This one is another family games recommendations. PIT. But… hands up, who’s heard of it? Mmm, exactly.
Twenty *cough* years ago, when I was a mere wee teen, and visiting my brand shiny new fiance’s house for the first Boxing Day together, the family gathered expectantly around the table after tea, and reverently placed a pack of cards on the table.
“WHAT? You’ve never played PIT? Oh, well, not to worry, we’ll soon teach you”.
The cards were OLD – my now-mother-in-law remembers playing them when she was small – and I had no idea what kind of game this would be. The table was crowded with a grandparent and two great aunts, fiance’s parents, himself and his brother. Almost half the room was over 70 – how much fun was I honestly about to have?
Well. The cards were dealt, the (basic, simple) rules were explained, and someone shouted “Pit’s open!”.
The NOISE!
Instantaneous shouts, hollers, shrieks and roars hit me from all sides as everyone tried to deal, swap, exchange (and, quite frankly, CHEAT) their way into a full set of their chosen cereal. It’s just a swapping game – trading cards with everyone in a desperate bid to ‘corner the market’ in your chosen cereal. Easy, simple, loud and raucously funny.
I’m happy to say that ‘Pit‘ is still being made, 106 years later. It’s a mere £5.50, and if you have a few noisy guests this year, I promise you will not regret it. Age 6+ is recommended, and it’s a maximum of 8 players at one time – we rotate turns if we have more, as it’s almost as fun to watch!
24 November 2010
Fantastic, never knew it was still being made! We used to play this with my grandparents (I think, the memory is a bit sketchy as I was quite young then) and thoroughly enjoyed it. Wish my kids would sit and play something like this – might be worth a go.