Croquet Is Good Old Fashion Fun

People have been playing croquet for years and all ages can enjoy it. Children love croquet because they have a chance to play against other family members and often they can beat an older player.

All croquet sets are basically the same. They consist of mallets, balls, and some type of wire loops that the ball goes through. The loops are called wickets. It is set up on a lawn in a pattern that allows up to six players the chance to try to navigate the course. It is different than Mimi golf, but the same principle.

Family reunions are a great place to set up a game. Lots of different generations can play and it only takes a short time to complete a game. If the weather is nice and there is a flat lawn area, the game can be set up in a few minutes. Even children can set of the basic area and have it ready to play. For years people have been playing with Franklin croquet sets and the easy to follow directions make the game enjoyable for everyone. So many games have difficult rules to follow and can be hard to understand, but this is one game that follows the traditional game rules that people have played for years.

The game can be played with teams and often that is a great option when playing with several different age groups. For family night, let the kids plays the parents and then offer small prizes for the winner. Of course everyone is really a winner because they get to be outside and have fun.

Croquet sets come in various price ranges. Franklin croquet sets are well known and can be found at department stores for great prices. They are well made and if taken care of, can last for many years. Because they are often made with real wood, they need to be put away after each use. Some of them come in a case and others sit on a stand made just for them.

Croquet sets make great family gifts at Christmas. It is a gift that can be for everyone in the family, so there is no need to buy separate things, or spend extra time and money for things most people never use. This is a game that most people have played and are familiar with. They are usually happy to have a new set to use for family picnics, birthday parties and group gatherings.

This is the perfect game for grandparents to play when the grandkids come over. It will give them a chance to enjoy each other and everyone has fun. No video games, movies or electronic devices, just plain old fashion fun. Everyone should have a set ready for a sunny day. So, go ahead, pull out the set from the back of the garage and dust off the mallets and get ready to have some good old fashion family fun.

Kevin Wright author.
http://www.kandyvines.com/
You will find additional information on croquet and other indoor and outdoor games and activities in our online store.
Check it out for nice croquet sets at great prices.

The Hunger Games: Movie Review

I am a huge fan of The Hunger Games books, so when the film was announced, I was very eager. But I'm not going to lie, I was also very excited. The trailers looked good for the film, but I was always a bit skeptical.

So the film is now out and and was a huge hit and was very successful. Critics and fans loved the movie. I thought the film was pretty good. I think it was an almost perfect adaptation of the book. But they did leave out some elements of the book that did seem important. I know things change from book to screen, so I'm not really complaining at all.

The acting was good for the most part. I was a little nervous about Josh Hutcherson, but he was fine in it. Jenifer Lawrance was perfectly cast in the role as Katniss Everdeen. Liam Hemsworth was good as Gale, even though he wasn't in the movie that much. All the other kid actors were passable, but could've been better.

The action was well directed and the shaky camera was effectively used. The film has a nice gritty feel to it. All the sets and locations are fantastic. I think all the scenes during the actual hunger game, are all effective.

The CGI is good for the most part. All the sets are enhanced by CGI and most of those look fine. The animals and things are a hit and miss. The wolf creatures at the end aren't that good, but the insects look fine. The scenes in the movie with fire are also mixed. The forest fire is a blend between practical fire and CGI fire, and you can totally tell.

The pacing in the movie is fine for me. The hunger games don't start until about an hour into the movie. It was nice to get a build up of what the hunger games is and see what these characters have to go through. I think the ending of the movie leaves you wanting more and that good.

Overall this is a satisfying adaptation of one of the most popular teen novels. Its a dark toned film with very adult topics and it works very well.

Final Score: 8.7

The Blu-ray version of this film is top notch. The sound and picture are fantastic. On the Blu-ray of this film you get about three hours of special features and they are a good insight on how the film was made.

There are three different versions of the film on Blu-ray, in terms of boxing. Target, Best Buy, and Walmart are all selling a different version. Best Buy has a huge box with Blu-ray, DvD, digital copy, and Ultra violet. Its a nice box and it comes with a special gift with it. But its sort of plain. Walmart has the most uninspired boxing out for the film. Its just the regular Blu-ray with a necklace included, all stuffed inside a card board box.

