is the perfect opportunity for kids to learn about good sportsmanship. Every night make sure to recognize and compliment the person who showed the best sportsmanship. Give that player a special award (and I recommend it be better than the first place award). Make sure not to reward the first place person twice, but don’t hesitate to give the best sportsmanship award to last place. Maybe that player can pick the next game(s) for the next game night. Or maybe they get out of a particularly dreaded household chore. Whatever you choose as the reward, make sure to place the most importance on having fun, not winning the game.

Invite friends and neighbors to your Family Game Night

Once you have an established game night that everyone enjoys and looks forward to, invite your children’s friends and their families to join in. Games are a great way to get to know the people important in others in your family. Important to your family’s daily lives.

And be sure to share your successes on our Facebook page, we would love to join in on the fun!

Family Game Night with Blue Orange Games

Improve Focus with Two Easy Tips

Posted on October 11, 2013December 17, 2014 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

When we are kids, we are told that we can be anything we want to be as long as we put our minds to it. But realizing our dreams is no easy feat, it requires focusing on our goals with a clear and steady mind. It takes practice to improve focus and it’s an important lesson for kids and adults alike to learn. Just like your physical body needs exercise to stay healthy, your mind also needs exercise to train it to be more aware, mindful and focused. Unlocking and harnessing this control at a young age can set the foundations for a bountiful life whether in school, arts, sports or the workplace.

So how can you develop a more focused mind for you and your kids? Here are two suggestions for how to improve focus:

Practice breath meditation to improve focus

Exercise: For 10-15 minutes (if this is too long for you or your child try 5 minutes and work your way up to longer increments of time.) Take deep breaths focusing only on the sensation at the tip of your nose or the sensation of your breath on your upper lip. These are places where you can physically feel your breath the best. Try your best to only focus on the sensation of your breath, and you will in turn calm your mind of all the other thoughts that often pour into our heads. Although your mind is bound to wander, try your best to notice when it does, and then refocus all your attention back to the sensation of your breath.

Benefits: Breathing is something we do without thinking, but spending 10-15 minutes (or more!) a day focusing on your breath has been proven to decrease stress and increase attention. Learning how to focus on something so simple as a self-regulated breathing opens up your entire pathway to motivation and focus. In a 2004 survey of mindfulness programs in schools by the Garrison Institute in New York, their report found that simply focusing on your breath can help prime a more positive learning environment. (For those athletes out there, consider the analogy that you should always warm up and stretch before you play a sport. Your brain needs time to warm up and focus for the day too!)

Playing games helps to improve focus

Benefits: Board games have also been proven to help develop focus in kids and adults. Engaging in in mindful play requires problem solving and stimulates brain development. It creates more neural connections which in turn benefits important brain functions like concentration, consistency and focus. Games like Spot it! promote a wide array of cognitive processes that help sharpen attention and focus, which can be particularly useful for the millions of kids who suffer from ADD & ADHD. The great thing about playing educational games weave important skill building exercises into fun play experiences.

As we learn more and more about the brain, science tells us how important it is to purposefully strengthen our minds throughout our lives. With technology’s constant chatter it is very important to periodically unplug our brains and let them settle. The hyperactive, over-stimulated lifestyles of modern society keep us running all day and night, so it’s important for our minds and bodies to take a break every once and a while and refocus on what is important in our lives.

Spot It Game Rules: Secret New Ways to Play Unveiled

Posted on October 9, 2013May 7, 2020 by Blue Orange Games

When developing Spot it! Party, the latest expanded edition of the popular Spot It game, we toyed around with many new game rules. Of course, several variations (or mini-games as they’re called in the Spot It rule booklet) didn’t make the final cut, despite being a blast to play. As a blog exclusive, we want to share the one that came the closest to print! It’s called Ducks In A Row, and you’ll need the card holders that come in Spot It Party to play.

We know that many Spot It fans come up with their own ways to play or twist the rules. We would love to hear your ideas for Spot It game rules and share them on the blog! Please email marketing(at)blueorangegames(dot)com with your family’s way to play. Alright, let’s play! Cooking at home is as popular as ever, especially with the introduction of all sorts of new technologies and tools that make your time in the kitchen better and more effective than ever. Portioning, preparing, or just making sure your meal is immaculately prepared on a day to day basis, now is possible with the best digital kitchen scales.

Spot it! Party Game Rules – Ducks In A Row

1. Preparing the game:

Depending on the number of players, take either 4 holders or 8 holders.

2 – 4 players: 4 holders 5 – 8 players: 8 holders

Line up 4 holders facing the same direction in a horizontal row. If you are playing with 8 holders, line up the other 4 holders in a horizontal row behind the first row. Example:

When playing with one row, everyone sits side by side facing the holders. When playing with two rows, one group sits on one side of the holders and the other group sits opposite them. It is okay if the sides are uneven by one player. Shuffle the cards and insert one card into each holder with the symbol side facing the players. Deal four cards face-down to each player. Place the rest of the cards in the tin and set aside.

2. Object of the game:

To be the first player to get rid of all your cards.

3. Playing the game:

At the same time, players flip over their stack of cards. Players try to spot a symbol that appears both on their top card and any one of the 4 cards in the holders facing them. If you spot it, call it out (example: “Magnet!”) and place your card face-up in front of the matching holder card. If another player finds a match between that same holder card and their own card, they place it in front of your card. Always look for matches with holder cards, not the cards in a line in front of them. Important: The number of cards in front of a holder cannot exceed the number of players on a side. Example: If there are 3 players, you cannot place a 4^th card in front of a holder, but must look to another holder card for a match.

When playing with 4 people on a side, no more than 4 cards can be placed in a row on that side! If you are playing with 2 back to back rows of holder cards (and more than 4 players), both groups will be racing to get rid of their cards but half will be using one row of holder cards and the other half will be using the other row.

4. Winning the game

The first player to place their last card in front of a holder wins!