This fall marks the ninth annual Million Minute Family Challenge. From now until December 31, 2009, your mission—should you choose to accept it—is to spend a million minutes playing board games and card games with friends and family!

You won’t be alone in working toward the million minute goal; don’t think you have to do that many on your own. There will be groups of families and friends logging in hours all across America, working toward the goal of a million minutes played. In fact, if just 1,000 families play for twenty minutes in every state, the goal will be reached easily.

Another goal of the Million Minute Family Challenge is to get families, neighbors and friends talking, connecting and interacting with one another in a world where we’re continually growing further apart.

Are you up to the challenge? If so, click here to sign up and log your minutes in. Commit to just playing for 20 minutes—but feel free to play for more if you like!

To help get you started, here are some ideas for your challenge.

Have a block party. Before the winter chill settles in, have the people in your neighborhood sit out on their front porches, in their yards, wherever and bring their games and cards to play. Start a tradition and do it once a week or month, where one family is in charge of the games and everyone brings a dish or a snack.

Start your own family game night. Sure, everyone talks about doing it—but have you done it yet? We usually have ours on Sunday evenings. Pick a time when everyone’s available and choose an age-appropriate game for everyone to play. Let someone different select the game each week. When the little ones go to bed, you can break out the harder—or more adult—games.

Teach or learn card games. Find a friend or family member who knows the ropes and have him or her teach you how to play. Then you’ll have no more excuses for avoiding card parties!

Involve young children. You might think that they can’t play—but you’d be wrong! Even a simple matching game, Cranium Cariboo, or Ants in the Pants will count toward your minutes.

Bridge the gaps. If you’re a group of Democrats, challenge the city Republicans to a fun, friendly game night (don’t play operation—in fact, avoid the talk of health care altogether!). Have your older relatives older and have boys-against-girls, generation-against-generation, or blend everybody together and have some fun.