In our home Sunday morning’s are a day to slow down and think about the week that has passed while preparing for the new week ahead. I try to make it a Family day in my home even though David works on Sunday I spend time with Charlie doing what ever he wants to do.
This morning Charlie got up and we watched a wrestling match on tv he wanted me to watch. Then we had breakfast and we played a board game and then I handed Charlie my copy of Would You Rather: No Normal Answers: Grandparents’ House Showdown.
Charlie and I decided to answer a few of the questions and we had thought about inviting my sister over to play because she is also a Grandmother but she was in Church. Instead we called Charlie’s grandmother on the phone and asked her some of the questions. I just wish Pa had been here to play with us.
I was blessed to meet Kai Synapse online, and I’ve been checking out some of his books. And I have to tell you, I really wish I had known about these books when we were #homeschooling both Suzzane and Charlie because I can see so many ways we could have used them.
Even though I don’t want to admit it David and I are grandparents,because I’m not that old or am I? How about you. Do you have gradnchildren? I guess that means we could actually answer the questions with our grandsons one day. But when I first started looking through it, I found myself thinking about my mom and dad and laughing because I could hear some of the answers she they would have come up with which would have had Charlie and David rolling on the floor laughing out loud.
And honestly, I can already see David having a good time with some of these questions. Just as Charlie and I did not only when we was playing by ourselves but when we called Granny Sherry to get her answers to the questions. Now, we need to get David and my sister to play next time.
I love the size of this book, too. It’s one of those books that would fit perfectly in a Christmas stocking. In fact, I think this is going into our Christmas Gift Guide/ Wish List because I can see it being a fun little surprise for someone to open on Christmas morning wile dinner is cooking.
The cover is turquoise with white lettering, and there’s a black band across it that says No Normal Answers: Grandparents’ House Showdown. Right on the cover it tells you what you’re getting: funny questions for kids and grandparents. And these aren’t your normal Would You Rather questions. The whole idea is that you have two choices, but then there’s a silly little “law” you have to follow. Yes, you have to follow the law Charlie said or off to time-out you go.
The book has 180 Would You Rather questions, 10 rounds, snacks, old stories, games, goodbyes, and all kinds of things that make you think about being at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. There is even a little description that talks about things like the cookie tin holding buttons, the card table rocking like a boat, and somebody still waving from the porch after the third goodbye.
If you’ve ever spent time with family, you know exactly what they’re talking about! And since we’re in Texas, that whole waving-from-the-porch-after-the-third-goodbye thing made me laugh because sometimes you haven’t even gotten in the car yet and everybody is still standing there talking.
One of the questions is called “The Old Toy Chest.” The toy chest in the closet is packed with toys that are at least 40 years old. Would you rather: A: Play with a clacking wind-up toy that drives everyone nuts? Or B: Play with a quiet toy that’s missing half its pieces? And then comes the law: Talk like a wind-up toy that is slowly running down.
Oh, Lord. I can see Charlie doing that one because he is really good at voices. I can just imagine him sitting there talking like a wind-up toy and everybody else losing it laughing. Then I can see David trying to top Charlie’s’ voice causing us to all laugh harder until the neighbors beat on the wall telling us to be quite. That’s the joy of living in a Townhome.
Then there’s “The Last Photo.” The oldest camera has exactly one shot in it. Would you rather use it on the whole family, squished on the couch, or save it for something amazing that might never happen? The law says you have to start every sentence with “Say cheese!” I can already hear David trying to answer that one.
And that’s what I like about this book. You’re not just sitting there saying, “I pick A.” You have to defend your answer, follow the silly law, and listen to what everybody else comes up with. But there’s another part of this book that I really, really like. The Story Sparks.
They’re little prompts that encourage Grandma or Grandpa to stop and tell a story from when they were growing up. That could be so much fun. When I was a child, we would have to travel to Oklahoma for Christmas, and we would leave all of our presents at home. Can you imagine? As a kid, I thought that was crazy!
But now, looking back, those are the kinds of memories that our children and grandchildren might actually enjoy hearing about. And that’s what I think is so neat about the Story Sparks. They give you a reason to start talking about things that might otherwise never come up.
And this is where I really wish I had known about these books when we were homeschooling. Grandparents could use this book to get children talking, but they could also use the stories as part of homeschool. You could talk about what life was like when Grandma or Grandpa was a child, what toys they played with, what holidays were like, where they traveled, what their families did together, and so much more.
You don’t always have to sit down with a worksheet to have a lesson. Sometimes you just need Grandma or Grandpa to tell you a story. There is also a scoreboard in the back, and that might actually be one of my favorite parts. You write the players’ names across the top and then keep track of the points for each round. What I would do is make a copy of that scoreboard so we could use it over and over and over again.
There is also a section called “Replay It Your Way” with more ideas for playing again, making up your own questions, keeping track of the ones everybody wants to play again, recording the best answers, and things like that. And at the end it basically says, next visit, start with a rematch.
I like that. Because this isn’t one of those games you play once and then throw in a drawer. You can keep bringing it back out. I also noticed that Kai Synapse has other No Normal Answers books, and there is a Kids vs. Grown-Ups one that I definitely want to get for David and Charlie.
I can’t wait to see who wins that one! And again, I think these are the perfect size for a stocking stuffer. I can see this book sitting on a grandparent’s desk or coffee table, and when the grandkids come over and somebody says, “I’m bored,” you can just hand them the book.
You don’t need a screen. You don’t need dice. You don’t need a bunch of stuff. Just pick a question and start playing. And before you know it, you’re laughing, arguing about which answer is better, making ridiculous voices, and Grandma or Grandpa is telling a story from 50 years ago. That’s the kind of family time I like.
I think Would You Rather: No Normal Answers: Grandparents’ House Showdown would make a fun Christmas stocking stuffer, a gift for grandparents, something to keep at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, or even something to use during homeschool when you want to get the kids learning without making it feel like school.
And I can already tell you where you’re going to find this one in our house.You’ll find it in our Christmas Gift Guide/ Wish List because I think this is one of those little gifts that can turn into a whole lot of laughs. You can bet I will be telling Santa to pack copies of this book for all the grandparents on his list this year as were helping him load the Sleigh.
And if you haven’t checked out Kai Synapse and his No Normal Answers books yet, I hope you’ll take a look. I’m already thinking about which one we’re going to need to purchase. Although knowing David and Charlie, I’m pretty sure they’re going to turn these books into a competition. LORD help me…
About the book:
This is a Would You Rather game book for grandparents and kids to read aloud together. Open to any page, pick a side, then use the Sparks prompt so Grandma or Grandpa tells a real childhood story. Clean family play — no screens, no dice.
Inside you’ll find silly Would You Rather choices built for Nana-and-kid (or Grandpa-and-kid) table time, plus Sparks: short prompts that ask the adult to pause, remember something from childhood, and share it out loud. My daughter and I built a lot of this at our own table.
Perfect for visits, gatherings, road trips, and anytime you want a book that turns into a game. Ages for family play with kids who can listen and laugh along. One book. Open anywhere. Biggest laugh (or best story) wins the round
Meet the Author: Kai Synapse
Kai Synapse makes clean, funny family game books designed for kids and parents to play together. No screens. No mean jokes. Just choices, defenses, laughter, and the chance to crown a Family Champion.
Built for ages 6–12 · Played by the whole family
Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.
GreatfulMoments.com
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
