10 Reasons You Should be Playing #PokemonGO

There's a new sensation gripping the nation! Have you heard?! It's Pokemon GO and it's a brand new game developed for smart phones. It first came on my radar through some Facebook posts. My kids are obsessed with Pokemon anyway, so when I started seeing all this stuff pop up in my feed, I had to check it out.

I downloaded the game on a whim and told Ken about it. Ken did a little research and downloaded it himself. We tried to keep it secret from the kids, but we all know that wasn't going to work for long, so we spilled the beans on ourselves and let them get involved.

I've only had the game since Saturday and I'm already having so much fun. I may or may not be a part of the target market for this game, but I've been having a blast and I want to tell you why you should be playing too!

1. It's interactive. You cannot play this game sitting on the couch. You have to go outside and experience the world. You can put the phone in your pocket and it will buzz when there are Pokemon around for you to catch. Ken and I walked for 90 minutes the other night. That's more exercise than I've gotten the rest of the week!!
   
   
2. It brings people together. Obviously Ken and I are having fun playing together. I also met two friends at work who play. I took a walk around the building with one for a quick break. The other is on my team (Go Team Mystic) and we have plans to take over a nearby gym!
   
3. The whole family can play. My kids don't have phones, but the can certainly carry mine while we go for a walk. The kids know more about the individual Pokemon than I do, so they love teaching me new things!
   
4. You can meet new people. I've heard of certain Poke Stops attracting people who then start chatting and form new relationships. It's getting people out of the house and interacting with other people. Even an incredibly shy person will perk up if you yell "There's a Pokemon over here!"
   
5. It gives you a chance to get to know your town. We've always gone for walks around our neighborhood and down to the cemetery, but now that there are Poke stops just a little bit beyond where we normally walk, we've changed our patterns. Walking to a new place can be fun as well as stimulating.
   
6. It works for bribery! No more "You have to eat all your food so you can have dessert." instead, it's "Let's finish eating so we can go find some Pokemon together!" How's that for motivation?!
   
7. It can help solve race problems! Maybe not really, but I saw this funny story and thought I'd share.
   
8. It's silly. Ken and I were out walking together last night as we couldn't stop giggling. There's just something child-like about wandering around your neighborhood in the dark looking for imaginary creatures. And we all know that laughter is good for you!
   
9.  It's free! Sure there are some in-app purchases available, but this is a game you can realistically play for free. The more you are willing to wander around your town, the more game items you'll be able to collect.
   
10. It's Fun!!! Seriously, it's just fun. Download it and give it a try!

Got a list of ten? Link it up below!