Pokemon Go & Kids: If Ya Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em

If you have kids you have undoubtedly heard of the newest craze, Pokemon Go! 

My youngest boys, ages 7 and 8, wanted to download it on their iPhones as they LOVE anything Pokemon, and of course I put it on there for them. At first, I thought it was a major headache! This is not a game that you can play while staying in, or even going out in your own yard. No, you have to walk or drive all over the place to find these furry little things! All day long I would hear, "Will you please take us to look for Pokemon?" 

So, out of self-defense, me and my husband decided to make evenings Pokemon Go time for our family. At first, we just loaded up the kids and drove around while the 2 boys looked for Pokemon, stopping at PokeStops along the way.

 After a while, the whole family got into it. Me and Ken each downloaded the app, and even my older kids, ages 17 and 19 come and play along when they don't have to be at work. We started having contests, like who could catch the most Pokemon or who could find a certain kind first. Note: Ken does NOT play while driving, he waits until we stop at a parking lot. 

We also have family exercise time while playing this game. Before dinner, we go for a walk through our neighborhood to hatch our eggs. Yes, you get eggs in Pokemon Go and have to incubate them. You do this by putting the egg in an incubator, then you have to walk so many kilometers for your egg to hatch, each egg tells you how far you must walk. You can't cheat and drive either.

Then, we come in and eat dinner. After that we load everyone up and go out for Pokemon Go, with a Dairy Queen ice cream cone on the side.

While me and Ken are not big Pokemon Go enthusiasts, we look at it as just another opportunity to spend quality time as a family. Everyone has fun, especially the boys, and memories are made that will last a lifetime. They won't be kids for long, I intend to make as many memories as possible.

Have fun!