June 2009

Whats Old Is New Again:
C o n t e m p o r a r y Tw i s t s o n C l a s s i c G a m e s

By Kristin Clarke

With tight economic times comes the inevitable longing for better days of years past. But past doesnt have to mean pass, especially to families of high-potential, perhaps highly restless children. As popular as they are, all games do not have to be ridiculously-expensive boxes with three-inch screens that require parents or grandparents to squint for hours, those new high-tech game systems are already losing some luster, and parents everywhere are tired of clutching a small, ridiculously expensive box with a three-inch screen that requires them to squint for hours at light-speed avatars shooting laser dots. Is this what play now means? Why, back when I was your age. The good news is that you really can go back to the games and toys of yesteryearand without arguments between your grandparents about the rules were using this time. In fact, nostalgia toys are a major modern-day trend, according to game and toy manufacturers. Although many of the games you loved most as a kid are still recognizable (perhaps more than you are now), most of these oldies-but-goodies have been dramatically updated, and frankly, who doesnt benefit from an occa-
sional nip and tuck? Oh, sure, youll still have the wonderful tactile feel of twirling the Game of Life spinner and the fresh smell of wood tiles from a just-opened Scrabble board, but youll also have contemporary options like multilingual versions and online or even mobile game versions that add new meaning to travel edition. So move over, Granny, and lets have a look at todays rules! MONOPOLY: Still touted by Hasbro as the best-selling game on the planet, Monopoly has been the source of raucous strategizing across almost four generations of families seeking to emulate Donald Trumps real estate empirebuilding. And if intergalactic settlements ever become the norm, the chances are good that this high-life-or-the-poorhouse board game will dominate the solar system. The first step has already been made with Hasbros latest version: Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition (MSRP: $38.99), which has several unique aspects. First, the 22 new properties (all major cities) that now encircle the board reflect the top choices of an astonishing 5.6 million virtual voters worldwide who successfully crowdsourced this hip edition in a 6-week competition held last
Parenting for High Potential
year. How else would Riga, the capital of Latvia, and Montreal, Canada, end up replacing Park Place and Boardwalk as the swankiest properties on Earth? Second, youll recognize the tiny red hotels and green houses, but look closer: New owners can now choose red and green buildings that reflect the architecture found within specific city limits, such as Asian pagodas, African marital huts, and South American skyscrapers. Even those beloved metal movers have gone from top hat to soccer ball and the like. Third, think of a language. No problemin the spirit of globalization, this Monopoly edition has been printed in 37 languages, which makes it especially convenient for playing with grandparents or friends for whom English is not a first language. Some families with high-potential children taking foreign languages may even want to purposely buy a copy in that language as a learning tool. Tips: While corporate wonks recommend Monopoly for ages 8 and up, loads of bright children ages 6 and 7 will happily wipe out their parents wallets and thrill for the tradeya-this-for-that side antics of the game. Play with an atlas or globe nearby so that world domination can be properly appreciated visually. This also is a great chance to discuss multicultural differences beyond architecture and business etiquette. Parental bonus points if you download photos of the famous architectural structures now depicted in neon red and green plastic, and keep them with the board. Short on time? Check out Monopoly Express (MSRP: $14.99), which shrinks the game to a mere 20 minutes. CLUE: The makers of this 60-year-old murder mystery favorite (Hasbro) appear to have replaced the games ever-proper Tudor mansiona beloved deathtrapwith a dramatically remodeled sprawling estate, which include
extra potential murder locales like a media room and spa. The posh party has changed, toovictims, murderers, or innocents might include an aged sports celebrity or megarich video game designer instead of stuffy academics and ancient military leaders. Yes, Im getting to the weapons the enlarged cache is certainly deadly, with few victims likely to miss the lead pipe, now replaced by a baseball bat, ax, and trophy. Best of all, though, is that the game has been made much more challenging and unpredictable because players must consider a second deck of cards. Think of this makeover as Clue 2.0youll recognize the basics but enjoy learning some new bells and whistles alongside your young sleuths. Tips: Hasbro also has expanded the Clue brand through certain character-specific editions, including a very cool one based on the Harry Potter books (MSRP: $26.99). In the latter, the game challenge is somewhat boosted because the board contains wheels that might reveal secret passages or Voldemorts dreaded Dark Mark, so young detectives must be extra alert. Try playing the Harry Potter movie soundtracks in the background and snacking on Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans (wacky-flavored jelly beans) for extra ambiance. DOMINOES: Reportedly played since 1120, Dominos remains true to its core game concept of matching divided rectangular tiles of varying dots (technical name: pips) end to end. However, that doesnt mean this centuries-old game hasnt experienced some modernization that even old-timers will love. Bendomino, for instance, contains the traditional 28 tiles but bends them like mini-rainbows and adds bright colors. The result is a twisty-turny layout that requires more concentration and strategy (you can block opponents whose tiles may not fit into the layout). As a nice aside, socially responsible manufacturer Blue Orange (http://www.blueorangegames. com) plants two trees for each tree it uses in production of their games. Also, be forewarned that the manufacturer has labeled the tiles as choking hazards to children age 3 and under. Wooden junior (MSRP: $19.99) and spiffy deluxe (MSRP: $34.99) versions are also available. Another versionFundomino (MSRP: $19.99, Blue Orange)mimics the roundness of Bendominoes but players

