Happy Salmon will get your heart pumping as you run around the
room to match cards with the other players. When you find a match,
you celebrate together by performing the action on your card (high
five, fist bump, etc.), then you throw the card on the ground and look
for your next match. The first player to go through their 12 cards
wins. Happy Salmon works great across several generations and is
sure to put a smile on everyone’s face. 2 minutes, ages 6+, four to six
players (or up to 12 people with two copies)
Monster Match is a speed game. Every round, two dice are rolled
showing a number and a body part (arms, legs, or eyes). Players
quickly scan the 10 monster cards on the table to find one that
matches what is showing on the dice. Hundreds of speed games
are on the market, but Monster Match is unique because multiple
players can get a match each round. This allows younger kids to
participate and have fun. 10 minutes, ages 6+, two to six players
Beasts of Balance is a cooperative game where players work
together to build a tower of animals without any of them falling.

The beautifully sculpted animals interact with a downloadable
app, which keeps score for you and displays an interactive
ecosystem of the animals you’ve played. Beasts of Balance sells
MONKEY BUSINESS IMAGES / MONKEY BUSINESS / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
While you certainly can’t go wrong with Monopoly, this
winter is the perfect opportunity to try out a new family board
game. Today’s tabletop games can be just as engaging as their digital
counterparts, requiring kids to move, draw, build, strategize and
most, importantly, enjoy themselves. Best of all, unlike Monopoly,
they don’t require a full night (or longer!) to complete.

Many game options are available, so we tapped an expert—
Dominic Crapuchettes, a professional board game designer and
founder of Maryland-based North Star Games—for his top picks for
off-screen family fun. Discover his game recommendations.

Family GAME
for $100, but the unique experience it provides is worth every
penny. 10-20 minutes, Ages 7+, one to five players
Rat-a-Tat-Cat is a simple strategy game that requires a mix
of memory skills, calculated risk-taking and a bit of interactive
CRYSTAL STAR ORNAMENT
What you need:
• Table salt
• Water
• Bowl
• Spoon
• Measuring cup
Science • Plate
• Pipe cleaners
• Cookie cutter – simple shape
like a star or snowflake
• Optional: food coloring
FUN FACTS:
Snowflakes are actually ice crystals that are formed high
up in the clouds when water freezes. They
always have six sides, but every single one of
them is unique.

Most sandy beaches are made up of billions
of broken quartz crystals. Quartz is a common
mineral found in rocks, soil and sand.

EXPERIMENTS 12 Washington FAMILY JANUARY 2021