Fun On The Spot - Games

2007-01-20T11:28:00.000-08:00

Making Games that Stick
I just finished reading Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, which is excellent examination of the concept of "Stickiness", which was originally introduced in the business classic The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell. This book has caused me to re-examine the marketing messages used in all of the games that we are currently offering at On The Spot Games.

One particular concept from this book that "stuck" with me was "The Curse of Knowledge". This curse afflicts anyone who has expertise in a particular subject who attempts to share their knowlege with others. The curse occurs when you, as the expert, take for granted the myriad of subtle bits of information that you have acquired over the years that it has taken you to become an expert. As a result, you make what you believe to be a very compelling presentation of your knowledge that do not make sense to your audience, while they make perfect sense to you.

The book offer an excellent illustration of this problem as it describes an experiment that involved two groups of people known as "tappers" and "listeners". The tappers were asked to tap out the rythm of common tunes such as "Happy Birthday to You" to the listeners and the listeners were asked to guess the name of the tune. Beforehand the listeners were asked to predict what their success rate would be. As a group, their predictions averaged about 50%. Reading this you might agree with this prediction, as you hum the tune in your head and tap it out. But in reality, the only thing the listeners could hear was the tapping without the benefit of a background tune. Their success in guessing the tune was only 2.5%. Quite a bit less than the optimistic prediction of the tappers.

I've come to realize that The Curse of Knowledge, has really afflicted the messaging of many of our games. Many of the game descriptions that we've written for these games are literal descriptions of what you do when you play, which takes for granted the experience we are anticipating from playing the game. DidYa Know, for example, is currently described as "Family Storytelling Fun". Hmph. If I've never seen this game before, what does this mean to me? In the future, I'll be revamping this message to evoke the true experience that I'm expecting players to have. Something along the lines of "The Game that Brings Back Sunday Dinner Conversation." Stay tuned...

2006-11-08T15:29:00.000-08:00

Tested Kotsuku Tourney
I tested our live Kotsuku format for the first time last Friday at Goodie Gumdrops in Burien, WA and a fun time was had by all. Following the "Game Show" format as spelled out in the Official Kotsuku Tournament Rules (free download available) to 8 participants ranging in age from 6 to 11 squared off for about 60 minutes of play. During that time about 30 or so games were played and Joshua from Burien was eventually awarded the Tournament Championship after collecting 12 victories.

2006-10-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

Blog Split

I am splitting up the Fun On The Spot blog to separate the straight game and game industry topics from the parenting and social commentary. This is partially for business reasons (it created easier search paths that will link back to fots.com ) but also to make it a more consistent read for those interested in either subject.

This is now the game space. The family and friends blog is robonthespot.blogspot.com.

2006-10-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

Kotsuku Tournaments
I recently noticed a note in my kids' school newsletter asking for rainy day game ideas that the school could implement during lunchtime recess. You would think that schools in Seattle would have a deeper reserve of rainy day activties than just about any place on the planet short of the Amazon. But the reality is that keeping kids occupied is a moving target, especially in the digital age.

It took me a few minutes for me to realize that, for once, the school could actually benefit from my current profession. This was certainly never the case when I was selling adhesives and cleaning solvents. But games? You bet I can help with games!

It didn't take too much thought for me to realize that Kotsuku was the game that I should use to help the soggy, cafeteria-bound kiddies. - Even though, I think there are many more lessons to be learned by playing Letter Hold 'em poker. But I don't think the board of Ed will be endorsing a poker game anytime soon. - Kotsuku has a perfect combination of qualities for entertaining the kiddies; The rules are simple; Games can be played in 5 minutes or less; Equipment requirments and set up time are minimal; and finally, the skills necessary for winning are all school-friendly, including spelling, vocabulary and spatial thinking.

Materials
A Kotsuku Tourney can be conducted with as little as a pad of paper and a pencil, but ideally a white or black board is used to allow others to watch the action from a distance. The board should be fitted with a 5 space x 5 space grid with each individual space measuring roughly 6 inches in each direction.

