Philcon 2018
Nov. 20th, 2018 09:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chuckroPhilcon ended up being a very ARR-centric con for me. Which isn’t necessarily bad and I knew would be the case going in (Jethrien was a lot more interested in the panel content and guests from the start), but that’s exhausting.
We arrived around 10am on Saturday, and there was some crankiness because the game room wasn’t open yet. We browsed the dealer’s room and he watched pieces of the Chromatics concert (which I thought was fun—they’re an acappella group with a heavily science-themed rep).
We spent most of Saturday afternoon in the game room, playing Doctor Who Clue, Trouble, Panda Heads, Blokus, Quick Cups, Face Chase, Harry Hopper and Bananagrams. Panda Heads was the hit of that lot, I think, as it made return engagements later.
We took a foray down to the art gallery for the “how to draw dinosaurs” class—ARR’s drawing was lackluster, but he won the instructor’s drawing by acing a trivia quiz. He opted not to buy their dinosaur book, as “I have lots of dinosaur books.”
Jethrien went to panels for a chunk of that, then took over in the game room (I believe they played Settlers of Catan) and I checked into our hotel room and took a nap.
Friends from college, whose son is six months older than ARR, live in Cherry Hill, so we met them for Italian food for dinner. I had a lovely time and the boys were happy to see each other, but ARR was off his restaurant manners game and Jethrien was kind of exasperated with him by the end of the meal.
I did bedtime and Jethrien did panels and shmoozing, then at 9pm we swapped and I went to the “subversive toons” panel, which showed clips from Animaniacs (“fingerprints”), Tiny Toon Adventures (“Judy Bruin”), Reboot (“BS&P”), Batman Brave and Bold (the “birds of prey” musical number), and of course Garfield and Friends (“the buddy bears”). There was also a Mickey and Friends bit where they race to find a triangle-shaped bush with a magic button on it. Yeah. That one was new to me.
Then we swapped again, I went to sleep, and Jethrien got to be social for a few more hours.
The big hit on Sunday was the building toys panel and open play. ARR spent an hour with one marble-rolling set, then the better part of another hour with a second one. And magnetic-connector sets, and light-up legos, and a Japanese building set that made dino-robots. We eventually pulled him away long enough to play Star Fluxx, as trying new variations of Fluxx was one of our stated goals for the con.
I managed my thorough run of the dealer’s room, eventually walking away with a copy of Terror in Meeple City, which we’d played with ARR at Lunacon two years ago, and retails online for over $100; I snagged it and a copy of Math Fluxx for $66 total.
Then came the foam sword-making class, the most exciting of the day. We made lightsabers out of pool noodles and duct tape, then ARR had long and energetic duels with the other kids who were there.
Then, exhausted, we hit Panara for late lunch and came home.
Overall: The family-friendly activities track was excellent. There were crafting activities we didn’t even make it to and an assortment of board games ARR could have played but we just didn’t get time for. If the building toys open play was more clearly available for the whole con, I think ARR could have spent a full day just doing that. Next year, I’d consider trying to do this with specific plans to meet up with other kids (or bring them) so that one adult can monitor the game room/building toys/crafting and I can have a little more paneling or gaming time.
We arrived around 10am on Saturday, and there was some crankiness because the game room wasn’t open yet. We browsed the dealer’s room and he watched pieces of the Chromatics concert (which I thought was fun—they’re an acappella group with a heavily science-themed rep).
We spent most of Saturday afternoon in the game room, playing Doctor Who Clue, Trouble, Panda Heads, Blokus, Quick Cups, Face Chase, Harry Hopper and Bananagrams. Panda Heads was the hit of that lot, I think, as it made return engagements later.
We took a foray down to the art gallery for the “how to draw dinosaurs” class—ARR’s drawing was lackluster, but he won the instructor’s drawing by acing a trivia quiz. He opted not to buy their dinosaur book, as “I have lots of dinosaur books.”
Jethrien went to panels for a chunk of that, then took over in the game room (I believe they played Settlers of Catan) and I checked into our hotel room and took a nap.
Friends from college, whose son is six months older than ARR, live in Cherry Hill, so we met them for Italian food for dinner. I had a lovely time and the boys were happy to see each other, but ARR was off his restaurant manners game and Jethrien was kind of exasperated with him by the end of the meal.
I did bedtime and Jethrien did panels and shmoozing, then at 9pm we swapped and I went to the “subversive toons” panel, which showed clips from Animaniacs (“fingerprints”), Tiny Toon Adventures (“Judy Bruin”), Reboot (“BS&P”), Batman Brave and Bold (the “birds of prey” musical number), and of course Garfield and Friends (“the buddy bears”). There was also a Mickey and Friends bit where they race to find a triangle-shaped bush with a magic button on it. Yeah. That one was new to me.
Then we swapped again, I went to sleep, and Jethrien got to be social for a few more hours.
The big hit on Sunday was the building toys panel and open play. ARR spent an hour with one marble-rolling set, then the better part of another hour with a second one. And magnetic-connector sets, and light-up legos, and a Japanese building set that made dino-robots. We eventually pulled him away long enough to play Star Fluxx, as trying new variations of Fluxx was one of our stated goals for the con.
I managed my thorough run of the dealer’s room, eventually walking away with a copy of Terror in Meeple City, which we’d played with ARR at Lunacon two years ago, and retails online for over $100; I snagged it and a copy of Math Fluxx for $66 total.
Then came the foam sword-making class, the most exciting of the day. We made lightsabers out of pool noodles and duct tape, then ARR had long and energetic duels with the other kids who were there.
Then, exhausted, we hit Panara for late lunch and came home.
Overall: The family-friendly activities track was excellent. There were crafting activities we didn’t even make it to and an assortment of board games ARR could have played but we just didn’t get time for. If the building toys open play was more clearly available for the whole con, I think ARR could have spent a full day just doing that. Next year, I’d consider trying to do this with specific plans to meet up with other kids (or bring them) so that one adult can monitor the game room/building toys/crafting and I can have a little more paneling or gaming time.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-21 11:12 pm (UTC)