Jono Hey -http://www.sketchplanations.com/

Happy Embrace your Geekness Day! Wikipedia defines the word geek as “a slang term originally used to describe non-mainstream people; in current use, the word geek typically connotes an expert or someone obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit.” Geeks are, shall we say, “fluent” in their subject, and could talk for hours about every detail!

You’re probably imagining a super-committed crazy cos-player in your head right now, but being a geek goes way beyond that. You can geek out about anything: besides computers, comic books, and comic-cons – there’s cooking, knitting, genealogy, various sports, writing, books, gardening, history… well….the list is endless.

I myself have geeked out about Anne of Green Gables and her author, L.M. Montgomery since my teen years. I’ve read every book this prolific author ever wrote; I’ve studied her and Anne with an online literary group that started in the baby days of the Internet. I’m still an Anne-fan to this day, always on the lookout for kindred spirits.

There’s never been a better time to be a geek for my husband, who has read and loved Marvel comic books since he was a teen. You can imagine how these last ten years have been for him, seeing all his childhood heroes come to life in the Marvel movies! Let’s just say he’s a happy camper, and his home office is Marvel-themed.

We’re not one-trick-pony geeks here at our house. Our eclectic list includes Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who, Hamilton, Pride and Prejudice, Star Trek, Bob Ross, Parks and Recreation, MST3K, Sherlock Holmes, Poirot, Narnia…well…I better stop there. I might be sounding too weird!

But that’s the beauty of being a geek nowadays – we have the Internet and can find our geeky tribe (or tribes) with ease. Geekdom loves community, and celebrates inspiration, creativity, and imagination and the world is a better place for it! That’s what this little holiday is all about.

This weird pandemic year is the perfect time to geek out at home with your family! Kids are geeks by nature – they pursue what they love completely! Horses, princesses, Pokemon, earth movers, whatever – they are all in! Find out what makes their heart sing. And, don’t forget to share your hobbies with your family. I once got a surprise homemade Anne of Green Gables tea party for my birthday, because my cute little girl and handsome husband knew how much I loved Anne. How sweet is that? Supporting the geeks in our own homes can bring us closer and stronger as a family.

So, here are seven easy ways to embrace the geekiness in our families:

  • Books and Stories. Books are magic carpets to adventure, romance, other lands, and other worlds. There’s something extra special when a book is shared and read aloud. Click here to find and endless supply of new family favorites! Or… write your own stories! We’ve got Story Cubes around the house and they’re great for jump starting some creativity.
  • Food. Cooking together in general is a great family activity – not only are life skills being practiced, but the company and conversation in the kitchen make any dish taste better. Why not combine books and food? Try foods mentioned in your favorite stories…. mmm….raspberry cordial…butterbeer…
  • Board Games. Growing up, I have memories of epic Risk battles played over Christmas break. Uno, Chutes and Ladders, Boggle, Sorry, Elfer Raus and so many more could be found in our game closet. Before the age of screens and apps there were board games. Rediscover old favorites and search for highly rated new games online. There’s probably a game out there that will become a family fave and evolve into a big geeky game tournament like Risk did in our house!
  • Video Games. I bet many of my best friends don’t know that my cute daughter could whoop their behinds in World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy and even Pokemon games. Dad introduced daughter to video games years ago and they have spent many happy hours playing and raiding together. What a great way to “level up” family bonds.
  • Virtual Field Trips. Don’t let the current pandemic stop you from traveling to geek out about your favorite subject. Here and here are two sites you can visit to travel the world – and even out of this world to Mars!
  • Movie Marathons/Binge TV Shows. Got someone crazy for Marvel superheroes? Plan a Marvel marathon with themed treats! There are also excellent adaptations of most of your favorite books out there. Another idea – I introduced my hubby to classic movies when we were first married. We have lots of movie marathons of our favorites from the Golden Age of Hollywood. He’s as much as a geek about ’em as I am! In this streaming age, you can totally geek out about a favorite TV show. Our daughter showed us an episode of Parks and Rec, and we were hooked. Our family geeks out on that show, and we’ve been known to binge whole seasons in one go! Red Dwarf is another fave. Oh yeah, and Psych. We’re total Psychos, too.
  • Cosplay/Cons. Yep, we’ve done the Comic-Con thing! Dressing up as your favorite hero and checking out the other cosplayers is great fun.

Supporting each other in the things we geek out about it is a great way to build friendships, grow family bonds and create awesome memories. Creativity, imagination and community. All of that sounds like the perfect recipe for what the world needs right now.

What do you geek out about? Share in the comments and share your favorite board game. I’m always on the lookout for new favorites!