Game Play
Each game starts with a seed word of three letters (e.g. ray, dot, bug, etc.) with the letters scattered around the grid, which can be chosen by the players or possibly a teacher who officiates the match. Players then take turns writing letters in the grid in an attempt to be the first to complete a word of there letters or more. Each letter in the alphabet can only be used once and a winning word can be completed in any direction, frontward or backwards.

The games move fast and players can cycle in and out in the same manner as pickup basketball, with the winner of each game staying on to play a new challenger. If an overall champion is to be decided, points can be awarded for wins (5) and ties (1) and tallied to declare a champ.

2006-10-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

Going out With the Family? Then Leave the Screens Behind.

I love portable electronics. As a sales guy, I shutter to think what my life would be like if I couldn't call a customer from the road to tell him I'm going to be late and then looking up his customer history on my laptop in the parking lot before our meeting. Not to mention, keeping tabs on my email from the airport on my phone, or watching a movie on my laptop during the flight.

Those same toys can be also become a parents best friend. We bought a portable DVD player back in 2000 when our boys were toddlers and I can safely say that the player was worth every penny of the $400+ we paid for it after our first cross-country plane trip to the East Coast. We've used that player on numerous flights and long distance drives. The kids really enjoyed it and my wife and I did as well. I only wish we had the same option available to us as kids.

However, I've seen a few too many parents lean heavily on portable screens at the wrong place and the wrong time. Specifically, I'm talking about those who shove a screen in front of their kid's face in social situations when the family should be focused on each other instead of the screen. There's no more shameful site than when I see a family at a restaurant together with the kids' immersed in playing with their Gameboys or even watching a movie with headphones on, while mom and dad do their own thing. Talk about a wasted opportunity for the family.

Such a scene tells me that either the parents of these families can't be bothered connecting with their kids or opt for the "who's your buddy" school of parenting and relent whenever junior brings along his screen. My goodness, folks. Life is too busy and opportunities to get your kids' attention are too scarce to waste an opportunity to engage the kids in a little conversation. See what's happening in their lives. Or if their not engaging, tell them what's happening in yours.

Parents sometimes forget how much it means to kids when a grownup is talking TO them and not AT them. I will plead guilty to doing too much of the latter sometimes, especially when I'm caught up in the daily rituals that take place before and after school; "Pack your lunch." "Where's your backpack?" "Did you bring home your folder?" "Where IS your sweat shirt???"

But when we're sitting at dinner, at home or in a restaurant, I really try to focus on talking "TO" them. If I feel like the kids are relying a little too much on grunts and single syllable answers, I turn into dad the storyteller and share a story about my day or dig into a juicy tale from the past. Why waste a good audience?

2006-10-07T11:08:00.000-07:00

Uno, The Gold Standard of Games
When I set out to create our newest lineup of games, Uno was the one game I sought to emulate the most. Why? Well, this game has two qualities that are essential to a remarkable play experience. First, the basic Uno game is a model of simplicity; match one of your cards to the color or number of a card on the table and keep going until you are out of cards. There are some wrinkles thrown in depending on the version you are playing, but the essence of the game remains so simple that a game can begin within minutes after opening the box for the first time.

Sure there are other simple card games that have endured like Old Maid or Go Fish. But, unlike other games with simple rules, Uno does not get boring. Each game develops its own twists and turns. Even though there is a certain rhythm to playing Uno, it's never repetitive. I'm constantly reminded of this when playing with my kids. If I stop paying attention or simply go through the motions, I lose every time.

So, these two features, intuitive rules and engaging game play, have been established as essential components to any game that carries the On The Spot Game logo. And we convey these qualities with our slogan "That's Cool. Let's Play!"

