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| San Diego County-2011 Spring Intergenerational Hula Hoop |
by Monique McIntyre
We could be at a birthday party or cookout. Any time we get together with family outside of our household, my brother will find a way for us all to play
Catch Phrase.
This game is played in two teams with each member taking turns being the clue-giver. Through verbal clues and physical gestures, they hint at the word on the device screen for their teammates to guess. When the team guesses correctly, the clue-giver passes off the device before the buzzer stops.
This game, a staple in our family gatherings, is great for laughs.
That memory was sparked during Generations United's bi-weekly staff meeting, which is always started with an ice breaker.
This week’s: What is your favorite family activity that is fun for all generations?
The following activities are ideas for intergenerational family fun.
Every evening after work, our Communications Specialist Alan King relaxes by
going for a walk around the neighborhood with his family.
Those moments for him are a great way to spend time with his wife, mother-in-law, 6-month old daughter and their dog. The walks help him focus less on work and more on the simple pleasures in life.
Another simple pleasure is
duck pin bowling. Our Deputy Executive Director Jaia Peterson Lent plays this with her husband and son.
This kind of bowling includes small pins and balls that allow all ages to participate.
One of the best parts about bowling is the period in between turns, when you might do a bit of friendly trash talking, laughing and sharing stories.
The latter is what our Policy and Program Assistant Adam Otto enjoys each Sunday he
plays bridge with his grandmother and her friends.
He looks forward to those games because it’s a great time for him and his grandmother to talk and spend time together.
Adam Hlava, our operations and grants manager, looked back on his
family trips to their cabin.
He described the experience as a dream. There's a lake, paddle boats, family pets and bonfires where he and his cousins would try to out scare each other.
Adam says it was a nice way to bring his family together for a getaway full of unstructured fun.
Just then, our Program Manager Emily Patrick smiled.
She was reminiscing about her annual family vacations that included a family talent show - one with yodeling grandparents, magic acts, stand-up comedy, and Spice Girls dance numbers performed by Emily and her cousins.
Talent shows are great because they create the opportunity for family members in each generation to show off what they got.
At family BBQs, Carolyn Walsh – who, like me, is a summer intern – says her family shows what they got in old vs young basketball and their family trivia game.
She enjoys swimming in the pool as her grandparents watch. But the trivia game, based on family history, is her favorite.
Her uncle heads it up and creates slide shows with questions about their grandparents or other family members. The family splits into teams. On Carolyn’s, she says her mother is always their champion.
We’ve shared our favorite intergeneration activities. Now, tell us about yours!
This week's cool idea: residents of Trinity Senior Living Community (TSLC), a LeadingAge member, and The Institute of Music & Dance (IMD) -- through the Kresge Onstage! Program -- developed and conducted the “Seniors & Their Stories” workshop and exhibit. 
This week's cool idea is one from the past.