Target is your best option, It comes with three disk. One disk is the film, the second is three hours of special features, the third is an exclusive disk with an extra hour of the special features. The case is in a nice slip cover, the slip cover is all black that has the mockingjay pendant of the front and has the title on it. Its very effective. The actual case is very nice and you cant get it any where else. Go to target.com to see what I'm talking about.

The Game of Memory

Are you having trouble remembering some of the most basic facts? Do you want to improve memory retention? There are plenty of good reasons to improve your memory, and self improvement is always an attractive concept. There are a few steps you can take to improve your memory and even give yourself an advantage over others. Exercise is the first and most important thing you can do to improve memory retention. Physical exercise will help to add oxygen and certain nutrients that are absolutely necessary for proper brain function.

Studies have shown that a little bit of exercise could serve to help you remember the names of people you have recently met along with dozens of other important details. Remember that mental exercise is important, just like physical exercise. Remember, your brain is a muscle! That said, you can stimulate your brain by solving puzzles, reading, spelling, learning new things, and even playing card games. The sky is the limit, and virtually any activity that uses your brain or encourages critical thinking will help you to develop better cognitive abilities. What many people do not think about when they want to improve memory retention is sleep. Have you ever tried to stay awake for days at a time? If so, then you know that you lose a few different things. For example you will start to lose your motor control, and you will have a difficult time remembering anything of consequence. That said, getting enough sleep is a must if you want to operate normally.

One of the worst things you can do to improve your memory is try to learn by cramming. Cramming of course means attempting to learn a large amount of material over a very short period of time. If you want to improve memory retention you should do your best to arrange study sessions that cover a specific time period. Brain stimulation is good, but only in certain quantities, and only certain types. If you really want to put your brain to work, you should teach others. Teaching others the things you know will serve you quite well both now and in the future. It will give you a reason to review the material that you may otherwise have abandoned or considered learned.

It is utterly amazing just what learning can do for your memory retention! As you can see, there are plenty of ways in which you can practice your memory retention, and soon enough you will find that remembering the important things becomes easier and easier. You may not recognize an improvement at first. Unfortunately these things tend to take a while, but if you bide your time and continue working on the items we listed above, you will start to move forward in your efforts. There are plenty of reasons to enhance your memory. You will be more efficient at your job, and you will find that it helps you in your daily life. The biggest question is whether or not you're ready to commit to increasing your memory and giving yourself that sheer advantage over everyone else. Start learning today and do your best to adopt these new habits into your life. It's a long road, but it's definitely worth the time.

Jennie Garcia has been helping people to harness their brain power through her various posts and online articles. She has been teaching people how to increase brain power increase brain power.

Jennie believes that food and 'games' amongst other factors are the key to helping power your brain.

Munchkin: The Card Game

"Kill the monsters. Steal the treasure. Stab your buddy."

These three tenets, emblazoned on the box to the dedicated card game Munchkin, is a fairly accurate assessment of what you can expect when your group of 3-6 players sits down to play a game. Munchkin is essentially a dungeon crawling style role-playing game, just without the pencils and paper, heavy rulebooks, and role-playing. Much of the seriousness is removed as well, since nearly every card is dripping in satire lampooning traditional D&D styled games. Humor which is only built upon with cards brilliantly illustrated by John Kovalic, best known for his Dork Tower comic series.

So if you take all that boring stuff out of a role-playing game, what does that leave, you ask? Namely a faster paced game filled with monsters, loot and experience levels. In a race to be the first player to reach level 10, you and your friends will find yourselves teaming up to take down bigger monsters, all the while screwing each other over on a regular basis. The comical nature of the game helps in defusing resentment when a player starts to feel picked on, but the right crowd could still find themselves in heated debates over the occasionally ambiguously worded card. Don't take it too seriously though. Munchkin publisher Steve Jackson Games certainly doesn't, with rules like, "Any disputes in the rules should be settled by loud arguments with the owner of the game having the last word" and cards like Cheat that let you break established rules and equip items that you normally wouldn't be able to.