must match colored and numbered tiles to try to reach 120 points first. Action is kept lively because some of the dominos are wild or direct players to draw or play again. If your children are older or desire serious challenge, consider turning to High-Rise Dominoes (MSRP: $34.00, Fundex Games). Recommended for age 8 and up, players match and stack their tiles vertically to build a skyscraper. Testers give the game extra cool points for its revolving, 5 -inch plastic board and the spacers that help hold the ever-changing construction together. Another plus is that wild tiles can help lead to dramatic swings in the scoring, so everyone has to pay close attention from all angles. Tips: Bendomino is priced at $16.99, inexpensive enough that you can do what many families do buy two sets to double the size. With 56 tiles, players can create very large snakelike designs across your dining room table. Playing time with two sets is about 2035 minutes, and half that with only one set. Meanwhile, High-Rise Dominoes, which comes with 36 tiles versus 21, takes much longer than the other two versionsoften more than an hour, although the time goes by quickly. SCRABBLE: With more than 18,000 U.S. schools hosting Scrabble clubs that compete at local, state, and national levels, your child may already be deep into the world of wooden letter tiles and timed spelling. Now add in the 200-plus adult clubs, the nearly-as-many sanctioned tournaments of the National Scrabble Association, the games ever-expanding global distribution, and the crazy-hot Facebook version Scrabbulous (which was challenged by Hasbro
Parenting for High Potential is published quarterly and is distributed as a membership benefit by the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC). The views expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NAGC or its Board of Directors. Copyright 2009 National Association for Gifted Children 1707 L Street, NW, Suite 550 Washington, DC 20036 202-785-4268 www.nagc.org

for trademark infringement when the game was the ninth most popular application on this social media site). Thus, few should be surprised to learn that one third of American homes contain this National Toy Hall of Fame winner. While creative marketing and a fair price tag (MSRP: $12.99, Milton Bradley Hasbro Games) have helped keep Scrabble on parents must-have lists, so too has the variety of game versions that go well beyond just a Disney version or Junior edition, for instance. These contemporary takes keep things interesting by changing the rules, speed, and structure. Scrabble Upwards (MSRP: $19.95) turns a flat crossword game into a 3-D stackable version that lets players rack up huge scores because even tiles that are built five-high are counted in the final word. Kids love scores in the hundreds! The same holds for Super Scrabble (MSRP: $24.95, Winning Moves) with its super-sized board and 200 tiles that let everyone create even more words. Scrabble Express (MSRP: $12.95) mimics Monopoly Express by condensing game time to 20 minutes, but the newer version that really scored high with young and young-at-heart testers was Scrabble Me! (MSRP: $19.95, Winning Moves). Youre on your own here, and no one is squirming while waiting a turn, because everyone is playing all the time with his or her own board. Between plays, everyone can choose either an unknown tile from the bag or a face-up letter from the prize tile podium. Adding to the craziness are wild tiles that, when used, require an opponent to swap boards with that player. Tips: Although aimed at 2 to 4 players, Scrabble Me! can be great fun at a neighborhood or school game night with multiple sets. It can be a bit confusing at first to children under age 8 (the manufacturer suggests age 8 and up for all of these versions), but they do catch on, even teaming up at times to increase their competitiveness. The wild tile trades are particularly popular and draw enthusiastic shrieks, even from the classic crowd. Clearly, whether centuries old or minutes new, when a game concept is strong, the appeal to play will hold across both generations and innovations.