2006-10-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

Calvin and Hobbes Rocks for Kids and Parents
It's been about a year since my wife and I discovered the magic bullet (for our kids anyway) to create voracious readers. Comics. Starting with the daily funnies in the local newspaper, we created a mini morning read-along. Each of our boys would pick out a strip or two for one of us to read to them in between bites of cereal. The usual favorites wouldn't be surprising to most parents; Family Circus, Peanuts and Garfield.

Oh that Garfield. TJ and Jason took quite a liking to the fat orange cat. Before we knew it, we were overwhelmed with every Best-of-Garfield book ever printed. Ten editions and counting last I checked. Both boys began choosing a Garfield book each night for our evening reading. At this point my personal Garfield meter began to enter the red zone.

Even if you are the biggest Garfield fan in the world, which I'm not, reading Garfield comics out loud for 30 minutes can be absolutely mind numbing. There had to be a better way to keep up the kids enthusiasm for reading, without driving myself nuts in the process. Then one day, my wife brought home a collection of Calvin and Hobbes from the library.

Our kids, like any, were reluctant to let this new intruder comic take up any of their dedicated Garfield time. But after a little prodding, they acquiesced and let me sneak in a little C&H toward the end of our reading one night. And an amazing thing happened as we read, I started lauging out loud as I was reading. At one point, I was absolutely cackling and had to put the book down to collect myself.

The boys meanwhile, were totally feeding off my reaction and having a great time. I knew they were hooked when the questions starting pouring out. "Dad, why does Hobbes look alive sometimes and sometimes not?" "What does Calvin mean when he tells his dad that he's not doing well in the polls?" "Why won't Calvin look under his bed?"and on and on and on.

It didn't happen overnight, be C&H eventually usurped Garfield for the top spot as the comic of choice. The boys have checked out every C&H collection in the Seattle Public Library system, probably 3 or 4 times by now. (Note to Bill Watterson - Please come back!) An open Calvin and Hobbes book will draw my kids to it like a nail to a magnet. And they would keep their noses in that book for hours at a time if we let them.

What sets C&H apart as a great family read. First, I think it sets the gold standard for creativity in its storylines and development of relationships between Calvin and others in his world. His ability to jump in and out of fantasy, "The adventures of Spaceman Spiff!", is truly entertaining. But I think what sets C&H apart from some of the other comics, is its ability to entertain both parent and child on two different levels, which is saying quite a lot considering that Watterson achieves this in 4 frames while Hollywood spends millions trying to achieve the same effect in a 90 minute movie.

What better validation is there for the kids, when they can watch their parents laughing their heads off? Talk about positive reinforcement. In the meanwhile, my kids kept reading. And reading. And reading. A year later C&H still holds a special place in their hearts, but they have sought out new and more challenging material (Harry Potter anyone) and are well on their way towards literary bliss.

2006-09-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

How Can One Piece of Tape Cause so Many Problems?

It seems like a simple enough problem, almost innocuous. Our new shipment arrived from the factory this week with every box taped shut in three places instead of two. No big deal, right? Well, in fact that one piece of tape short circuited months and months of analysis, planning and design. One little, stinking piece of Scotch tape.

That additional piece of tape was used to secure the bookflap on our new bookfap boxes. The bookflap box was the solution to a problem that we had identified as a major issue for our first release, DidYa Know, two years ago. That game was packaged in an attractive tin can. The tin looked great and had a terrific embossed pattern and logo that gave it a substantial feel. There was only one problem, it was too small to print enough words to properly convey what was inside. Customers would be drawn to pick the package up from a shelf (a good thing), but could not understand what was inside within the 6-8 second window necessary. So, back on the shelf it went. Sales were disappointingly flat.

When it came time to design our new game line, we were faced with the quandry of how to convey the necessary messages without incurring the expense of and waste of an over-sized box. The solution was a bookflap style box. With this design we essentially doubled the amount of printable realestate without increasing the footprint of the box or utilizing wasteful clamshell packaging. Thanks to the great design work of Brigetta Cassar, we settled on a series of designs for all the games that achieved of our messaging objectives; include a sample of game content, the rules of the game, a photo of the contents and the game's audience.

