Get ready for a whole new way to play Monopoly! Scratch that—get ready for two whole new ways to play the beloved board game.
Forget about buying railroads and get out of jail free cards. The soon-to-be released Monopoly Crooked Cash edition is all about sneaky strategies and devious deception.
The game features fake cash, fake Chance cards, and plenty of accusations. Mr. Monopoly will supply the decoder—giving the players a chance to sleuth out what’s real and what’s not. This fun-filled family-time game is perfect for kids ages eight-plus and their adults. Monopoly Crooked Cash edition has a suggested retail price of $19.99 and will hit stores nationally this coming fall.
As if one new game isn’t enough, Monopoly is bringing fans a second strategy-based option. Monopoly Builder board game takes buying and selling properties to a whole new level.
Instead of just going around the board, now you can build upwards. The game board’s center is more than just a flat open space. In this edition, it’s Monopoly Island! Players (two to four per game) strategically build their own island city using building blocks. The more you build, the more points you’ll earn.
Monopoly Builder is available nationwide starting Aug. 1, 2021 for the suggested retail price of $24.99.
Get ready for a blast from your past—MONOPOLY style! The Care Bears are back with a brand-new edition of the beloved game.
Nostalgia alert. The 80’s are here and they’ve brought Cheer Bear, Wish Bear, Funshine Bear, and the whole gang with them. MONOPOLY: Care Bears Edition is available now (for players ages eight and up). The game play is everything you expect from MONOMPOLY, but with a Care Bear flair.
Instead of the traditional Community Chest and Chance cards, this fun-filled family-friendly edition comes with Sharing and Caring cards. The game also features six collectible tokens, including Rainbow Roller, Cloud Boat, Wheelbarrow, Cloud Car, Hot Air Balloon, and Bicycle.
Buy, sell, and trade the Bears and their Cousins as you collect Star Buddies from your opponents. Spread love and joy through acts of kindness found in the Sharing and Caring cards. Up the 80’s themed fun and add on a Care Bears Dice Set for $7.99.
Not only can you relive your own childhood, but this cute, caring game brings the Bears to a whole new generation! Get your MONOPOLY: Care Bears Edition game from national retailers or online at The Op. This nostalgic stroll through Care-a-lot is for two to six players and sells for $39.99.
Party-pooper Introduction Alert: Our world has collectively struggled through 2020, causing mental health issues to rise dramatically. According to the CDC, nearly 40% of adults surveyed in the US reported mental health concerns related to COVID-19. Schools and businesses face unprecedented challenges, which presents parents and caregivers with new challenges of their own. Our country is sharply divided by politics and personal beliefs to the point that friends and family turn their backs on each other. Despite the struggles and divide we face, we can surely agree on one thing: We need to breathe happiness and positivity back into our lives.
In a time where social distancing brings traditional celebrations to a screeching halt, what can we do? How do we build excitement into our mundane COVID-19 routines when there’s not much excitement to be had? Well, we can find new (and sometimes silly) reasons to celebrate.
Unofficial Observances by Month
From National Toilet Tank Repair Month to National Spray Your Produce Day (yes, they both exist!) I’ve compiled a list of exciting days that may, or may not, be worth celebrating. So dust off your party decorations, pull up Pinterest menu ideas and start planning some unconventional fun with your family.