Aurthors Note

Kristin Clarke is the parent of two high-potential children, and a longtime journalist, editor, and Web content developer who still remembers losing in the Scrabble Club semi-final in seventh grade. She can be reached at fishtrail@aol.com.

SpeedingUp

1/28/08 8:30 AM
Services cater to our speeded-up lives
By Marco R. della Cava, USA TODAY
If you're reading these words, the chocolates and flowers are on their way. Because given the gazillion draws of modern life the cellphone, the BlackBerry, the boss, the kids, the TiVo, the dog it's a small miracle this sentence has made it into your day. Our fast society is only getting faster, putting inordinate demands on our time and prompting the people and companies that service our lives to come up with ways to help us reclaim some of it. Don't have time to read all those magazines you subscribe to? Not a problem. A new website called Brijit offers one-paragraph summaries of even the most complex and deeply researched tomes. "It's like drinking from a fire hose these days," says founder Jeremy Brosowsky. "There's more good stuff than ever, but the problem is consuming it day to day." Is playing Monopoly akin to sitting through an endless symphony? Monopoly Express now gets you and your top hat on and off Boardwalk in 20 minutes (Scrabble Express and Sorry! Express offer similar speedy promises). "People just have a lot more options for what to do with their time now," says Rob Daviau, Hasbro senior game designer. "People still love board games, but TV, the Web, soccer games all cut in." Speed dating too slow? Speed Date.com dispatches with the in-person part of the encounter and sets strangers up for threeminute rounds of e-mailing or instant messaging. "We found that people think filling out long forms for most dating sites is too timeconsuming," says co-founder Dan Abelon. "Our goal is to get people together, but even faster than before." The sense that time is speeding up isn't new. Surely that's what folks said when the automobile displaced the horse. Or, for that matter, when the wheel showed up. It's a sentiment often celebrated in song. "And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking, racing around to come up behind you again," David Gilmour sings on Pink Floyd's Time. That was recorded in 1973. "There's never been a time in history when people didn't think things were going faster than ever before," says James Gleick, author of Faster: The Acceleration of Just About Everything. Since the book appeared in 1999, "things have gotten even worse, and I sense that we've got to hit a wall soon." Though Gleick is loath to moralize on the topic ("No one should tell you to slow down"), he says certain endeavors whether recovering from an injury or savoring the slow beauty "of a pitcher scuffing the dirt on his mound" will not hold up to the crushing
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recovering from an injury or savoring the slow beauty "of a pitcher scuffing the dirt on his mound" will not hold up to the crushing weight of acceleration. "Speed is fun, but it also doesn't necessarily make things better," says Gleick, who is working on a book about the history of information, which he says is not going quickly. "If we can hold those two notions side by side, we'll be OK." And if we don't balance what we can do with what we should do, the results won't be pretty. "The bottleneck in this sped-up system is our minds," says Richard Shiffrin, professor of psychology at Indiana University and an expert on cognitive functions. "The cost of acceleration, if we try and keep up, is that our responses to things move from reflective to reactive. In essence, you're faced then with a choice between doing more things but sloppily, or fewer things well." Shiffrin has opted for the latter. In fact, reaching him isn't easy given that he's prone to ignoring most voice mails and all but a few urgent e-mails. "There is a lot of analysis out there on the deficits associated with task-switching. The cost is all part of the increased stress of our fast-paced environment." Of course, voices have been raised in reaction to this sprint through life, typified by the Slow Food movement. But for most of us, opting to savor a multi-hour meal is as likely as dismissing the ATM so we can have a long chat with the bank teller. Not going to happen. Technology, as always, takes center stage in the debate over the relative merits of our high-speed lives. Tech is both culprit and savior. On the one hand, the Internet has made the once-daunting Encyclopedia Britannica seem as simple to navigate as My First Alphabet. On the other, the digitization of just about anything has given rise to timesavers such as quicker computer boot-ups, ondemand movies and instant camera-to-computer-monitor photo albums. (Ugh, did we really once wait days for film to be processed?) "Most marketing efforts today focus on simplifying your life and giving you back time," says Peter Sealey, former chief marketing officer of Coca-Cola and now adjunct professor of marketing at Claremont (Calif.) Graduate University. "Most people are screaming, 'Take this burden off me!' So the promise isn't so much about doing something faster, but the implication that you'll have more time to do the things you really want to do." The promise of saving time is so powerful that it can give rise to magazine ads like this one: "Exercise in exactly four minutes per day." That's the pitch from the folks at fastexercise.com, whose $14,615 Range of Motion machine looks like a cross between a Rube Goldberg contraption and a bike. "I'm not sure four minutes would do it, but certainly it's no secret that a 30-minute workout is what everyone's shooting for," says Joe Moore, president of the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, who says the big trend in his industry is offering customers faster workouts. "People talk a lot about going to the gym, but they often don't have much time for it." Or for much of anything. Take Irit Epelbaum. Compared with the laid-back pace of her native Bolivia, her rapid-fire Silicon Valley lifestyle is the stuff of madness. But by our time-crunched standards, she's family. "I drop off my laundry on the way out the door, I listen to Portuguese language tapes during my commute, I exercise at lunch if I can, and I eat at my desk." No wonder Epelbaum, 28, was intrigued by SpeedDate.com. Though the service didn't yield a boyfriend, it did fit neatly into her schedule. "The whole world is changing, getting faster, so anything that helps me have a life is welcome," says Epelbaum, who works for MerchantCircle.com, a start-up company that shifts small businesses onto the info superhighway. "It's the life I've chosen. Still, it's nothing like life in New York. When I lived there, everything was for pickup or delivery. No one had any time to get things themselves." Some of those Big Apple speed demons are customers of Yanik Silver's new company, Maverick Business Adventures. Once Silver realized that today's adrenaline-amped entrepreneurs have about as much interest in a five-hour round of golf as they do in dialing a rotary phone, he launched an outfit that promises networking opportunities mixed with fun, quick adventures, like sky diving, racing cars or rock climbing. "Socializing while golfing is so yesteryear," says Silver, whose personal timesaving addictions include TiVo, "which helps me shave 15 minutes off a one-hour show, and gives me back a little time to spend with my two kids." Funny, but children often seem to be the spark behind today's time-saving creations. For Brijit's Brosowsky, who has four kids under 5, a lack of free time led to his "coffee-table problem," stacked as it was with unopened magazines.