As I opened the first of our newly produced games, I spotted the most painful looking 1/2 inch of cellophane and rubber adhesive I'd ever seen. There it was, sealing off half of all our hard work from the eyes of the public. Leaving us, essentially, where we started with the first DidYa Know games. Talk about painful. As I write this I am locked in a "negotiation" with the printing company (Yaquinto Printing of Dallas, TX) who is currently claiming ignorance and deflecting any responsibility for the error. This chapter will be continued...

2006-09-13T15:49:00.000-07:00

Flipping on the Switch for the Sales Machine

I finally have new products to sell. It's been a long time since I've been able to say that. After all, the last time I took delivery of a shipment of newly produced games was two years ago. A lot's happened since then, including a humbling education on what I did and didn't know about marketing, merchandising and various other skills essential to designing, producing, marketing and selling consumer goods. But nevertheless, four new games have been shepherded through specification, product development and production and have arrived today at our fulfillment warehouse for short term storage awaiting orders from consumers and retailers.

Our VP of Sales, Andy Moberg and I have often discussed the difficulty in switching into "sales mode" after you have been engrossed in another task, such as dealing with a production issue or even doing sales-related work like customer service or marketing. To be a successful salesman, you need to "have your game face on" as they say. If you're doing telemarketing, you need to have your script (whether written or memorized) prepared with flawless delivery. If you're making your pitch in person, then you also need to work on the physical aspects of your presentation (e.g. your powerpoint, written supplements, demos or other props.) But most importantly, it's imperative to have your "radar" fired up. You need to be able to read your prospect's responses, however overt or subtle, and make course corrections in your presentation to address his concerns and tickle his pleasure centers.

Being a salesman for nearly 15 years, the process of prospecting and pitching is something that feels as comfortably familiar as a pair of running shoes. It's what I naturally equate with "working" and it was a difficult feeling to overcome early in the history of On The Spot Games. As I planned the companies products and worked through administrative issues, there were countless non-sales milestones to be achieved and I often found myself feeling lost because I had nothing to sell.

But now that's all in the past. Eight long months of product development, tradeshow marketing, PR planning, production and fulfillment planning have resulted in 30,000 new games sitting in a warehouse ready to be sold. Time to fire up the radar and put on my game face. Maybe I'll watch Glen Gary Glen Ross...

Of course, the sales honeymoon will be a short one. After all, as The Big Picture Guy I can't afford to burrow in for too long. We've got a new product development cycle to start. A PR campaign to run. Order fulfillment to execute. And that's just to maintain organic growth. To spur on the growth that we're looking for over the next five years will take an even greater effort to attract talented team members and engage investors. While I will be putting on those comfortable running shoes, it won't be for a leisurely walk.

2006-09-09T13:57:00.001-07:00

How Can You Possibly Guarantee Fun?

That's what my friend Mike Pinkowski asked after I told him my plans to offer guaranteed fun to our customers who purchase one of our new games for 2006. I've put in a ton of work and pushed our designers hard to come up with games that are easy to learn and fun to play again and again. I thought the best way to convey that was NOT to rely simply on word of mouth to filter out about what a blast these games are. I'm way too impatient for that.

It's also has a lot to do with the nature of the game business. There are plenty of games on the shelves of retailers these days with familiar names and familiar play experiences. Although people are open to try new things, they're more likely to stick with "safe" choices unless they are given some compelling reason to risk something new. However, simply printing the word "Guarantee" and sending out some press releases are not sufficient. I felt I really needed to make some meaningful statement that conveyed what my expectations were for them and what I was willing to do to back them up.

If I'm shopping for a game and somebody points out to me that an On The Spot Game is guaranteed fun, my first reaction would be "what the hell does that mean?" Thinking long and hard about this question, I surmised that if a game is truly fun, there is one outcome that will result; I'll want to play it again.

