Play Family Trivia to Help Preserve Memories
© Michael R. Boyter
Do you remember the game Trivial Pursuit? Imagine if there were a version made just for your family! How do you think you'd do? How good were you at the original game? I can remember making up all kinds of excuses for when I didn't know the answers. I would discount my lack of answers by saying something like "How am I supposed to know that stuff?" Well, if the questions were based purely on an individual's family history, what kind of excuse could be used?
This game would best be played at a family get-together and it would be a combined effort of several in your family. You could work on it a couple of different ways.
One way would be to sit down with a few immediate family members and write as many questions (for which only family would know the answers) as you can think of on an index card - one question per card. Use as resources for information, items such as high school year books, journals and old home movies for example. Before you know it, you'd have quite a stack of cards with your family trivia/history on them. Then, at a family gathering, use them in much the same fashion as the original Trivial Pursuit game.
The second way would be to give 5-10 cards to each family member as they are gathered together. Give them a few minutes before the game starts to write down some questions about themselves and some about other members of the family. You may want to make some easy questions and others with the intent to stump the rest of the family.
This is a unique way of preserving family history and it gets your family members involved. I guarantee a good time! Keep in mind that the whole reason for any of the questions would be to stir up fond memories from your family's past. My family has tried this and it was a great time.
A few bits of advice:
- Have a video or audio tape going as you play. Many stories will be told that may never be told again.
- Don't throw those index cards away when you are finished with the game. Write the answers on them and save them.
- Have the questions, answers and stories told typed up and have copies distributed to all the family.
This information, if preserved, can and should be passed down to future generations of your family. By making multiple copies, you ensure that the only copy isn't accidentally destroyed or lost!
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