Heart Pounding Play Time With Chrono Bomb! A Great Kid's Party Game!

***We received a product sample in hopes we would share our honest experiences here on the blog. Photos copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2015.

Momma Told Me: Don't touch the floor, it's hot lava!


When I was a young girl I liked to rough house. Nearly all of my friends through grade school were boys and I often was caught leading extravagant pretend play scenarios of cops and robbers, secret agents, and super heroes. We'd turn an ordinary yard into a mine-field or river of lava, the neighbor's dog into a dragon, and  fallen pine cones into grenades. Climbing trees, camouflaging in bushes, and a general battle between good versus evil often ensued without a single toy or physical prop. Yes, I remember those days- but the children of today's generations, well, they seem to have a harder time disconnecting from their smartphones, tablets, and gaming systems.

Once a week we like to take our play group outside. Yes, we're fortunate enough here in Southern California that we can still enjoy mild afternoon weather in December- but today's game can be equally enjoyed indoors. In fact, that's one of the selling points for us on one of 2015's hottest games, Chrono Bomb. While this creative 'Spy' play game has a sophisticated battery operated element, it can be enjoyed just as much with absolutely no electronics at all, indoors or outdoors, with 1 child or 7 children.

What you'll find included with Chrono Bomb is a base 'Bomb' timer (that resembles a bundle of TNT with an LCD display, a Sensor Clamp, 4 clip guide hooks, a deck of 8 Secret Agent gear cards, and 2 Mission Cards. From the sensor and sensor clamp nearly 28' of guide string will feed, which is intended to be looped around the hooks on each of the provided clamps. Clamp the hooks at various heights to various pieces of furniture and create an imaginary string 'laser' field for young spies to navigate.

When we first saw this demonstrated, by a very nimble professional performer, at Sweet Suite 2015, we were skeptical of the ease of set up and re-play value. When we got our sample game we were again a bit overwhelmed- but the kids were eager to begin playing immediately. For the sake of honestly, despite two sets of brand new batteries and 2 adults initially setting Chrono Bomb up, we were never able to get the wire to trigger the 'countdown' feature on the timer. The game is intended to be played in such a manner that simply brushing into one of the 'laser' wires will remove time from the countdown timer on the TNT/bomb, but we were unable to produce this effect nomatter how we leveled the trigger/timer or the feed wire.

As a result, the game moved outdoors- where we could have more freedom to play with the setup, and where the kids were still told their time would be reduced if they touched the wires. In all honesty, they never noticed they weren't having time deducted, because they were so engulfed in the activity of navigating wires and hunting for cards.

Essentially, what worked for us, was to create an imaginary 'spy' space outside in the yard using some bamboo gardening poles, old kid's play furniture from the backyard, and some random elements we'd introduce or add with each reset (a hammer, some books, a plant, etc.) The real play-ability value comes in with the included Chrono Bomb 'gear' cards, which you can creatively stash high and low throughout your spy field. While we kept the 'laser' strings in the sane configuration for all 7 kids, through 2 runs a piece, we played around with hiding the cards to make each run different.

I'd highly suggest Chrono Bomb as a sleepover or party game, as the child/agent preparing to run the spy field was blindfolded during the game's 'reset,' the kids who were onlooking played a part in giving verbal clues and encouragement  as they had the chance to help hide the cards. No matter who was playing the spy, or who was watching the game, every child was excited and engaged. We encouraged agents outside the playing field to use clues such as colors, textures, and hot/cold/warm to help guide the child navigating the spy field through to the next card. Not only did we notice the children building dexterity and coordination when twisting through and under the guide wires, but creative thinking in searching for the hidden spy gear as well.

While we were unable to get the guideline to subtract time when hit- the decision to move the game outdoors and forego this feature really gave us a much broader area to play with and a more engaging/evolving playing field. The timer still counted down and timed each player as they collected all 8 cards- so we definitely had a competitive sense, but there was a little less anxiety over touching the wires- and more of a focus on creative thinking and having fun. Sure, the game never quite worked as intended for us- but it turned out to be an afternoon of fun every single child was engaged in from start to finish. In the end, those really are the best types of games! You can buy Chrono Bomb at a variety of mass retailers nationwide, including Toys R' Us. Our 'secret agents' ranged in age from 4 to 11.  Did you ever pretend to be a secret agent as a child? What was one of your favorite pretend play activities as a kid?

What Daughter Says: Bring imaginative play back in style with a secret agent game that blends Twister and spy games.

Summer Fun, Outdoors, With Lawn Twister Idea

Momma Told Me: You're not playing that in my house!

True story; the first time I ever played Twister I was 16, it happened to be the same day I learned to play Monopoly. I know, I know, what kind of childhood did I have? Well, understandably, Momma was not one for the concept of kids twisting up like pretzels next to expensive artwork and fish tanks.  During my prime Twister years, we lived in a small 2 bedroom condo with no room for such shenanigans, and by the time I was old enough to partake in our new home with a yard and garage, and plenty of space- I was awkwardly tall and had outgrown the small plastic sheet board.