The game is played with two different types of cards, door cards and treasure cards. All players start as a level 1 human with 'no class (heh heh)' with two of each type of card in your hand. A player's turn begins by entering a new room in the dungeon by 'kicking down the door' (by drawing a door card face up). Door cards often consist of curses/traps, monsters, or cards that modify the player's class or race. If the player isn't forced into battle by drawing a monster face up, they can go 'looking for trouble' and choose to fight a monster by playing one from their hand. There's a wide array of monsters, ranging from a level 1 Potted Plant to a level 20 Plutonium Dragon. Be careful not to bite off more than you can chew, though. Opposing players can make your fight tougher by playing cards on your monster that gives it bonuses such as Enraged or Intelligent, increasing its fighting power.

Defeating a monster in combat will net you an experience level and some treasure. Treasure cards are usually items that modify your combat rating such as the Mace of Sharpness or the Big Rock or special cards like Bribe The GM With Food, which allows you to immediately go up one level. If you're unable to defeat the monster, you'll have to roll the die to run away. Fail to escape and you are forced to face the Bad Stuff, consequences of your defeat that are unique to each monster. Lose a fight to a level 10 Floating Nose and you might only lose a level. Go up against a level 18 Bullrog and fail and you might get killed, forcing you to start back at level 1 and draw a new hand of cards. If you're in a tight spot, you can try to convince someone at the table to help you in battle, adding their battle rating to yours, but they're not likely to help you out for free, and you might need to watch your back.

The game is published by Steve Jackson Games, a company that has created and published a myriad of card, board and role-playing games for over 30 years, including Car Wars, Chez Geek, and GURPS (Generic Universal Role Playing System). Since its original publication in 2001, Munchkin is far and away one of SJ Games' best sellers. No wonder, since it's such a fun and amusing game, and good for small to medium groups. In addition to multiple expansions, there have also been several spin-offs such as Munchkin Conan, Munchkin Zombies, western-themed The Good, The Bad and the Munchkin, and the upcoming Munchkin Apocalypse. Several Munchkin titles are available at your local Slackers today, and according to SJ Games, all spin-offs and expansions are compatible with the original Munchkin base game.

Visit http://www.slackers.com for more great reviews!

Super Snake Game Strategy

The snake game is one of the earliest and most popular classic video games. This highly addictive and deceptively simple game is easy to learn but a challenge to master. Your goal is to eat as much food as possible. With each bite you take, your snake grows longer. The game ends when you run into a wall or into the snake's own body.

Achieving a high score in the snake game requires lightning fast reflexes and careful planning. You might survive with a haphazard strategy early in the game, but as your snake grows longer, you will need more skill and coordination to keep the game alive.

To make the most of your snake game, follow these few simple tips:

Stick to Your Skills - Any good snake game will give you a variety of skill levels from which to choose. The higher the skill level, the faster the snake moves, and hence the more difficult the game. Pick the appropriate level for your skills. If you are a new player, start with the easiest level until you have mastered the game. Then try the next harder level.

Take Your Time - Most snake games do not have a time limit, so there is no incentive to rush. Hurrying to grab the food may result in an unexpected crash, thus ending the game. Slow down and take time to make sure your tail is out of the way and you are not going to crash into a wall. Some games feature bonus items that are only on screen for a limited time, but even in this case, don't sacrifice your life for extra points.

Live on the Edge - Try to keep your snake along the perimeter of the playing area. The key to the snake game is to make sure that the food is accessible wherever it appears. By keeping your snake along the edges, you free up the entire center of the screen, so you can grab the food without the risk of running into yourself. Just be careful that you don't run into the wall.

Take a Detour - If you are following a path along the edges of the snake game surface, eventually your snake may grow too long. When this happens, you can detour by making zig-zag motions that allow you to pack more snakes into the same amount of space. Rapid back and forth movements are critical for making the most of the playing area without running into yourself.

Never Give Up - If you miss a target or make a wrong turn, don't despair! For the vast majority of snake game situations, you can almost always recover from a mistake. Unless your snake is exceptionally long or you have completely trapped yourself, you should be able to keep your snake alive. Take the time to let your tail get out of the way and make another try for the food.

Jenga - Best Game Ever!

Ranked as number four on a list of the top 10 toys for 7 year old boys, Jenga is a classic game -- not only for the kids who love it, but for their families too. It's the game that brought millions of families together around the dining room table at least 2 decades ago, and it's still going strong. It's a great grab and go game to take on vacations, and it's common to find this in the game closet of every family home.