Now the guarantee makes sense. "Aha. If I spend my hard earned money on this game, then it's not going to sit on a shelf." That is tangilble benefit that I believe any game buyer can sink there teeth into.

And what if I'm wrong? What if you, Mr. Customer, for whatever reason don't have fun with this game? I could offer you your money back and we could both throw our hands up and say "oh, well." But that wouldn't be very satisfying for anybody, because you still haven't had any fun. That's where the Founder's Pledge comes in; "If You Don't Wanna Play Again, then Our Founder Gets It!" Which means, I'm willing to put my humility on the line for the sake of a few laughs for you. I've got several "trusted" associates compiling a list of fun "stunts" that would provide a few chuckles for those few who were not truly tickled by our games.

So, with that, I throw myself at the mercy of my friends and customers. My friends will make the list stunts and ultimately the fun-deprived will choose my fate. I've heard one of the choices will be to enlist a fish monger from Pike Place Market to knock an apple off my head with a flying salmon. Sounds like fun. (Gulp.)

2006-09-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

Parents Need a Break to Have Their Own Fun Too
I have a set of five basic principles that I follow in order to maintain my health and well being;

Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep almost every day
Eat six time each day
Make smart food choices - eat the right portions and the right foods from as local a source as possible
Drink 10 +/- glasses of water per day
Include 30 - 60 minutes of ME time as part of my daily schedule

Principle number five has huge ramifications for parents, yet it's usually the first one that new parents will eliminate. I guess I should expand on my definition of ME time. Me time is time spent for the benefit of your own mind and body. I usually spend my Me time exercising, but it can also be spent in quiet meditation.

As parents, there is an impulse for us to focus on "The Kids. The Kids. The Kids." and neglect ourselves in the process. We've all heard it before; "I've got no time to work out. The kids' schedule just keep me running all day." Ironically, this "Kids First" mentality ultimately exhausts a parent, both physically and mentally. Ultimately, leaving him less fit to keep up with the kids and thus starting a downward spiral towards degrading health.

That's why Me time is so important. By scheduling a 30-60 minutes break every day for yourself, you allow your body and mind an opportunity to recharge. Personally, I find that its the only time of the day when I can truly clear my mind of the many issues that fill my day as a parent and a business owner. And in some instances, my Me time results in an idea or a solution to a nagging problem. I often come back from a long bike ride with a head filled with ideas for new activities with the kids or a new game idea. Even if I don't return home with a brainstorm, I've got a smile on my face and am ready to handle whatever the kids can throw my way.

Scheduling Me time can be as difficult as the actual exercise for some. My wife and I have worked out a fairly simple schedule. I work out in the morning before work, she works out after work. I get Saturday morning, while she gets Sunday. We both are convinced of the benefits Me time to each of us as individuals, spouses and parents and so will be as flexible as possible to ensure that each of us gets in the necessary time to recharge.

2006-08-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

School Bells Ring, It Must be Christmas

As Summer '06 draws to a close many households like mine are squeezing out every last bit of fun before school starts. We are keeping our boys home from day camp for the last full week of summer. This decision is partially practical (their day camp is only open for the first half of the week), but I think that there's a bit of nostalgia in it also. My memories of summer as a kid took place at home, not shuttling to or from camp. So I can at least offer the kids a little taste of what I remember by giving them a week to sleep in, roam around the house and scrape up a knee or elbow playing baseball in the street.

However, after I've sent the kids outside to play I make my way up to the office where Christmas is in full swing. Lately I've been consumed with all things Christmas. Of course, that's Christmas through the eye of a game publisher. Rather than thinking about presents and trees, I've been spending my time finishing production runs, planning order fulfillment and PR campaigns.