Among the number of concerns most adults have about playing this beloved vintage game, number one is where the participants will play it. For those playing, or perhaps going through a mid-life crisis on a girl's night sipping wine and digging through their children's board games, the board is a standard size and highly inconvenient. Let's face it, this dotted sheet slides, tears, and outgrows anyone past 3 and a half feet in height. Let me revive your love or perhaps curiosity in this 1966 Milton Bradley game that was initially marketed towards adults at cocktail and office parties.

Introducing Lawn Twister; Twister on a scale that fits your needs- Do you have a party of 25, and need a 10 x 10 grid? Are all of your players adults and need spots further spaced apart? Are you trying to get your tots to work on their flexibility for the first time and need a smaller grid? Or do you just have visions of a spotted tarp flying in the air as siblings collide in twister limbs, spooking the dog, to chase the cat who runs across your keyboard and deletes a nights worth of work? Lawn Twister isn't only entirely customizable as a party or social game (use spots with your team's colors, go neon for the 80s party, etc) its much more fun to play outdoors. Grass tends to have a better grip, and the board will last up to 5 days, or rinse off in minutes.

Simply go to your local lawn and hardware store and as them to direct you to the marking chalk, or 'marking paint.' This will usually be located near the other aerosol based paints, and comes in water based (which you will want to get) in as many as 10 shades. Cut a hole out of a box bottom and invert the cans, spraying about 2-3 inches off the grass. Having a deeper box will keep the spray from misting and make for nice even dots. Allow the paint to dry a minimum of 30 minutes in sunlight before beginning to play. Some color may rub of on hands with sliding, but is entirely washable. Create a simple spinner out of a foam board with an arrow attached by a tack, or have a designated caller to try and twist people up as best as possible. Enjoy!

What Daughter Says: Play outside, it's healthier for you anyway!

Make Every Moment Memorable (This Summer): Tips And Tricks

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and its advertiser.

Momma Told Me: Make moments memorable.

It's officially here. Summer. I've defiantly held onto Spring for several weeks, but the fact of the matter is school is already out for half of the country. And if you think juggling a household with all the kids out of school is tough, try having 2 step-siblings from another state on vacation while your eldest is sent out the door to elementary each day. It's some kind of cruel torture, but this woman doesn't make the school calendar where we live, so Sabrina's (11) stuck doing her time for three more weeks while her brother and sister sleep in. And that means rallying the troops in time to get errands done and be in front of the school by 1:30, 5 days a week.

Of course not everything always goes as planned. There are half days, doctors appointments early Summer holidays and vacation plans to prepare for. Sometimes we're forced to pack up the entire team and head into Walmart for some serious bonding shopping. I'm grateful Walmart has a built in Pharmacy and grocery department, but do they have to have an entire man cave built into the back? Let's face it, the men often peel off towards electronics, and we're left trying to make grocery shopping sound exciting. Well, guess what? It is exciting! Turn your kiddos loose (not literally wild and rampant, just short leash loose) and see who can find the shopping list items first. The winner gets to pick-out their favorite frozen reward, like Kiara's Outshine frozen fruit bars.

The holiday last weekend was one of our last chances to hit the local beach park before all of the vacations and planned activities officially start. For example, Sabrina's youth/adult bowling league wrapped the week before, and this week Kiara (9) and Noah (4) will begin bowling with their father and I for 10 weeks. That means our Thursdays will be quite hectic with picking Sabrina up from school, monitoring homework and reading, then heading out to the alley in the town next over by 5PM. I keep the freezer stocked with a plethora of snack options to keep the Grumple Monster away and small tummies satisfied on busy afternoons like that. Sabrina even likes helping out, and playing chef, by making her sister and brother pizza Hot Pockets they can easily take in the car on the way to the alley.

We're lucky, in Southern California, we only live minutes from several harbors or beach parks full of family entertainment and activities. For Memorial Day we brought some #SummerGoodies in a cooler to Mandalay Shores where there are plenty of other children for the kids to play with and interact with. It's not uncommon to hear the 'ping ping' of a bell on an ice cream cart go by, and I was grateful to have my own stash of OUTSHINE® Fruit & Veggie Bars on hand to dole out to the outstretched hands. Everyone in our family has their favorite flavor from Strawberry Rhubarb to Creamy Coconut, made with real bits of coconut and fruit juice. These were much more refreshing then any of the 'drive by' options would have been!

Since the sun is out, okay it's out almost all year round here, I've been encouraging outdoor play much more lately. The kids often complain that they want to go to a park; but I rarely have time to pack everyone up for even a short trip in between packing, laundry, appointments, bowling practice, and more. We compromise by finding unique and fun ways for the kids to interact and play in the yard outside. Why spend a bunch of money on new toys that will be tossed aside in a few weeks when you can use a little imagination and your surroundings to make a magical playtime?

