My parents and sis were in town this past weekend and, as usual, we played improv games.

And, as usual, I laughed so hard I screamed, cried, and... got a hangover!? (No alcohol involved).

Yes, the other night, my sister made me laugh to the point of tears... my kids looked concerned at one point.

What was the game that got me so good, you ask?

TV Talking.

We've been playing since we were little kids and, yep, here I am about to turn 40 and we still play every chance we get.

All you do is mute the TV, pick a character, and make up what they're saying as you watch.

HILARITY.

Note: This works BEST with sitcoms because there aren't too many characters or too much action/confusion.

We chose the show "Animal Control" because we'd never seen it (it's best if you don't know the actual plot!) and BOY was it a good one.

One of the parts that really got me scream-laughing was Natalie made up this whole subplot that her guy kept asking women out on dates to fast food drive throughs but he would put a limit on how much they could order and then Venmo request them the next day if they went over the limit.

There was also a subplot of a woman who was collecting money from everyone in the office for the boss' birthday but then she secretly just spent it all on herself at Dollar Tree and it wasn't even the boss' birthday. 😂

I was laughing so hard that my stomach hurt and my head hurt the next day (this happens when I cry really hard too... anyone else??)

As someone who's been playing this game for over 30 YEARS (whoa...🤯), I can tell you THIS:

You don't have to be extremely funny/clever for this game to be fun.

You just need to be present, confident (even if you're faking it), and pay attention.

Not only to the actors on TV but to what the other players are saying.

I had some horrible "flops" of saying completely un-funny things the other night, but it was still hilarious because there are simply no wrong answers in improv.

Best of all: My 2yo and 5yo were sitting there on the couch watching and eating it all up. 🥹

At one point, my son even started crying because it was time to stop and go to bed and he didn't want the game to end. And he was just watching!

...that's one of my favorite things about improv games. You don't even have to be the one playing to feel part of the fun!

My invitation for you this week:

Try TV Talking with your family! Just mute a show, pick your characters, and make up their dialogue as you watch.

If your kids aren't ready to jump in, start with your partner or even by yourself. Picture books or making up animal voices on a nature show are great ways to ease younger kids into it, too!

Cheering you on always,

Mia

P.S. Improv games like this are, in my opinion, the most underrated tool for intergenerational family connection and big age gaps. Not to mention, a way to stay connected through the years... like me and my family still playing this 30 years later!

That's why my full improv game resource is now included in Activate Play Mode! Tap HERE to learn more.

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