Having spent the first 15 years of my professional career working in a non-seasonal industry, I still have to make a conscious effort to start my Christmas planning in August. Of course, I actually started planning for this Christmas last August when the planning for our new game line began. The calendar for consumer products is certainly one with many different twists and turns. For example, the mass market retailers start their Christmas buying 14 months prior to holiday, while smaller independent stores buy as late at September or October. Catalogs? Their deadline is in March. And then there's the media, with magazines starting work on their Holiday issues in the spring, while daily newspapers can still be writing gift guides in mid December.

All of this can keep the head of a game entrepreneur spinning like a top!

2006-08-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

Starting a Company While Raising a Family

When I decided to start On The Spot Games, one of the first thoughts that came to mind was the impact it would have on my family. While I was prepared for changes and challenges that accompany the start of a company, what frightened me most was the impact on my wife and our two sons. There aren't many business books that deal with that.

Time management and finances are the two areas that require the most attention. We are fortunate that my wife has a good job as a programmer with great benefits. While the basics are covered, many of the "luxuries" we had become accustomed to have been put off for a while. No air travel to visit family on the East Coast this summer and ski lessons for the boys have been put off for a couple of years. Sacrifices such as these are easy to identify and rationalize.

Things get tricky when time management enters the picture. Working from home, my work calendar and family calendar invariably become intertwined. Both are very fluid and I'm constantly shifting my workload and family responsibilities to address the hot issues of the moment.

It's most interesting to watch TJ and Jason (age 8) react to the changes they see taking place. I make it a point to explain business developments to them in terms that they can understand so that there is a story to go along with the changes that they see going on around them. For example, when I received my first shipment of games from China we got out the map and traced the journey from the factory to our garage. That's a pretty straight forward example, but try explaining what a trade show is to an inquisitive 8-year old. I believe the Q&A lasted about 3 days on that topic!

At the end of the day, whether my company succeeds or fails I want my boys to understand what I did and why I did it. It's important to me that they appreciate success and the hard work necessary to achieve it. Conversely, if I fail (hah!) they should realize that it doesn't mean it wasn't worth trying.

2006-08-15T18:39:00.000-07:00

Writing from Vegas
I'm in Las Vegas this week for a trade show to roll out On the Spot Games new product line. Walking the streets after the show, I've noticed that a fair number of families still choose to bring their kids with them when vacationing here. I find this quite odd. Not only has the city banned its "Family Friendly" campaign, but its current campaign "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas" seems to me to scream the exact opposite message; KEEP THE KIDS HOME!!! Parents are either ignoring the message or putting their own interest to gamble and see shows ahead of those of their kids.

I haven't had much time to look into kid-friendly activities here, but I'm sure there are plenty to be found (last I checked, my kids could easily spend a month straight playing in a pool.) But it's all the other stuff around this town that assaults your senses that concerns me. Walking down the strip after dark you are bombarded with sexy images and messages. But if you come, don't pay too much attention to the ads or you may trip over a drunk toating a 3 foot margherita glass or (unfortunately) a kid in a stroller.

Staying put in your hotel is not too safe either, when it comes to kids. Of course, most of the bigger hotels around a casino. And smoking is everywhere - cough.

I think exposing kids to this kind of stimuli is horrible. I've often observed that some parents rationalize such action because little ones don't comprehend what's going on and therefore it can't do them any harm. Bull Hockey! No matter how young kids are much more in tune with their surroundings than many parents give them credit for. While little ones may not be able to understand exactly what it is they are seeing, they are absorbing all sorts of messages that will stick with them for a long time. I have my own theory that young children between the ages of 2 and 5 absorb provocative images and allow them to "simmer" for days, weeks or even months. When you least expect it, the memory will pop out from them in the form of a question (if your lucky) or an action (if you are not) which is influenced by the original scene.

Obvious examples of such incidents that come to mind include seeing parents yelling or witnessing some type of violent act. But more subtle situations might include a billboard of a sexy model or simply walking past someone smoking a cigarette.