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"I just wanted someone to tell me what was good and what wasn't," says Brosowsky, whose site pays reviewers a modest fee to summarize often weighty pieces in magazines such as The New Yorker "We all have so much trouble staying on top of things today. And at the same time, we're all expected to be current. We're now in the era of the human filter, people you trust sorting things for you." Tim Ferriss thinks most of us have it all wrong, as evidenced by the title of his best-selling book, The 4-Hour Workweek. In a nutshell, this serial entrepreneur is all about concerted bursts of productivity enabled by counterintuitive moves such as hiring online personal assistants from services like AskSunday.com (the logic being that your time is pricier than theirs) and checking email a maximum of twice a day (because you'd be surprised how few e-mails really need instant responses). Following these bursts are what Ferriss calls "mini-retirements," like the three-week one he's on now in the Uruguayan beach town of Punta del Este. "Acceleration isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is when applied to all things," he says via his Skype phone, the sounds of resort life chirping in the background. "I find that for most people, a sped-up life leads to feelings of guilt and anxiety instead of productivity and relaxation. Unending acceleration isn't scalable, whether as a lifestyle or as a business model." Ferriss says people too often "confuse being busy with being productive." He lives by an 80/20 principle, which holds that it takes only 20% of our focused efforts to yield 80% of our work. The rest, in essence, is just wasted time. "Figure that one out, and you will get off the hamster wheel," he says. It's difficult to say whether Ferriss delivering such dictums from a beach retreat just proves his point, or simply makes him an object of enervating jealousy. But even more maddeningly, trying to figure that one out has wasted more of what we all lack.

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