Entertaining the Kids
I
t’s the time of year for holiday parties
and family get-togethers, and while
adults can usually have a good time,
social gatherings are often boring for
young kids. If you’d like to spend
some grown-up time catching up with
friends and family or help with the
holiday meal without having to deal
with bored, unruly kids on the verge
of a meltdown, there are a few ways
to keep your tots occupied for an hour
or two.
Video Games
Lego Worlds (PS4,
Xbox One, Nintendo
Switch, Microsoft
Windows)
Similar to the
popular game Mine-
craft, but with that
family friendly Lego
charm. Players are dropped into massive
open worlds where they’re encouraged
to build and explore. In addition to
building whatever they want, kids can
also fly to a number of randomized Lego
worlds. The multiplayer function allows
friends to team up and work together
on building structures and designing
anything they can think up.
Overcooked (PS4, Xbox One, PC) Up to four
players can find out what it’s like to be
cooks in the kitchen. Players have to
work together to complete harder and
harder orders for increasingly impatient
customers by chopping ingredients,
mixing them together, and then
cleaning up. If anything, kids might
gain a bit of appreciation for how much
work it takes to make a Thanksgiving or
Christmas meal.
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Just Dance (PC,
PS4, PS3, Xbox
One, Xbox 360, Wii
U) Who doesn’t
love getting
their groove on?
This dancing
game combines
modern hits
with classic pop
songs and provides dancing routines
that vary in skill so that everyone can
get involved. You’ll need the camera
peripheral that’s supported by your
console, or you can use your smart
phone as the controller.
Movies
How the Grinch Stole
Christmas In light of
Elf This is the story
of Buddy, a human
who was raised
among Santa’s elves.
When he discovers
that he’s a human,
Buddy travels to
New York in search
of his real father,
with hilarious re-
sults. Kids will get a kick out of watch-
ing this very tall, grown man jumping
up and down and acting like a little kid.
The Dog Who Saved
Christmas After a
police dog ruins an
arrest and is sent
to the pound, he’s
adopted by a fam-
ily. When his new
family is away for
Christmas, the dog
gets a chance to
redeem himself by defending his home
from burglars. Think Home Alone, but
with a dog.
the new animated
Grinch movie, now
is a great time to
revisit the older
versions. Both the
classic 1966 animated version and the
2000 Jim Carrey live action one are sure
to keep your kids entertained. Non-Screen Activities
Arthur Christmas Kids Table If you would prefer that your
Ever wonder
how Santa
delivers all
those presents
in one night?
This CG
animated
family comedy
gives you
the answer.
Relatively new
to the holiday
movie scene,
this heartwarming story centers around
Santa and his family. After Santa ac-
cidentally misses one child out of the
millions on his list, it’s up to his clumsy
youngest son, Arthur, to save the day. kids did something other than stare at
a screen, you can set aside a kid’s space
where they can get their imaginations
going. Layer a few sheets of butcher
paper onto a table, so that you don’t
have to worry about spills and messes,
and round up colorful items like
Legos, blocks,
crayons, mark-
ers, and play
dough. Add
a few snacks,
like popcorn,
granola bars,
and juice boxes,
and they’ll be
occupied for a
while.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
december 2018-january 2019
gmhtoday.com