Such scenes can send kids off in a direction that you don't agree with and before you know it, they act and you are aghast at what your little angel just did/said. By reflex you move in to correct this "unexplained" behavior. The result is a confused little one and a parent who has some work to do to bring him in for a safe landing.

The bottom line here is to pay attention your kids are experiencing and develop a knack to see things as they would. Doing so may save you both a load of grief down the road.

2006-08-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

The Debunking of "The Dog Ate My Homework" Defense

OK kiddies listen up. When it comes to making excuses, don't look to grownups for a good example. As we've heard this week from Floyd Landis, he has resorted to the pro athlete's version of every students' "Hail Mary" in defending himself from a damning testosterone test by blaming a few drinks with his teammates for spiking his testosterone levels. His lawyer got into the act too with some blathering about dehydration.

These latest developments certainly are weighing on my as I consider what role sports should play in my boys' lives. In the last year, that have completely immersed themselves in sport, both as players and fans. While I am tickled pink in this development because it gives us something to share as a family, it certainly raises some parenting challenges.

I had decided a few years ago not to plunge them into organized sports. My thinking at the time was to avoid draining the fun out of the game (whatever game) by subjecting them to the seemingly endless waiting and dead time that I had heard about from other dads. My preference was for them to develop a love for playing first that would then give them the motivation to embrace organized sports on their own. They were only introduced to organized sport last year at age 7, when they played soccer for the first time. At first they were very confused on the field and were more likely to stand next to a teammate and cheer for him than trying to kick the ball.

Sports love is in full bloom this summer as they are attending YMCA sports camps in rapid (and rabid) succession. A week of tennis was followed by soccer. We are currently at the end of baseball week, which will be followed by flag football. I really like what I am seeing from this experience, which is play for play's sake along with the lessons of winning, losing and sportsmanship. - My son Jason came home from his first day of baseball with a long face after his batting privileges for the day were revoked for poor sportsmanship. He seemed pretty humiliated by the experience, so I assumed he learned his lesson and didn't press him for details. His brother wished I had, of course. - Having learned the lessons presented to them this summer, I think it will be easier to make the choices for future participation in organized sports.

The role of being a sports fan is becoming a tricky one to teach, though. As the boys learn more about the various games and the rules of play, their questions inevitably turn to some of the more subtle nuances of the games they watch. Like "Dad, why did Ichiro try to make an out on that play?" or "Dad, what does it mean when Floyd's testosterone-epitestosterone ratio is 11 to 1 when its supposed to be 2 to 1?"

2006-07-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

A lesson for the kids from the Tour de France.
Well, chalk this one up to one of those instances when the morning news offers up a lesson in ethics and acceptable behavior. This morning at breakfast, news of Floyd Landis' recent positive drug test cracked over the radio prompting a pretty heady conversation between my kids and I. - A little background, for 3 weeks in July my productivity at home and at work goes to its lowest point all year as Le Tour becomes the center of my attention (curse you OLN.) It's been a favorite of mine since Greg Lemond's epic win in 1989 and never fails to entertain.

It's always refreshing to listen to the questions that my eight-year-olds ask when the discussion turns to issues of right and wrong. When such opportunities arise, I make it a point to stop what I'm doing and keep the discussion going until every last question is asked and answered. (After all, I'm guessing that I have a few years of open exchanges left before I'll need to adopt a more stealth approach for the pubescent years. ) In this case we discussed the details of the allegations against Floyd and the consequences for him if they are proven to be true. The ethics lesson then morphed in a science discussion about performance enahncing drugs and how they work.

Earlier in the week, it was another discussion concerning cycling that revealed that our mini-lessons actually are taking root. In this case, I was a fly on the wall as my sons TJ & Jason were telling their friend Marcus about the movie Breaking Away. To my surprise, rather than telling their friend about the cool bike race and how the underdog cutters went on to win the race, they instead talked about the subplot where the lead character poses as an Italian exchange student in order to woo a girl. They talked about how he was really lying to her and that he paid the price when she found out. Wow, that was pretty cool. Whady'a know? They're listening!

