Wake Forest boy creates board game to replace screen time

Many parents try to cut back on their kids' dependence on electronic devices, but a Wake Forest family took that idea one step further and created a board game.

It started one day when smart phones, tablets and video games just became too much for David Joiner, a father of four.

"I said, "Alright guys, turn off your tablets, we are going off the grid," said Joiner.

His son, nine-year-old Brian Joiner, learned what that meant -- fun without electronic devices. "He came back down around 10 to 15 minutes later and said, 'Hey I just came up with a new game called Off the Grid,'" said Joiner.

According to Brian, his board game has many different games inside of it -- and all require physical activity. The game can even be played in the dark with a few battery-powered lights.

Brian's parents make their living in project management, dealing with the legal details of starting a company. With their help, it was easy to launch the game.

Brian's prototype began with plain paper game cards, and his parents even hired a graphic designer.

"It's got to go through a lot of stages and a lot of waiting," said the young inventor, whose game is already sold on Amazon and in Raleigh's "Teach Me" store.

Off the Grid is far from a "sit down" board game. Some challenges include "guess the drawing" or making a horse shoe and aiming for a can.

"This is one of the novelties, that you get to move around, have fun and really use a lot of creativity," said David Joiner.

The Joiners say there is an important challenge within the game -- you turn off all non-essential electricity in the home for 24 hours and then donate money to your favorite charity.