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The Dinner Table Project

Games

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THE GRATITUDE SANDWICH

THE GRATITUDE SANDWICH

This game is super easy to play and only requires a minute of preparation time. Write everyone's names on a piece of paper and throw them in a bowl. Before your family sits down for dinner, ask everyone to draw a name. Everyone then has to sit in the other person's regular seat and act like them during the dinner. Make sure to draw again if you pick yourself so you don't lose out on the fun! You can also write characters from your favorite show, animals, or family members that aren't present on the tags and impersonate them during dinner.

THE GRATITUDE SANDWICH

THE GRATITUDE SANDWICH

THE GRATITUDE SANDWICH

If you're not really in the mood to play a game, this little gratitude round is the perfect way to put a positive spin on your day. Everyone gets to tell the group two good things that happened that day and one thing that wasn't so great. Make sure to say one of the good things first, then talk about something that you didn't like, and end with another positive event that happened to make the story a sandwich that's easy to digest! 

When you're done talking, pick the next person to build their gratitude sandwich until everyone has shared stories of their day.

WHAT'S COOKING?

THE GRATITUDE SANDWICH

ONCE UPON A TIME...

This game is fun when your kids are a little bit older and have the vocabulary to describe different ingredients. Ask everyone at the table to guess the list of ingredients that are in the meal being served. You can just shout out the ingredients you think the cook used or give everyone a legal pad to make notes of what they think is in the meal.

If you have multiple people contributing to the dinner (appetizer, main course, dessert) you can play multiple rounds!

ONCE UPON A TIME...

ONCE UPON A TIME...

ONCE UPON A TIME...

It doesn't get much simpler than this: start a story with the words "Once upon a time…" and go around the table so everyone can add a new sentence to the story until it's over.

If you like this game, you can ask your kids to write down a bunch of different themes, locations, events, or names and toss them in a jar. Draw one of these papers before your next dinner and tell a story that revolves around it! 

LYRIC RECALL

ONCE UPON A TIME...

LAUGH OUT LOUD

This game can be played in groups or with everyone fending for themselves. Write a bunch of words or phrases on paper slips and throw them in a bowl. Draw a paper slip from the bowl, read it aloud, and ask everyone to write down as many songs as they can think of that have that word or phrase in them. Set a timer for two or three minutes to add pressure! For every song you wrote down that nobody else thought of, you get a token!

LAUGH OUT LOUD

ONCE UPON A TIME...

LAUGH OUT LOUD

Last but not least, this is a cute game to get everyone out of their shells. Appoint a "laugh master" whose job it is to make other people on the call laugh! For every giggle, cackle, or full on belly laughter the "laugh master" gets a token. You can pass the torch around so everyone gets the chance to make the rest of the group laugh.

Recipes

Chicken Stovetop Casserole & Frosted Pumpkin cookies! Hardin County, KY

English Muffin Pizzas

Ingredients:

  • English Muffins
  • Pizza Sauce
  • Pizza Toppings (Cheese, Olives, Pepperoni, Peppers)

Directions: 

  • Cut your English Muffins in half.
  • Spread Pizza Sauce onto each half in a thin layer. 
  • Add toppings
  • Bake in the oven at 350 just until the cheese is melted and toppings are hot (5-10 Minutes) 

Recipe by: Savannah Koenig in Mason County, Kentucky

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups reduced-fat sour cream
  • 2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
  • 8 center-cut bacon or turkey bacon strips, chopped and cooked
  • 1/3 cup minced fresh chives
  • 2 teaspoons Louisiana-style hot sauce
  • Hot cooked waffle-cut fries

Directions: 

  • In a small bowl, mix the first 5 ingredients until blended; refrigerate until serving. Serve with waffle fries.

Chicken & Bacon Roll-Ups

Ingredients: 

  • 1 can (9-3/4 ounces) chunk white chicken, drained
  • 1 carton (8 ounces) spreadable garden vegetable cream cheese
  • 1 cup salsa, divided 
  • 4 pieces ready-to-serve fully cooked bacon, crumbled
  • 6 flour tortillas (8 inches), room temperature

Directions: 

  •  Mix chicken, cream cheese, 1/2 cup salsa and bacon; spread over tortillas. Roll up tightly; wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. 
  • Just before serving, unwrap and cut tortillas into 1-in. slices. Serve with remaining salsa.

Cheeseburger Cups

Ingredients: 

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tube (12 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
  • 1/2 cup cubed Velveeta

Directions: 

  •  In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles; drain. Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Remove from the heat; set aside.
  • Press each biscuit onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased muffin cup. Spoon beef mixture into cups; top with cheese cubes. Bake at 400° for 14-16 minutes or until cups are golden brown.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients: 

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix
  • 1 8 oz tub Cool whip
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar


Directions:

  • Mix cake mix, Cool whip, and 1 egg together.
  • Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes to make dough easier to roll.
  • Once the dough has chilled, use your hands to roll the dough into 1-inch balls.
  • Place powered sugar in a small bowl and roll each dough ball in powdered sugar, coating the cookie dough ball completely.
  • Place the sugar-covered dough balls on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
  • Bake the cookies for approximately 10 minutes, and let them cook on the pan for one minute before removing them from the cookie sheet. Enjoy!

Recipe Request!

We want YOUR favorite, easy, delicious recipes to put on the website, to post on social media, or to publish in one of our future newsletters! 

Send us an email!

Additional Resources

Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

www.samhsa.gov


Talk. They Hear You. 

SAMHSA's underage drinking prevention campaign helps parents and caregivers start talking to their children early about the dangers of alcohol. 

www.samhsa.gov/underage-drinking 

Crisis Text Line

Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

 A global not-for-profit organization providing free crisis intervention via SMS message. The organization's services are available 24 hours a day every day, throughout the US by texting 741741.

See the Signs, Kentucky

Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

SeeTheSignsKY.com is a valuable resource in the detection and prevention of opioid abuse and suicide in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Here, you’ll find guides to recognizing these sometimes subtle signs and direction to immediate assistance. Join Kentucky's fight against opioid addiction and suicide. 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for Teens

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

9-8-8

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for Teens

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for Teens

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for Teens

https://teens.drugabuse.gov/ 

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for Teens

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for Teens

www.cadca.org 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

 https://www.cdc.gov/ 

Printable Coloring Sheets

Healthy Plates with The Dinner Table Project Coloring Sheet (pdf)

Download

Meals Unplugged Coloring Sheet (pdf)

Download

Read 20 minutes (pdf)

Download

Veggies (pdf)

Download

Family is important (pdf)

Download

Favorite fruit (pdf)

Download

Bee Smart Dont Start Coloring Book (pdf)

Download

Bloom Where You Are Planted Coloring Book (pdf)

Download

Building Blocks Coloring Book (pdf)

Download

Positive Thoughts Coloring Book (pdf)

Download

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