How To Play Abbreviations

The object of the game Abbreviations is to have fun and laugh a lot! This game can be used to entertain the family during dinner, power outages, or long car rides. It is especially useful to amuse young children when they are bored in the car. It sparks creativity in the brain and can take some extra thought, but usually ends in a good long laugh.

1. Abbreviations must be played with two or more people, sometimes the more the better. It wouldn't be much fun to only play with one person.
2. Each player takes turns being the "Abbreviator" or "It".
3. They must name two or more letters, for instance the letters T.P.
4.  The other players spend an allotted amount of time, usually around two or three minutes - or until you run out of creative steam, taking turns coming up with what the abbreviation stands for.
5. The letters T.P. could be Toilet Paper, Teetering Penguins, Torching Porcelain, or Tired Peasants. It is important to remember that there is no right answer!

It is all about having a really great time and sharing a few moments with your friends and family. Use this game when chatting around the dinner table, it's bound to make any day better when you see your children smiling and laughing with this imaginative word game.

To make Abbreviations a little more difficult, try not to repeat words that have already been used for those chosen letters. Someone might say "Toilet Paper" and the next person may try to abbreviate with the words "Toilet People". This wouldn't be an allowed answer because of the repeated word "Toilet". Abbreviations is a wonderful game because of the way it causes players to use their brains and become human thesauruses.

After the creative abbreviating juices have run out, have the next person become the "Abbreviator" and determine two new letters to play with. There are plenty, so choose interesting and fun combinations.

The more letters you choose - the harder the challenge you create. ABC can be expanded into All Broken Cars or Aunt's Broken Cot. Remember to be creative and have fun.