Some games come with dice. Some come with cards. And then there’s the unforgettable buzz of Operation — a game that turns your kitchen table into a surgeon’s theater, complete with tiny tweezers, plastic body parts, and the world’s most nervous patient: Cavity Sam.

It had been years since I played this one, but with my niece Karma and nephew in town, we dusted off the old box and opened it like archaeologists uncovering a treasure chest from the 80s. And oh, what a treasure it was.

Inside was Sam, lying flat with his ridiculous red nose ready to light up at the slightest tremor. Karma poked him and whispered, “He looks fine to me.” We assured her he had some very serious ailments — a wishbone lodged where it shouldn’t be, a butterfly in his stomach (don’t we all?), and of course, the iconic wish bone.

The rules? Simple enough. Each player takes turns trying to extract one of the whimsical ailments using metal tweezers. But touch the sides of the opening and—bzzzt!—Sam’s nose flashes red, and you’ve lost your turn. Precision is key, but steady hands are rare when you’re three years old and full of apple slices.

Karma went first. She reached for the bread basket and, with absolute confidence, clamped it like a champion… only to hit the edge on the way out. The zap startled her, but instead of tears, she just covered her eyes and said, “Maybe he’ll feel better tomorrow.”

My nephew, slightly older and full of bravado, went after the wrench. He made it halfway before Sam’s nose lit up like a traffic light. “He flinched,” he said. “That shouldn’t count.”

I took my turn, channeling every ounce of calm I had. Success! The broken heat was mine. I even did a slow dramatic bow that earned me a round of applause — or maybe they were just clapping because I didn’t make the buzzer go off.

We added our own twists, of course. A doctor voice was required during every turn (“Scalpel! Sponge! Emergency cookie!”), and Karma decided Sam needed a sticker after each failed procedure. By the end, he was decorated with stars, band-aids, and a sparkly unicorn on his forehead. This was so hilarious!

Playing Operation reminded me how charmingly absurd and delightfully frustrating it is. It teaches patience, fine motor skills, and perhaps most importantly, how to laugh at ourselves when our steady hands betray us. The kids loved the beeping drama, and I loved watching them lean in, hold their breath, and believe they were real doctors, if only for a moment.

Sometimes, it’s not about winning. It’s about playing together, staying present, and creating memories that buzz in your heart long after the batteries run out.

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