2006-07-23T16:33:00.000-07:00

It's ninety plus here in Seattle today with a cloudless sky and the Mariners pulled out a victory against the Red Sox in the bottom of the 9th. Yes, you couldn't have a more picture perfect summer day. But what have I been thinking about? Whether or not my kids will be ready for school in September. While my wife and I have planned a very active summer for our two boys (twins, age 8), I'm quite concerned that they will be ready for the changes that await them as they move into third grade.

Come September, most teachers will spend their first month of class time waking the minds of their students who have mostly put their "thinking caps" away for the last two months. My kids will begin learning to write in cursive next school year, which I expect to be quite a challenge for them since they haven't yet mastered printing. I didn't want them to park their pencils in their desk drawers for the summer, but still wanted them to enjoy themselves so that they were recharged and ready to go in the fall.

The answer? Ah yes, games and puzzles of course. My wife and I casually set aside 5 or 10 minutes after dinner to play games with our kids. Doing so gives us quality time with the boys while keeping their minds sharp. My wife, a crossword puzzle enthusiast, invites the boys to join her in completing the puzzle each day. I also keep some Kotsuku cards
handy, both of which work well to develop those fine motor skills and expand their vocabularies. Other favorites are chess and sudoku for keeping their math skills sharp. The most important factor to consider when choosing a game to play is consider the academic strengths and weaknesses of your student. Something as simple as creating trivia questions from the newspaper can get the intellectual juices flowing (this works particularly well when you give your kids a chance to quiz you.)

2006-07-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

I was out on a bike ride the other day and took a break from my endorphine rush to notice that the McMansion phenomenon is in full bloom here in Seattle. I certainly sympathize with those who find themselves in a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't situation when it comes to finding more house for their families in a real estate market that hasn't been buyer friendly for years. But I couldn't help wondering what else was behind this interest in building out to the property line.

Just by chance, I heard an NPR Story on that very topic later in the week. A homeowner interviewed for the segmented share his reasons for wanting to build a house where each member of his family could be screaming and he wouldn't hear them (a curious scenario.)

There were many explanations given in the story for the McMansion trend, both economic and social. But all I could think about was the long term effects on the relationships between the families who live in these houses. It's not enough that we've become detached from our families through technology (cell phones, Internet, IM, XBox, IPod, etc.), but now we're physically separating ourselves from the rest of the family too.

If you grew up in a house where you had to share a bathroom or even a bedroom with a sibling (once a very common occurrence, my wife shared a bedroom with here brother until moving out a few years after college) you probably had plenty of gripes over fighting for your own space. However, despite the obvious complaints, your daily interactions with the rest of the family resulted in quite a repertoire of shared experiences and incidental contact (sounds like the NFL) that contributed to the relationships you built with each member of your family.

My brother and I couldn't stand each other as kids and would fight all the time (one of our epic clashes included a lawn mower chase.) Even though we each had our own rooms, it seemed as if we were always tripping over one another. It wasn't until after I left for college that we realized that we could enjoy spending time together. Today we're best friends.

Now, I'm not going to use this opportunity to launch NoMcMansions.org, but I would suggest to someone who has chosen the big house lifestyle to consider the importance of herding the family together into one room for 30 minutes or so each day to connect with one another. "No Timmy, you cannot play with your PSP and Jenny PUT DOWN THAT CELL PHONE!"

The setting for such time could be dinner at home (sharing ONE meal, not several individual meals cooked separately in the microwave, OK that's for another post) or at a restaurant. Other possible "Connection Activities" could include playing board games, playing cards or any other activity that involves eye contact and , gulp, conversation. You know what's right for your brood. Above all, make it a ritual, not a special occasion. If you commit to it with the expectation that others in the family do the same, then it will succeed. Afterwards, then can adjourn to their third-floor bedrooms in the south wing.