January
National Dress Up Your Pet Day: January 14th
National Popcorn Day: January 19th
National No Name-Calling Week: January 20th-24th
National Mocktail Week: 3rd week of January
February
National Ice-cream for Breakfast Day: 1st Saturday of February
National Chopsticks Day: February 6th
National Jell-O Week: 2nd week in February
National Random Acts of Kindness Week: Week of February 17th
March
National Plant a Flower Day: March 12th
National Open an Umbrella Indoors Day: March 13th
National Let’s Laugh Day: March 19th
National Goof Off Day: March 22nd
April
National Walk Around Things Day: April 4th
National Read a Roadmap Day: April 5th
National Zoo Lovers Day: April 8th
National Talk Like Shakespeare Day: April 23rd
May
National Screen-Free Week: 1st full week of May
National Lemonade Day: May 1st
National Two Different Colored Shoes Day: May 3rd
National Eat what you Want Day: May 11th
National Dance Like a Chicken Day: May 14th
National Do Something Good for your Neighbor Day: May 16th
June
National Gardening Week: 1st full week of June
National Go Barefoot Day: June 1st
National Say Something Nice Day: June 1st
National Yo-Yo Day: June 6th
National Play Catch Week: 3rd full week of June
National Go Fishing Day: June 18th
July
National Hot Dog Month
National Ice Cream Month
National Tape Measure Day: July 14th
National Give Something Away Day: July 15th
August
National Exercise With Your Child Week: 1st week of August
National Coloring Book Day: August 2nd
National Water Balloon Day: August 7th
National Bowtie Day: August 28th
National Beach Day: August 30th
September
National Teddy Bear Day: September 9th
National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day: September 13th
National Talk Like a Pirate Day: September 19th
National Comic Book Day: September 25th
National Family Day: Fourth Monday of September
National Ghost Hunting Day: Last Saturday of September
October
National World Space Week: October 4th-10th
National Cake Decorating Day: October 10th
National Sports Day: October 16th
National Reptile Awareness Day: October 21st
National Chocolate Day: October 28th
November
National Candy Day: November 4th
World Kindness Day: November 13th
National Family Pajama Day: November 14th
National Play Monopoly Day: November 19th
National Game and Puzzle Week: Week of Thanksgiving
December
National Cookie-Cutter Week: First week of December
International Ninja Day: December 5th
National Pretend to be a Time-traveler Day: December 8th
National Monkey Day: December 14th
National Flashlight Day: December 21st
National Card Playing Day: December 28th
There you have it — twelve months of light-hearted, positive, and goofy things for you to look forward to with your family. Whether you want to celebrate with ice cream every day for a month or spend a day walking around barefoot, this list has something playful to bring out the kid in everyone. Party On!
Danielle Fehring is a professional writer for hire focused on creating materials that educate, edutain, and persuade. She leverages 20+ years in education and public speaking experience to master the art of storytelling. Danielle's hobbies include embarrassing her two teenage sons, developing new skills, traveling, and all things true-crime related. www.reguluswriting.com
Halloween may look a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean the fun needs to stop. These board games will help keep the spirit alive during the spooky season. Grab your favorite treats and plan a screaming good time with your family.
Photo courtesy of Ravensburger
Disney Hocus Pocus: The Game
Stop the Sanderson sisters before the sun rises! Disney Hocus Pocus: The Game is a quick-to-play, cooperative game that includes your favorite spells and quotes from the film, as well as a special appearance from Binx the cat. Players work together to stop the Sanderson sisters from draining the lives of Salem’s children by ruining their potion before the sun rises.
Funko Disney The Haunted Mansion – Call of The Spirits Board Game
Disney’s beloved The Haunted Mansion comes to life—err, death—in this hauntingly fun family board game! Explore all the classic rooms of the ghost-infested manor, from the festivities-filled Ballroom to the Attic and out to the Graveyard and beyond in search of spirits. Beware, though, of the Hitchhiking Ghosts, who are notorious for “following you home” as that may spell your doom in the end!
Sometimes you have to lie to get to the truth in the Clue Liars Edition board game where players use Investigation cards to help them figure out who killed Mr. Boddy in the mansion. Players pick a card and read it out loud, trying to play it cool and convince other players that they’re telling the truth…even if they’re not. If a player suspects they’re lying they can call that player out by hitting the “Liar Button.” Were they caught lying or were they telling the truth? Either way, an Evidence card is revealed and players move one step closer to cracking the case. When a player is ready to make an accusation, they secretly look at the cards placed inside the case file envelope to reveal “Who, What, and Where.” A correct accusation wins the game!
Imagine classic Disney villains stealing, scheming, and competing to see who is the most evil of all! In this Monopoly Board Game: Disney Villains Edition, players travel around the board using a villain token and play as Cruella, Jafar, Scar, Evil Queen, Maleficent, or Hook. The more villains a player hires, the more rent they’ll be able to collect. Activate a character’s special ability by acquiring the Flames of Power ring, change gameplay with Poison Apple cards, and advance on the board by landing on a Vehicle space. The last player with money when all other players have gone bankrupt wins!
This exciting, easy-to-learn cooperative game plays in 20 minutes every time! Team up to save the city from monstrous threats—from space aliens and spider robots to an oozing building-sized blob! As you race around the city rescuing scientists and collecting tools, the app audio track provides urgent news bulletins announcing where the latest threats are attacking. You are the city’s last defense!
In this Monopoly: Ghostbusters Edition Game, players travel around the board buying up Ghostbusting contracts. The game features scenes, characters, tokens, and artwork inspired by the original Ghostbusters movie. Landing on a Supernatural Entity space has players teaming up to battle Slimer, Stay Puft, Library Ghost, or Vinz Clortho to save the city! The last player with petty cash when all other players have gone bankrupt wins! Includes gameboard, 6 tokens, Ghost Trap card holder, 22 Contract cards, 32 Roaming Vapor cards, 32 Ghost Traps, 12 Containment Units, 2 dice, pack of petty cash, and game guide. Requires 2x 1.5V AAA Alkaline Batteries.
Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Wolf Man and others have thrilled and terrified horror fans for almost 100 years, and this Halloween they are bringing spine-chilling fun to your table with Horrified: Universal Monsters. Fans of classic horror movies or clever strategy tabletop games will all enjoy a chance to play the heroes against some of the biggest monsters of all time. PLUS, for the collector or hobby crowd, the player pieces are high-quality crafted miniatures that can be painted and treasured.
In the Funkoverse Strategy Game, combine favorite characters and go head-to-head in a race for points! This edition includes unique playable characters, including Jack Skellington, Sally, Oogie Boogie, and Dr. Finkelstein from the beloved Disney classic, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
The Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Begins cooperative board game is a fun, fast entry into the world of D&D. Players choose their characters and journey as they travel through the lands of Neverwinter, and work together to overcome fantastic obstacles, battle monsters, and defeat the Boss monster terrorizing the realm. The role of Dungeon Master passes from player to player with each turn, so everyone gets to be part of the storytelling. This fantasy game makes a great gift for the emerging D&D fan. Game includes 4 mini-figures, 4 Boss tiles, 4 20-sided dice, 10-sided Dungeon Master die, damage clip, 4 health trackers, plastic deck holder, 20 character tiles, 4 dungeon boards, 24 gold, 4 adventure decks, item deck, 4 reference cards, 8 backpack cards, 12 gatekeeper cards, part stand, and game rules.
Dominate the Marvel Universe as an iconic comic book villain in this new extension of the Villainous franchise. In Marvel Villainous: Infinite Power, each villain follows a unique path to victory and uses different abilities to face other villains and mighty heroes from across the universe. Choose to embody Thanos, Hela, Ultron, Killmonger or Taskmaster and then move to different locations within your domain – all while dealing twists of fate to your opponents from a shared fate deck.
Don’t be fooled by the name, this monster-themed bingo game is full of quirky creatures that are way more Monsters Inc. than Creepshow and it’s easy-peasy to play. Instead of calling out “B-34!” or “N-22!” you’ll be shouting out “Hairy Jim!” and “Booboo!” much to the delight of your kids. Because the images are so distinct, reading is not necessary to be able to play the game. For 3-7 players, so perfect for an easy Halloween party activity. Includes a “monster box” that you build to pull the calling cards out of.
Want to get a little literate with your gaming? Try out these Ghost Story Dice, a perfect family game for any dark and stormy night. Just roll the dice to determine your story: you’ll see story elements like characters (vampires, headless horseman) settings (long dark coordinator) and special powers (invisibility). Once you’ve got your dice, you can draw or write your masterpiece. Each player can do their own, or each family member can contribute to the greater story. Recommended for ages 3 and up because of the choking hazard of the dice, but we think toddlers can get in on this game with supervision. This is also a great travel game because the dice will fit easily in a Ziplock baggie.
3…2…1…Blast Off! It’s World Space Week (Oct. 4 -10) and Hasbro wants to bring fans on an exploration of outer space. Hasbro Gaming has launched their Space Capsule including Monopoly Space, Battleship Outer Space and Trouble: On the Moon.
The Battleship Outer Space 2-player board game presents a head-to-head battle on 3 layers. In this twist on classic Battleship gameplay, players search for the enemy’s fleet of spaceships and vaporize them one by one. Each player sets up their 5 spaceships anywhere on their 3 sectors. Opponents hunt them down by calling out the sector, and an entire row or column. Who can find and vaporize all of the opponent’s spaceships to win the game? Available exclusively at Target.
In the Trouble: On the Moon Edition board game, players imagine being moon mission astronauts who need to race to safety. They need to move quickly using space tethers, and watch for low fuel, fresh oxygen, and a moving rover on the Action die. The first player to get to their airlock wins the game. Game features the iconic Pop-O-Matic dice roller. Available exclusively at Target.
In the Monopoly Space board game. Players travel around the gameboard buying and selling planets, mining resources, and setting up their colony. For a player to start creating a colony, they have to collect 3 resources and then “burn” them by returning them to the Bank in exchange for a dome. Collect all 5 domes to get closer to the win…but watch out! Landing on an Action space can set you back or move you forward in an instant. Available exclusively at Target.
Gamers rejoice! In celebration of Pac-Man’s 40th Anniversary, fans will be able to enjoy this new version of a Hasbro classic game. Relieve some of their favorite gaming experiences with the Monopoly Arcade Pac-Man Game.
