When I was in high school, UConn’s coach, Randy Edsall, came to see me. He told me beforehand that he wanted to time my 40-yard dash. I ran the 40 in 5.5 seconds at best, which is really slow, in case you’re wondering. Before Coach Edsall arrived, I was practicing and hitting my normal time. I thought, “This is going to be a disaster.” I knew UConn was my only chance at a college offer. When Edsall arrived, he started talking to my dad. While he was distracted, I kicked the last cone back about four yards. So, my 40-yard dash was only 36 and my time was 4.8.

Yes, I cheated. And yes, I got the offer to UConn, and the rest is history. I don’t recommend cheating, but I am competitive, and while I cut a corner that day, I normally work hard to win. I’ve also passed off my competitive spirit to my kids. We love a good game. Last year, we had a game day, and it was a blast. Nothing makes you bond with your kids like playing together. You can do the same thing with your kids or even invite their friends to play too. If you’re looking to bond with your kids, here are 7 family games to play.

1. Ping Pong Cups

Place three cups in front of each kid and give them a box of ping pong balls. They must either throw each ping pong ball in a cup or bounce it in. If your kids are highly skilled, the winner will have to put a ball in each cup. If it’s taking a while, the winner can be the first to get one in.

2. Ping Pong Face-Off

This is a variation of the the last one. Place a shoebox in the middle of a table. Have kids line up on either side of the table but with different colored ping pong balls. They have 20 seconds to get as many in as they can.