Happy New (Liturgical Year) Question Game {A Free Printable}

Would you like an activity to help you and yours reflect and connect this new liturgical year - or even on the new calendar year which will be coming up before we know it?

Then, please let the fruit that came of my family's crazy First Sunday of Advent schedule this year be something that blesses you and yours.

The Making of the Game

This year, a commitment that my boys had precluded our family from being together to celebrate the new liturgical year the way we typically do. So, I got to work thinking about how I might help us to reflect and connect when we were all together again.

What I came up with was a Happy New Year Question Game.

Inspired by a marriage help exercise that I recalled reading about in John M. Gottman's The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, I created a game that could help my family reflect and connect together as we conclude one year and start the next.

Basically, I typed up a list of 100 questions and some rules, then, printed them out and waited until we were all together to play.

The game worked well, so I thought I would share it here in case you and yours would like to try it.

Playing Is Easy

All you need to play are some time to sit together, the Happy New Year Question Game printable, and pieces of scrap paper and pencils for each player to write 25 numbers and keep a tally of their score upon.

Then as it says on the game printable:

1. Each person, take a piece of paper and pencil, randomly decide 25 numbers between 1 and 100, and write these down in a column on the left side of your paper.

2. Hand another player the list, and tell that player your first number. That player reads the question that corresponds to the number you stated. If answer the question, and, if you answer it right (the other player judges that!), you receive the amount of points listed after the question and the other player receives one point. If you answer incorrectly, the other player must state a correct answer, and no one receives points.

3. Next, the player who you handed the questions to takes a turn. (If playing in a group, players may not hand the list to anyone who has participated in the last two turns.)

4. Continue to take turns like this until someone reaches 25 points. That person wins the game… and, in reality, you all win for having spent time communicating and reflecting.

Reflect, Connect, and Seed Spiritual Growth

If our experience is anything to go by, in doing this, you and yours will share laughter and thought while reflecting on the past year and planting seeds for spiritual growth in the next. Find the Happy New Year Question Game printable here. You could also, of course, use the question list for personal journaling or journal prompts for your children. I'd love to hear about your experience if you choose to play (or journal)!

Happy New Liturgical Year!