Play Family Trivia
by Michael R. Boyter

Do you remember the game Trivial Pursuit?  Imagine if there was 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 suppose 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 different ways...

One way would be to sit down with a few immediate family members and write as many questions (that only family would know) as you can think of on an index card...one question per card.
 
As resources for information, items such as high school year books, journals and old home movies could be utilized.
 
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 started 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...

1) Have a video or audio tape going as you play. Many stories will be told that may never told again.

2) Don't throw those index cards away when you are finished with the  game.  Write the answer on them and save them.

3) 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!

This is one of the most fun and easy ways to finally get some of your parents and/or grandparents stories preserved!

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