Whether it was receiving a new game, trying to crack a code or staying up all night to beat your favorite game, each of us has fond memories of playing video games when we were growing up. With the Nintendo Be a Kid for a Day event, now grown-ups and kids alike can relive some of those memories and create new ones as a family. Nintendo has been hosting events throughout the US this summer in celebration of the new Nintendo 3DS XL. They have been giving fans an opportunity to not only try out the new system, but interact with some of their favorite iconic characters such as Mario, Luigi, Kirby, Donkey Kong and more.
We sent one of our Family Entourage fans out to experience the Nintendo Be a Kid for a Day event. They have four kids that range from elementary-age to high school. They couldn’t stop saying how much fun they had! Families at the event enjoyed laughing together, eating dinner and playing their favorite Nintendo games. The 12-city tour is visiting malls and other locations throughout the United States. There will be exciting contests, prizes and photo opportunities. The tour offers kids of all ages a fun way to spend time together. Best of all, it is free for everyone.
If you can’t make it to the Nintendo tour, we came up with some fun ways for you to have a fun-filled family video game night!
Here are our Top 5 Tips for fun-filled family video game night.
- Get in the spirit! Create ways for the teams or individuals to earn points like: costumes, team cheer, and good sportsmanship. Have a fun reward like no chores for the week for the winning person or team. Award extra points for those that look most like a video ga
me character or help with set-up and clean up. - When choosing the games, select ones that everyone can participate in and that no one dominates in. Otherwise, it will be too easy for one person or team to win. It’s fun to pick a classic game like Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong or even Pac Man and then balance it with something newer. Don’t be afraid to switch the game if everyone is having trouble with it or no one finds it challenging.
- Serve fun themed snacks to “power up.” These can be as simple or as elaborate as you like including ordering take-out pizza in honor of the Super Mario Bros favorite snack. Check out our Pinterest board for ideas.
- Make the night interactive. Include trivia or interactive activities that keep the group engaged and motivated to win the prize. It also helps the family to not to be in front of the TV the entire evening.
- Set the mood with video game-inspired decorations. Again, these can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. Don’t feel like you have to take it all on yourself either, if one of your kids or friends enjoys artwork, allow them to take this aspect of the party on. From a Pac Man tablecloth to Mario question blocks, we have some fun ideas on our Pinterest board.
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If you are interested in bringing the Family Entourage out to The Play Nintendo Tour below
are the scheduled dates and locations:
June 17-19: Westfield Culver City – Los Angeles
June 24-26: Arrowhead Towne Center – Glendale, Arizona
July 1-3: FlatIron Crossing – Broomfield, Colorado
July 8-10: Mall of America® – Bloomington, Minnesota
July 15-17: Bite of Seattle – Seattle
July 21-24: Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina – San Diego
July 29-31: Memorial City Mall – Houston
Aug. 5-7: Woodfield Mall – Schaumburg, Illinois
Aug. 12-14: Roosevelt Field – Garden City, New York
Aug. 19-21: South Shore Plaza – Braintree, Massachusetts
Aug. 26-28: Tysons Corner Center – Tysons Corner, Virginia
Sept. 2-5: North Point Mall – Alpharetta, Georgia
For more information about the Play Nintendo Tour, click here.
To enjoy Nintendo’s site for kids and families, click here