New for our family this year is Yard Twister. We invested about $20 in 4 cans of washable (water based) Marking Paint cans from the local hardware store. I had a hard time hunting them down at first, but you should be able to locate them with the other aerosol based paints in up to 10 different shades and colors. This unique paint is often used to mark fields for sporting events, or construction notations on grass concrete and more. With a simple template we easily made an interactive grid on the lawn that was dry in just 30 minutes. Okay, okay, keeping hyper kids off the wet paint for 30 minutes is near impossible- Try my tip, heat up a few Pepperoni Pizza Hot Pockets, filled with premium meat and real cheese, and cut them in half to serve on a plate. Small hands, and mouths, will be busy in no time!

You don't have to feel like a day camp coordinator or Super Mom to create some flavorful moments with your family and some great eats. And you don't have to break the bank either, with 12 CT Value Pack bundles of Hot Pockets an your favorite Outshine real fruit juice bars on hand. Just be sure you stop to take an extra breath, then reach into the freezer, pull out that folder of awesome Pinterest Summer pins, and you're sure to make every moment memorable this Summer!

What Daughter Says: Use simple tricks and frozen snacks to help make busy Summer afternoons more memorable.

Kinda Wordless Wednesday: Hedbanz Act Up! From @SpinMasterGames Review

*** We received the following product as a sample, in exchange for our honest opinion. All photos contained below are copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2013.

Momma Told Me: You're supposed to be silent, why are you yelling???

Isn't it ironic how LOUD a game of Charades can get?

There are some games, as children, we watch adults play with fascination. No, I'm not talking about Strip Poker, though it's not my place to judge your childhood. I'm referring to Charades. Most children seek to emulate the actions of the adults they look up to, but there are certain entertainment activities young children simply do not hold the patience, or skills to participate in. Sabrina (10) is fascinated by the concept of charades; ironically, since she had great difficulty keeping her mouth shut for 2 seconds, let alone 30. When Spin Master toys sent us one of their hottest games for the Fall I was a little skeptical. Hedbanz Act Up! is marketed for 2 or more players, age 8 and up, but I was unsure how the age differences (adult vs. kid), and the lack of a loud group, would impact the game.

The premise is simple. There are 3 categories of cards (person, place, thing) with singular words written on them. Players attach a snap on plastic Hedbanz to their head and clip a drawn card, word side out, to the center of their forehead. A multi-color die is then thrown to determine which color player will be acting out the card on the current player's head. In the case of a 3 player game, each player gets 2 assigned colors. If the player whose turn it is to guess roles their own color the remaining two players both attempt to act out the card at the same time. When a successful guess is made, the player gets to toss 1 of 12 blue tokens in the center of the table. When all 12 of a player's tokens are gone, they are crowned the winner.

It's a modern improvement upon classic charades, with the Hedbanz adding a touch of silly that will excite kids. In all, we truly had a blast. After our first game, there were demands for a second game. By the end of the second game, Jay was offering to take some of his blue chips back, just to keep the game alive. I had been worried about the cards being too complex for 10 year-old Sabrina to act out, or even know what the words were. Boy did she, and the game, prove me wrong. The chosen words are very common items, places, and people, nearly anyone off the street would know. And, if anything, acting out common words like 'plumber,' 'cloud,' and 'Superman,' only aided in grander actions and hilarious skits. We did seem to find the 30 second timer went a bit fast for us though- and will probably swap it out with a 45 or 60 second one from another game box.

While 30 seconds was plenty for the adults, we had to give Sabrina basic hints to help guide her mind down the right path. Simply telling her that her card was a 'thing' left a very broad category to guess in 30 seconds. Instead, for the younger players, we decided to offer a category hint with each of her cards. This seemed to help even out the competition. When playing in bigger groups the person acting, and the person guessing each get to toss a token if the guessee is correct. Since we only had 3 people, we skipped this rule for our first few games.

I wish I could replay some of the actions done, by all parties, during our several games of Hedbanz Act Up! Particularly, Jay's impression of a 'gymnast,' pretending to air cartwheel, while remaining on both feet- or my personal impression of a 'lobster.' The fun really starts when more than one person is trying to act out a card. Since players are not allowed to use any pointing (to items), or sound, while acting out a card, the magic truly happens when two actors begin working together to build shapes and interactions. I made a big circle with my hands, and Jay made a smaller one, inside, for 'bagel.' Sabrina motioned for rain, while I tried to cover myself for 'umbrella,' etc. I'll just say, I never had an aspiration to be a method actor until I had to convey 'bull rider' or 'Harry Potter.' In all, this game is great for players of all ages, and groups big and small. Why not take your Wordless Wednesday to the next level with a family game night and Hedbanz?- Hedbanz Act Up! is currently sold at fine retailers such as Toys R' Us, Target, Walmart, and online at Amazon.

What Daughter Says: A great game brings it's players to life- that's exactly what Hedbanz Act Up! does.