The number one game you ask me to play when I come over is Jail.

Jail is one of my interactive, we don’t need no stinkin’ board game, mind-creations.

It goes like this:

I block off an area which is “the jail.”  Usually it’s a space at the foot of a chair or base of a sofa – we take ottomans and pillows and make a square box.  Sometimes we throw in a blanket.  There may be a “door,” or not.

There are three fun parts.

1. The song:  “If you talk and do not walk, you will go to jail.”  (I hit paydirt with that one… catchy, huh?)

2. The game:  you and Camden walk around a room… taking a broad, wide course, walking behind the sofas and past the jail.  You start off slowly, never opening your mouth.  Then sounds are emitted – sometimes hesitant, sometimes bold.  Then a casual paced walk turns into a fast walk which turns into a fast run.  Next thing I know, you guys are running around screaming like wild bandshees.

Sheer madness!

My job at this juncture is catching you and putting you in the Jail.  Sometimes you cooperate during the catching process; sometimes you struggle and don’t want to go in.  Eventually you’re in there!

3.  The quiz:  to get out of Jail you have to successfully answer a question.  You never know what I’ll ask you.  For Camden it may be “what was Larry bird’s number?”  For you it might be “what number comes after seven?” Your eyes are always wide-eyed during this part because you don’t know what’s coming.

After successfully answering the quiz question, you are able to leave Jail and return to the walking/no talking thing.  The process repeats itself over and over and over.

Because you (and Camden) never get tired of it, I have to – at some point – suggest picking up our jail building items and moving onto something a bit more q-u-i-e-t.

That hardly ever goes well.

If you talk and do not walk, you will go to Jail!