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Now that the children are out of school, it won’t be long — if it hasn’t happened already — before they are complaining they are bored. Just in time, SimplyFun party planners are hosting game parties for kids and their parents to try out new games together.

SimplyFun is a direct selling organization that produces and sells educational and fun family games.

“I’ll do anything that brings the family back together and not on the computer or the television,” said West Salem resident and business owner Sherry Kneifl. She and her husband Rob have been having parties since February.

“Play is actually more than just an activity that makes the time go by,” said chief funster and co-founder of SimplyFun, Gail DeGiulio. “The products we will be providing offer interactive experiences, fostering the development of social and other important life skills.”

The mission of the organization, which is three years old and based in Bellevue, Wash., is to “promote the importance of play and create lifelong memories that enhance the quality of life for its consultants, customers and employees.”

The games have won awards and have been featured on Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres’ TV shows and in magazines such as “InStyle” and “Family Fun.”

Discovering the game selling activity at the most recent Fun Fest in La Crosse this past winter, the Kneifl’s decided to squeeze it into their hectic life along with their West Salem business. They like the educational aspect of the toys. “Every single game is based on state testing elements, from colors and shapes to letters and vocabulary building to problem solving and reasoning to creative writing,” Kneifl said. “And they don’t even know they are learning.”

Sherry Kneifl was especially excited about the promotion “Play It Forward” the company conducted during May and June. For every party in which the retail sales exceeded $400, SimplyFun donated a product to an organization of the hosts’ choice. Kneifl said that three of her five parties have netted contributions of games to the West Salem Parent Teacher Organization and to the Boys & Girls Club of West Salem.

Cheryl Bay of Holmen is equally enthused about the games. “I love the mission … bringing everyone together around the table playing games, making memories. And I love the educational aspects.”

Her goal is to schedule four to six parties each month. She also had several hosts under her.

Another aspect of the whole selling arrangement that appeals to Bay is the opportunity it gives for women to make some money. “I’m totally behind the mission and the opportunity for other women to work and give time with the flexibility of hours.”

The prices of the games range from $9 to $40 and are structured to last 20 to 30 minutes each.

“My kids (she has three) think SimplyFun games are wonderful,” Bay said.

“There’s a few of the games that are good for the kids, but the big kids also have a great time.”

A unique aspect of the games is each one comes with a memory book so the family can pass the games down through the generations with written accounts of the funny and strange things said and done while playing together.

With games from karaoke to writing first lines of stories, from trivia to learning about different breeds of dogs, from cards to crafts, SimplyFun party planners hope family time returns to the center of activity for the future.