Exotic Flowers in Boston

It’s the type of entertainment that most generations have experienced during their youth and perhaps even enjoyed later on in their adulthood-VIDEO GAMES!  Yes, the truth is, I spent much of my childhood and teen years in front of a gaming console; battling out demons and other monsters who stood in the way of my character’s mission.   Asteroids, Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Centipede, Pong, King Kong and Tetris is just a short list of the digitalized adventures that I devoured over the decades and continue to find myself enticed by every time I take my boys to the arcade.  Let’s face it- gaming is a massive part of most juvenile entertainment that not only teaches us hand eye coordination but also problem solving and coding skills. That is why gaming still remains one of the largest sources of revenue for major technology companies who spend millions of dollars pouring research and development funds into cultivating new ideas to hook untapped demographics.  Each year, brilliant innovators are able to attract a fresh customer base to try their luck at a specific game matched according to their individualized, unique interests. Could that perhaps even include flower enthusiasts? Well, I do believe so…

Flowers have actually made several appearances within some of our most beloved games and contribute attributes such as super powers and even assistance against evil nemeses.  Programmers have cleverly inserted these seemingly innocent blooms to become anything from a bomb to a weed that allows players to climb up to higher levels. Florists may want to take notice of this finding for purposes such as teen birthdays parties, graduations or even a gaming fanatic’s wedding celebration.  Creative and inspiring centerpieces can be designed to mimic our favorite digital icons, which not only provide an interesting theme but a sure-fire conversational piece for events. If this idea sounds alluring, here are some of our favorite arcade challenges which all feature a crucial flower as part of the game.

Super Mario Brothers

Flower Fire: These are essential “power up” icons to find during Mario’s travels which allow him to throw fire balls at all of his enemies.

Piranha Plant:  These hungry plants are awfully scary, especially since they pop up out of tunnels unexpectedly attempting to eat our hero!

The Legend of Zelda

Flower Bombs: Be careful with these buds because once you throw them, they’re likely to go BOOM!

Flower

This whole game is comprised of petal exploration as gamers travel through a world, manipulating factors such as wind intensity to grow new fields of blooms and regrow those that have died.

The kids are finally out of school for summer vacation and families are busy making their seasonal plans for entertainment!  The next few months can be tricky for some parents and anxiety may sit in due to the frustration of coming up with new activities.  I think we’ve all heard those agonizing words of “I’m bored” and “What are we going to do now?” at some point or another and there’s no doubting that summer scheduling can become a bit challenging.  How can we keep our children occupied for the next two months without emptying our wallets completely? 

This year I’ve swapped some of those expensive ticket fees for parks and movie passes for some quality games that I can set up right in my own backyard!  Over the past recent years, adults have been faced with the technology age of iphones and ipads that have swapped their kid’s time in the outdoors for time on a screen.  So what if we lure them with some play that they can enjoy within a healthy environment underneath the sun?  The benefits of this strategy are endless including physical fitness, fresh air and face time with their loved ones.  These are my top picks for my family’s backyard fun!

                                        photo credit: sportsrediscovered.com

Badminton

If you’re going to put up any net, make it a badminton set!  Components of this game are very simple which include a net, racquets and a birdie.  The object of the game is similar to tennis accept that the birdie is lightly tapped from one side to the other.  Since the equipment is light in weight and the net sits a little lower than others, kids from all ages can join in!

Croquet

This traditional and colorful challenge was first invented in 1856 in England where it became known as the game of civility.  The goal is to knock your chosen ball through small arcs called “wickets” and be the first one to make it to the finish pole line.  I love this one because it involves heavy hand eye coordination and is also a great tool for teaching other similar sports such as miniature golf.

                                           photo credit: cliparthut.com

Scavenger Hunt

You don’t have to necessary buy expensive games to have a good time!  Why not make your own entertainment by rigging up a backyard scavenger hunt?  Make a list of five to ten items that your kids can search for such as pinecones, buttercups or a clover and watch them run wild with excitement!  One suggestion before you begin is to be absolutely sure that your objects in the hunt are available in your area and make sure they wont be trampling through dangerous areas with poison ivy or oak.