Our family loves games of all sorts! Scavenger hunts, board games, card games, relays . . . you name it. In fact, I even told Dan that I was pregnant with our first child through the board game, Sorry (Ignore any title connotations! It just happened to be one of our favorite games at the time.)
One of the games that Dan frequently plays with the kids is Candy Land. So for Father’s Day 2012, we will be playing . . . drumroll . . . DADDY LAND! Yes, our family will be competing through a live version of Candy Land with a life-sized game board, color cards and instead of candy canes and gum drops, we’ll be using Daddy’s favorite treats. And we can’t wait!
Would you like to create your own version of Daddy Land for your Father’s Day Celebration?
Here’s the How To:
You will need: colored paper, rocks (if you’re playing outside), six of your husband’s favorite snacks or treats, white cardstock, a banner entrance and props for your game board if desired, camera, computer and printer.
Draw Pile Cards
Create, print and cut the color cards to draw from. Match the colors of your colored paper as close as possible. I printed 7 batches of the cards. (6 colors x 7 batches = 42 cards for the draw pile)
Purchase six of your husband’s favorite treats. Create the “treat” drawing cards by placing each item on a colored sheet of paper and snapping a picture. Take the digital images and print onto white cardstock. (I used my Silhouette Cameo to create the banner entrance pictured earlier and also to cut all the cards. But you can simply make the cards with your printer and cut by hand.)
Next, return to your treat images and print a large version on white cardstock. Cut them out and glue to the full sheet of colored paper.
Gather your props and set up your board. All of the actual treats were at the end of the game, including Dan’s gift, Mad Gabs. (The game theme continues.)
Even with all the excitement of getting ready, I am amazed that the kids haven’t yet spilled the beans. And if you happen to see some crazy people out in the lawn hopping on sheets of colored paper, stop on by and say hi. We may even share some of the sweet treats.
Are you ready to get your game on and play Daddy Land? What would your husband’s Daddy Land treats be?
(If you want to peak at last year, go here to see our t-shirt theme.)
My name is Kristen. I'm a former Wedding & Event Planner blogging about fun ways to celebrate each and every day and the special occasions of life. Here you'll find inspiration for family fun, children's activities, party planning and a faith-filled life. 
This is SO SO SO cute!!! What a great idea!
Thanks Jenae! 🙂
Kristen,
What fun ideas you have. So glad I found your blog through The Better Mom. Great posts.
Thanks Lori! I’m so glad you stopped by. 🙂
love the daddyland idea! so cute! (but yes, the cards not laying flat would drive me nuts too … would cardboard or posterboard have helped?)
Colored cardstock would be an improvement, but you’d still run into some of the problem. But with the number of sheets I needed, colored paper was more economical. Doing it on the concrete or inside would solve it for us crazy people! 😉
What a cool idea! I wonder if a school supply site might have plastic squares that would work just as well. There’s got to be something out there!
Plastic squares would be perfect!
Wow, that’s really cute!!! So, Dan doesn’t read your blog, right? 🙂
I would just use the color cards from the Candy Land game and try to find colored paper that matches them closely enough, tape the outer bags from the treats onto the treat spaces, and tape the wrappers from individual treats onto the treat cards…but I don’t have a printer and am not known for my crafting skills!
My brother and I made our own Clue game when we were in college and our parents were threatening to throw away our old Fisher-Price Play Family toys: “NO!!! We still play with them!!!” “Oh yeah? Prove it!” We drew cards depicting the people, the rooms, and some things that could be used as weapons (had to get creative there: cars, chairs, sewing machine), and we made the notebooks out of graph paper. We still play it every time we’re both at our parents’ house.
Becca, Dan subscribes and reads the emails. But he was under strict instruction to not read it the day this posted. 😉 I love it when you can make something completely simple or make it crafty and more detailed. Then it can fit anyone.
How funny about the Clue game. I love it that you guys still play when you go home. We have created CLUE LIVE with our youth group a couple times and used a private drive – each house was a “room,” the suspects (aka parents) dressed up and followed a loose script. The teens ran all over the place to solve the crime. What a blast it was!
Thanks for leaving a comment! 🙂
That is the cutest thing! How did you ever come up with that idea! I love it!
Thanks Danni! I love themes and was wracking my brain trying to come up with one for this Father’s Day. I knew my husband wanted Mad Gabs and then thinking how the kids love to play Candy Land with him . . . and it hit me. Game theme and Daddy Land!
How fun! I have the same issues too…if the paper doesn’t lay flat I would be bothered. Lol. I’m sure he will LOVE it! How lucky he is. 🙂 Thank you for sharing at our Pinteresting Party.
Thanks Lauren!
Great ideas! I’m working on creating a special day for my husband this week. I’d love to invite you to share Saturday Show & Tell on Cheerios and Lattes! I know my readers will love your ideas too!
http://www.cheeriosandlattes.com/saturday-show-tell-14-1st-week-of-summer/
Have a great weekend!
Mackenzie 🙂
Thanks Mackenzie! I’ll be over. 🙂
If my kids were little I would do this in a heartbeat! Such a cute and clever idea! You could mod podge the papers to cardboard to make them lay flat. Or put them in clear sheet protectors with a piece of cardboard inserted as well. {you could use the cardboard from a cereal box} I know your husband and kids will have fun at this game!
Great ideas, Stephanie!! Thanks!
Super cute idea! You are going to have to take pics so we can all see the fun they have. Enjoy.
How fun!!! I love this idea!!!!
I love it! I was sent here from Teach Me Tuesday. I wish I saw this earlier in the week.
I LOVE this!! We might have to try this just for fun…Father’s Day is way too far away to wait! Still, I’m going to pin it on my Holidays for Kids board–thanks for sharing it at Teach Me Tuesday!!
OK, I’m probably going to look like an idiot for asking, but how do you play? I think I played Candy Land as a kid but don’t remember the rules. I’m planning a daddy/daughter date for my church and would love to play the game if you can give me some more info. Thanks!
Hi Darcy Mae, it is really easy and it will come back to you quickly. On each person’s turn, they draw a card. If it is a color, they advance to the next “red” square on the board. If it is a double color (two “blue” squares) on the card drawn, they advance two blue squares. Winner is the one who gets to the end first. We always play you must draw exact last color to win. The hitch in the game comes with the treat cards. Since there is only one of each treat, if you draw the M&M card (for example), you must go to the M&M square on the board…whether it is toward the end of the game or back near the beginning. What a sweet idea to play this for a daddy/daughter night. I’d love to hear more about it or see some pictures of what you do!!