Everyone has a story to tell. Sometimes, they just need a little help telling it.
Families over the ages have shared stories, sometimes passed down through generations, to keep family history – and lore – alive. “Remember the story about Grandpa catching the fish?” “Have you ever heard about Uncle Gary’s job in high school?” “Do you know how our family came to live in Atlanta?” Storytelling weaves families together.
But when your kid asks you to tell them a story of when you were their age, many parents draw a blank. What if there was a storytelling game designed to help the memories you thought you forgot about come to life? Oh wait. There is.
Meet SpinSpinShare™—the game all about spinning up stories from moments in your life to share with others. Read on to learn about how you can learn more about your family and friends with the help of storytelling:
It’s Time To Open Up
As parents, it’s easy to think that we have a solid grasp of what’s going on in our kids’ lives. After all, we see them every day, nourish them, talk to them, and take care of anything else they need. But, what about the time they had a sleepover at their friend’s house and got to try a new food? What about the time they went to camp and won the title of “belly flop legend”? What about a time they were excluded from a group on the playground and had to process that feeling for the first time?
On the flip side, our kids feel the same way about us. They spend every day with us, so of course they know the ins-and-outs of our routines. What more is there? Obviously, our kids haven’t known us our entire lives. They’re aware of this, but it might be in the same way we all grew up thinking our teachers lived at school—when you saw them at the grocery store, it felt like seeing a celebrity. Beyond our roles of “parent,” “step-parent,” “grandparent,” a child may have a difficult time conceptualizing that the most important people in their lives are individuals with their own histories to share.
When we open up to our kids, they’ll open up to us. It’s a classic case of mirroring. If Dad shares he was voted ‘Always Late for Class’ in high school, it’s bound to get a giggle from one kid, and an “I knew it!” from another. After this, you might learn that the last time your daughter slept over at her cousin’s house, she set the record for reciting the ABCs backwards faster than anyone else could.
So, how exactly does SpinSpinShare get us there?
“Share a time you…”
With six different spinner categories that serve as story prompts, the opportunity to remember a story becomes that much easier. By combining two or more spinners at a time, the memories you thought you forgot will be well within reach.
Here are some examples you might spin up. Try them out with your family!
“Share a time when it was winter, and you went somewhere on vacation.”
“Share a time you felt embarrassed, and you were at a restaurant.”
Who said every story had to be a real one? When it’s time to pretend, there’s a spinner to help.
“Share a time you met someone new while you were riding a unicorn.”
For stories that are crowd pleasers, or even just ones you want to remember later, keep track of them in the family storybook by drawing or writing the story together. As time goes on and more and more stories are added, it’ll become a one-of-a-kind history book for everyone in the family to reference anytime they take a trip down memory lane.
See which pennycake best sellers can add meaningful moments to your routine:
- After dinner
- As a bedtime story
- During a “no technology” night
- At Grandma and Grandpa’s house
- Hosting a sleepover
- The first day it’s warm enough to sit on the porch
- Parent and kid one-on-one time
- Neighborhood game night
- Before homework
- When a distraction is needed while detangling a head of hair
- While cooking dinner
- On a lazy weekend morning
Questions and Answers:
Q: My child can’t read yet. Can they still play?
A: These spinners are equipped with pictures, so younger kids can play with the help of an adult.
Q: How many spinners come in the box?
A: Six spinners, each with eight prompts. That equals hundreds of ways to spin up stories!
Q: How many pages are in the family storybook?
A: 100 blank pages.
Q: Is this game portable?
A: While this is intended to be a tabletop game, the spinners are lightweight and easy to carry and pack. Held in a small, sturdy box, SpinSpinShare is easy to pack into a suitcase for a trip
Q: How many players can play at a time?
A: As many as you’d like! The more the merrier.
Q: Who developed SpinSpinShare™?
A: Pennycake® works with child and family experts, who advise on product design principles. Each pennycake® game is designed to bring families closer together and help create meaningful moments of play.
Q: Is this meant to tell real stories or made up ones?
A: It's geared towards telling real stories based on your own memories, but one of the spinners is "pretend" themed, to help add in some fun (it's also great for younger kids who might not have a lot of memories yet).
