A Childhood Memory...

I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a little girl, I remember the Church leaving Monday nights without any meetings. The purpose was to give families one night a week to be together as a family. The family was to have time for instruction, games, conversation, fun, and just grow together as a family.

I have tried for a long time to find one of my favorite games from our Family Home Evenings when I was a child.  I couldn't remember much except using my Mother's red lipstick to put a 'V' on our foreheads for Venusians.  

I did bring from my parents home the book in which I thought it was found.  This book is titled "Family Night Fun, A 'How' Book of Family Activities".  I looked through the book quickly a couple of times but never found the game.  I was just sure it was in this book.

This morning I paused again to look through the book. There is a section about games.  I turned page by page carefully looking for the key things I remembered: red lipstick, the letter 'V' and Venusian.  Nothing in the game section.  Back to the Index my fingers flew.  Nothing under 'lipstick' or 'Venusians'.  Starting from the back and turned the pages and, under 'Miscellaneous Activities'  I saw "V" and lipstick.  It was there!!

Here are the game instructions from the book on page 93-94:

Another exciting "space game" is called Venusian Giggle. To play it the host or hostess needs one of those ray guns of the Buck Rogers type (Wow!!  Today some even think 'Star Wars' is out of date!). They can be bought at the dime store (today we would search a $1 store) or you can make one yourself by taping a mailing tube (center of a toilet roll [today they even make toilet paper rolls without the cardboard roll inside!]) to the bottom of a cellophane tape (Hmmmm...Scotch tape) dispenser.

To play Venusian Giggle, the host pretends to be an inhabitant of Venus, armed with a Venusian Giggle Gun. When he aims the gun at an "Earth man," the guest must "freeze" in whatever position he or she is at the time and remain perfectly still, like a statue, while the host counts to ten.  If he giggles during the count, as he is like to do, then be becomes a Venusian. This is indicated by marking a small "V" on his forehead with lipstick. 

Once an Earth man becomes a Venusian, anyone who talks to him immediately becomes a Venusian also. The Venusians can move around as they please and speak to any Earth man, but if the Earth man answers back, his forehead gets the "V" mark. At the same time, the host continues to wander about the room shooting Earth men with his Giggle Gun, until finally only one sober-faced Earth man is left. He or she is, of course, the winner of the game.

I have two sisters and my parents and my memory is that we loved this game.  I'm not sure if it was the Mom's red lipstick on our foreheads or just the giggling or what.  It sure left a good memory in my brain.  So happy to have found the instructions.