In the Monopoly Arcade Pac-Man board game players can play Pac-Man on the retro banking and arcade unit and can also use it to buy, sell, or steal Levels and perform various other actions.
Watch out for the Ghost as you race around the board to buy Levels and earn points. Each time a player passes “Go” they get to play a mini game of Pac-Man. Rack up the points while everything is tracked in the banking and arcade unit, with no money changing hands. The player with the most points wins.
Monopoly Arcade Pac-Man Game is available online at Walmart, Target and Amazon beginning Aug. 1 and retails for $29.99.
Introduce your kids to unplugged creativity and drawing (without a pencil.) Etch A Sketch is reaching a major milestone this year, celebrating 60 years on Jul. 12, 2020. Etch A Sketch Day, observed annually, marks the day this toy was first sold.
This year, Etch A Sketch joined forces with other iconic names for a series of limited edition launches earlier this year, including the beloved MONOPOLY brand, space exploration leader NASA, heritage toy Rubik’s and comic book marvel Stan Lee. To mark the milestone anniversary, Spin Master is bringing back the limited-edition Etch A Sketch collaborations starting in July at Walmart and Walmart.com, while supplies last.
To further celebrate Etch A Sketch Day, the original red-framed Etch A Sketch will be 60% off at Walmart and Walmart.com for one day only on Jul. 12.
If you miss visiting the Disney Parks, you can experience the rides virtually or create some park specific recipes right in your own kitchen. Now, you can play a special game of Monopoly that features rides and attractions from Disneyland and Disney World. The special Disney version is available on the Shop Disney website for $49.99.
According to the product description, “Combine the world’s most popular theme parks with the world’s most popular board game and you’ll have the world’s most fun! This edition features exciting new properties, your favorite attractions, Disney character tokens, and a pop-up Disney castle.” The board features iconic attractions such as Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, Space Mountain and The Haunted Mansion. New properties like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance are also included.
The centerpiece of the board is a pop-up Fantasyland Castle. Instead of placing houses and hotels on your properties, you will buy Toontown houses and castles. Magic and Fantasy card replace Chance and Community Chest and six brand new game tokens including mouse ears, Cinderella’s glass slipper and more. The money even has a touch of Disney magic too!
As we spend more time inside, families are coming together to entertain themselves through playing board games and listening to music. Pandora x Hasbro just released 12 fun playlists themed to classic games to take family game night to the next level. Each playlist is the perfect soundtrack to compliment the game you are playing.
MONOPOLY
“For the Love of Money” by The O’Jays
“It’s All About the Benjamins” by Puff Daddy
“Monopoly” by Ariana Grande & Victoria Monet
“The Glamorous Life” by Sheila E.
“Money That’s What I Want” by Barrett Strong
“Billionaire” by Travie McCoy feat Bruno Mars
“If I Had a Million Dollars” by Barenaked Ladies
“Material Girl” by Madonna
“Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)” by Wyclef Jean
“I Need a Dollar” by Aloe Blacc
“Cut Dat Check” by Soulja Boy
“Money Talks” by AC/DC
“Money Honey” by Lady Gaga
“Mo Money, Mo Problems” by Notorious BIG ft. Puff Daddy and Mase
“Money” by Pink Floyd
OPERATION
“Doctor My Eyes” by Jackson Browne
“The Operation” by Charlotte Gainsbourg
“Your Body Is a Wonderland” by John Mayer
“Body Party” by Ciara
“These Arms of Mine” by Otis Redding
“Legs” by ZZ Top
“(Funny) Bone” by Chic
“Cold Hands (Warm Heart)” by Brendan Benson
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Elton John
“Break My Heart” by Dua Lipa
“Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus
“Unbreak My Heart” by Toni Braxton
“I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight” by Cutting Crew
Is your game closet looking for a refresh? You’re in luck because Hasbro just released the latest version of Monopoly, Monopoly: Ghostbusters Edition!
The updated board game lets players travel through New York City in an attempt to win Ghostbusting contracts. The new version has a fresh game board and artwork based on the original Ghostbusters movie.
Perhaps one of the best new features are the brand new tokens, which include filmed-themed gadgets such as the PKE Meter, Proton Pack, Janine Menitz’s glasses, Ecto Goggles, a radio and Dana Barrett’s Cello. This edition also includes Roaming Vapor cards, as well as Supernatural Entity and ECTO-1 and Entity spaces on the board.
The game will be available at most major retailers this weekend for $29.99.
