Family Fun Night: Get twister-y

Get twister-y, you say? Oh yes, we’re inviting you to immerse yourselves in all things Twister in the name of family fun. For our first installment of January’s Family Fun Night ideas, as a nod to our hashtag of the month: #SFMFamilyMatters, we’re getting twisty with a recipe and a game (and maybe a movie, if the kids are old enough). This easy-peasy recipe for make-‘em-yourself pretzels is a fan favorite among all of the young pups in my universe. Seriously, we make them in Sunday school every year at the beginning of Lent (“praying arm pretzels” in that particular scenario) and it’s always a full house. Naturally there’s only one game that fits into our little theme that we’ve got going here: Twister. But first…

Recipe for Soft Pretzels:

The making of the pretzels is not only ridiculously easy, but it’s fun to boot! There are tasks for all to take part in – even the littles in your family.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 loaves of frozen bread dough (Texas Toast frozen rolls work as well)
• Egg yolk
• Tablespoon of water
• Coarse salt (or cinnamon-sugar combination, if preferred)

Directions:

• Thaw your loaves of frozen bread dough. (Thaw as many as you plan to use)

• Let the dough rise according to directions on the package.
• Divide the dough in half and place on a floured board (though we’ve discovered over the years that the floured board isn’t totally necessary).
• Cut each half into about eight pieces.
• Between your hands roll each strip into roughly an 18 inch rope (or however long floats your fancy).
• Shape into pretzels or twists and place on a greased cookie sheet.
• Brush the tops of the pretzels with beaten egg yolk mixed with a tablespoon of water.
• Sprinkle with coarse salt or the cinnamon-sugar combination.

• Bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes (checking regularly)

The kids will have a blast rolling out their strips and shaping their pretzels. The littlest of fingers will be especially helpful in the sprinkling of the toppings, and if they get to man the brush…Fuhgeddaboudit!

Twister:

Twister, like so many games, has branched out beyond its original, so you could be playing the original Twister, Twister Hoopla, Twister Dance, or Twister Moves. However, the original Twister has the youngest age recommendation at 6-years-old, while the others recommend players be at least 8-years-old. We have both the original and Twister Moves, both are a big hit among my daughter and nieces and nephews. The only semi-bummer about Twister Moves is that only one person can play at a time, but the kids loved competing against each other. (And you’re getting up off the couch and moving, win-win).

If your littlest doesn’t quite have the reach to partake in the actual playing, they could be the official “spinner/announcer,” giving him a chance to show off how well he knows his colors!

Now if your kiddos are a bit older, then maybe the way to cap off your evening of twisty delight is with a viewing of Twister, the 1996 gem starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. It’s rated PG-13 and comes complete with great quotes like, “I gotta go Julia, we’ve got cows!”

Don’t forget to share your family fun night festivities with us using the #SFMFamilyMatters! And be sure to check back in with us each week as we continue to share family night ideas throughout January.