How can modern kids appreciate a vintage game?

Jenga is tried and true, with 54 symmetrical rectangular blocks for stacking and sliding before they all come tumbling down. Kids these days might be more interested in their electronics and noisy toys, but Jenga is a game that never grows old. It's timeless -- like Monopoly or Candyland! A new circular container acts as a better storage space than the see-through Jenga box of the 90's. There's no learning curves -- the game is basic, simple, and fit for all ages.

This is a concept game, where kids can be taught the essentials to taking turns, sharing, and appropriate gaming behavior. The rules are simple -- just stack the blocks and keep it going without letting the stack fall. It's a question of, "who will make the tower taller?" as each person takes their tedious time, slowly sliding one block away from the others. It's not unusual for the whole family to hold their breath, hoping no one knocks the table or shakes the Jenga blocks' foundation.

Sometimes, when there aren't many people to play, it's fun to spice the structure up a bit with creative construction. Instead of making one large tower, you can start with 2 smaller towers and play double-time -- which is also a fun way to get smaller children involved (those 6 and under). For lone game nights, the Jenga pieces can act as LEGOs, stacking and connecting to form interesting buildings and new architecture.

There are instructions that accompany the Jenga game; however, it's a better experience when the game is explained from a previous generation with experience in playing. It's like an inside secret for the ultimate gamers before the age of too many electronics. This vintage classic is for families who want to keep the good ole' days of game night alive. Even the rambunctious 7 year old boys of the household will appreciate it.

The Google Game

Whilst many people use other search engines such as Bing and Yahoo, you cannot ignore the fact that Google is still the dominant market driving force. Given the pace that the Internet develops another start up company could come along with a new idea any day, however until that day comes along you will need to focus on getting a good ranking in Google.

After all everyone would love to be at the top of Google would they not? Being number one for your chosen keywords is the holy grail for most website owners, and it is true that if you get to position number one in Google for your chosen keyword(s) then you are likely to get a lot of free organic traffic. However getting there is not easy and will require a lot of time and money to be invested in Search Engine Optimisation (known as SEO), and whilst there is a lot of SEO that you can do yourself, if you want to get a number one position for your keywords then you would be better off employing an expert who has the skills to do this and keep abreast of all the modern trends affecting search engine rankings.

Whilst you can do a lot of SEO yourself such as keyword research, it can all be very time consuming and the fact that companies exist that do nothing other than SEO should be an indicator to you that this is a full time, ongoing task.

Indeed many people start out by paying a Search Engine Optimisation company a one off sum to move them up the search engine rankings, they see their website move towards the top of Google and then think they do not need the companies optimisation services any longer. Yet within a month their website is then nowhere to be seen. This is because SEO is an ongoing task that needs constant input each month.

You may ask why, well the main search engines update their search algorithms every couple of months, and they take up to 200 different factors in to account, you might not think that such a big issue, until you realise that is they will not tell you what any of these factors are. That means you are trying to take in to account 200 unknown factors when optimising your website.

So if you realise the significance of SEO but are uncertain as to how to go about doing it then it is time to consider using an expert.

TME is a web design and online marketing agency, established in 2005 and based in Kent. http://www.tmesolutions.co.uk

Jugger

Jugger is in the class of games that have been invented for a TV show or movie but which are now being played for real. Strange Games is indebted to Linus Smid for sending in a link to the video below.
Jugger was created for the film Salute of the Jugger but has now taken off especially in Germany and Australia. It is a team game where each team tries to move a plastic skull into their opponents

Strange Games News: British Mini Golf Tour

More than just an excuse to post a video of cool American mini golfers...The British Mini Golf Association have just published this year's tour calendar (see below and on their website here)

Thanks to Ham and Egger for the email


The
British Minigolf Association can confirm the dates for ten of the 2012
season’s tournaments, including all three Major competitions. Dates,
tournaments

Seance Pass It On

Last week's Stupid Ninja Game reminded me of a similar game which can be played by a group of people standing in a circle.  This time the group stands around a table and each person places their hands palm down on the surface. But, everyone's arms are intertwined...so your left forearm is over the person on your left's forearm and your right forearm is underneath that of the person standing on