The Art of Storytelling and Playing Differently

What is a board game? At first glance, it is a leisure activity that is practised in a group in which there are rules and regulations. Whether it is to form pairs or to arrive first at your destination, it always consists of achieving goals and objectives. However most importantly, there is always a story to tell.

... and if we told the story of the ART•ZY FAM•LY game like we would a fairy tale:

 At Lalita's Art Shop, six artistic families were preparing their portraits for the annual exhibition. When the day came, they all gathered at the shop and were amazed and blown away by how talented their neighbours were. Suddenly and out of nowhere there was a huge “Boom!” Frightened, everyone scattered and started running around. Consequently, families were separated and people started looking around for familiar faces.

Lalita called her three friends, Esteban, Leila and Édouard to the rescue to help her reunite the separated families. It was then that the four heroes, competitive by nature, wanted to prove that they would be the best and fastest at bringing families back together. Thus, acting as team captains, the four hero's, called out names without divulging to the others who they were trying to reunite.

Let the games begin!

LALITA

Esteban, is the grandmother rabbit with you?

ESTEBAN

Yes, she is! I will send her your way.

LALITA

Thanks, Esteban, do you also have the little boy rabbit?

ESTEBAN

 No, I do not, go look in the middle for him.

LALITA

No, he is not there, your turn!

ESTEBAN 

Édouard, have you seen the Retro dog?

ÉDOUARD

Nop, I did not see him.

ESTEBAN

Oh, he is in the middle! Leila, have you seen the Retro mother?

LEILA

Yes sir, she is with me but she will come see you now.

When all the families were reunited, the heroes compared their accomplishments, counting how many they had on their side. Which hero was the most successful? The story never reveals who won, but the important thing to remember is that friends came together, accomplished their mission and brought families back together, all while having a great time!

We invite you and encourage you to stage a story when playing board games with your children. They will surprise you with their imagination, have a better understanding of the game and feel more involved. And evidently it will be the story of your own family.

Would you like to go further and illustrate your own version of an ART • ZY FAM • LY? You can!

Discover our activity inspired by our ART•ZY FAM•LY game, where we invite you to create your own FAM•LY!

Let the adventures begin!

Catherine Watts Cowan

Game specialist

Lalita’s Art Shop