The virtual game offers a fun way to learn about traits you may not know are genetically influenced
If you’re like us, you love to play games with your family over the holidays. This year, however, the pandemic is forcing us to spend the holidays a little differently.
The Survey Says
According to a new survey commissioned by 23andMe, over half of individuals do not plan to attend holiday gatherings such as Thanksgiving (51 percent) and Christmas / Hanukkah (53 percent) in person this year. With that in mind, we wanted to come up with a fun way for families to connect even if they can’t be together this holiday season.
As a genetics company, we are endlessly fascinated by DNA, and we‘re out to make genetics accessible and understandable for everyone.
Let the Fun Begin
We think there’s no better way to indulge in this fascination and start a few conversations, than a Genetics Bingo game. Sure, you probably know genetics help determine your eye color or hair type, but the game also focuses on traits you may be surprised may be genetically influenced — including the likelihood of the fear of public speaking, the chances of having a widow’s peak, or even whether you are likely to smell the aftereffects asparagus in your urine.
How to Play
You can play the game a few different ways:
- Traditional Bingo: A designated person calls out phrases from the call sheet. If a player has the called phrase on their card, they mark the square if and only if the phrase is true for them. For example, Jim calls “Able to match musical pitch.” Sally has the phrase on her sheet, however, based on her recent singing in the shower she knows she cannot match musical pitches. She will NOT mark the square.
- Race to the Finish: Set a timer for 1 minute. Each player goes through their card marking squares filled with phrases that are true for them. Whoever has the most squares marked at the end wins.
- Social Sharing: Mark all the squares on your card that you believe are true for you. Post to your social media account and tag three friends.
We hope this is an entertaining way for you and your family to spend some time over the holidays. And who knows, you might learn something you never knew about yourself and your family members. If you’re having fun, feel free to post and tag us on social at @23andme!
Interested? A PDF of the game can be downloaded here.
For those on mobile devices, you can download a game cards below.
