New York Times “Connections” with a Partner
I’ve never been a “gamer,” on computers or cell phones. Even a crossword puzzle on my phone doesn’t grab me – I will abstain until a paper copy is available. However, I recently discovered the New York Times game, Connections, and have become a fan. It is an interesting enough game in its own right – a quasi-logic game that requires the player to sort 16 random words or phrases into 4 groups of 4 by identifying their sometimes elusive “connections”. But my real joy and fascination with this game came when I started playing it with my 10-year-old. Watching her mind analyze these disparate concepts and try to place them in groups while also scanning the words myself is an incredible window into how the mind can work; how age and experience influence mental associations; how common idioms have remained in the lexicon long after they make sense in today’s world. The exercise is a reminder that two people can look at the same set of clues and arrive at different, yet perfectly logical, conclusions based on their own experiences and frames of reference. The next time you find yourself killing 10 minutes with someone, try playing this one-player game together.
Catherine Chester
Image created with ChatGPT
The Case for the Family Costume
For years, I dreaded Halloween, with one more costume to scrounge up and one more thing to get through. This year, however, our family went as a Little House on the Prairie family, and the group costume experience changed my mind completely. Landing on the idea together, getting everyone on the same page, and then pulling together the bonnets, aprons, suspenders, and baskets (not to mention converting our little red wagon into a covered wagon) was a lot of fun. It was creative, a little silly, and something all four of us had a hand in. It also made us far more noticeable out on the street and generated a good deal of smiles along the way. If you've been a solo-costume person, I'd highly recommend the family route. I went from dreading Halloween to looking forward to it.
Matthew Chester
