Homemade Game Board

I made this game board for my parents for Christmas last year. I got the idea from Family Fun Magazine. The object of the game is to be the first to return home with a box full of treasures collected during a trip through old neighborhoods. But the race to win is only half the fun; the real entertainment is in the reminiscing as players relive family history

What you need:

An old game board (save the box)
Con-Tact paper, clear and white (or one with a subtle pattern)
Solid-colored wrapping paper (I
Glue stick
2- by 4-inch removable mailing labels
A trivia card
Electrical tape

GAME BOARD

1. Cover the top of the board with the white/subtle Con-Tact paper.
2. Create thirty 2- by 2-inch game spaces using a computer and removable mailing labels, cutting the 2- by 4-inch labels in half after printing them. See the complete list of game spaces below.
3. Affix the spaces evenly on the board, as shown.
4. To mark where the trivia cards are stacked during play, glue one of the cards to the board near the Home space, "Memory Lane" side up.
5. Seal the game board with clear Con-Tact paper.
7. Wrap the edges of the board with electrical tape.



GAME SPACES



The magic of Memory Lane resides in the appeal of the places you choose for the "Share a Memory spaces": a favorite family cottage by the ocean, an old movie theater in town, the neighborhood school -- any location that your kids love and that evokes memories. Our board has 18 "Share a Memory" spaces, including some showing former family homes. The remaining 12 slots are instructional and specialty spaces, specifically:

Pick a card (make 4)
Swipe! Take a treasure (from an opponent; make 3)
Pick a treasure (from the pile; make 2)
Go to your room! (and skip a turn; make 1)
Start (make 1)
Home (make 1)

GAME BOX



Our game box was made by covering the old game box with the same contact paper and electrical tape used on the game board. I also just printed out the name of the game and adhered that to it as well.

TRIVIA CARDS

Use a computer and printer to create 20 or so 3- by 5-inch cards with trivia questions on one side and "Memory Lane" on the other. We included some questions about current players, such as "Where (city or hospital) was the player to your left born?"; others that focused on interesting family history; and a few that required identifying baby pictures.

TREASURES



We used wooden cutouts (available in the wood section of craft stores) for our treasures. Each represents an important element of life: health (an apple), wealth (a car), happiness (a smiley face), knowledge (a bus), and relaxation (a ship). You'll need a set of treasures for each player. Our game has 4 sets.

TREASURE BOXES

Made from empty candy tins, our treasure boxes are just the right size for holding the treasures. To decorate the tins, I painted the tops solid red and you can add some color to the sides with electrical tape (slicing the tape along the openings after it was applied), then hot-glued a charm on each.

ODDS AND ENDS

To complete the game, you'll need charms matching the ones glued to the treasure boxes to serve as game pieces (one for each player). You'll also need a die.

HOW TO PLAY THE GAME

Each player chooses a game token and its matching empty treasure box. Roll the die to establish the order of play, then proceed around the board based on the roll of the die.

When you land on a space, follow the instructions. For instance, if you land on a "Share a Memory" space featuring your local library, you must tell a brief story about yourself at the library or share a related fact, such as the title of a favorite book. Some spaces reward you with a treasure; others require that you answer a question correctly to earn one.

Once you've collected all 5 treasures, you can turn up the path to Home. If someone takes a treasure from you before you arrive, however, you must go back around the board until your collection is again complete. The first player to roll the exact number to land on Home wins.

Here are the instructions you can copy and print:

Memory Lane

Object of the game:
Be the first player to collect all five treasures and make it Home.

Set up:
Each player chooses a game piece and a matching empty Treasure Chest. Place the game pieces at Start. Shuffle and place the Family Trivia cards face down on the game board. Set the Treasures off to the side of the board. Roll the die to determine the order of play: High roll goes first; play proceeds clockwise around the board.

How to play:

Each player rolls the die on his turn and moves around the board. More than one player can occupy the same space. When you land on a space, follow the instructions.

Share a Memory space: tell a brief story about yourself at the specific location or share a related fact (for instance, if it’s a library, the title of a favorite book.)
Family Trivia space: take the top card from the pile and have another player read the question aloud. If the trivia card requires identifying a picture, the player showing the card must cover up the answer
Treasure space: choose a missing treasure for your collection
Go To Your Room: miss your next turn
Swipe: take a treasure from another player

Once you’ve collected all 5 treasures, you can turn up the path to Home. If someone takes a treasure from you before you arrive, however, you must go back around the board until your collection is again complete.

The first player to roll the exact number to land on Home wins.