The pandemic has made for long days and nights with lots of time to fill. Kids are bored and looking for things to do. Playing a family board game has become a regular activity at our house, and one we all enjoy.
My kids love board games. It's a great way for us to come together (without any devices or technology) and have some fun. Games vary from Trivial Pursuit, Monopoly and Code Names to Catan, Poker or Scattegories. We've also been playing Head's Up (with hilarious results).
Game play can take place anytime and anywhere. We've played in the back yard after brunch, in the family room after dinner and at the kitchen and dining room tables. With very low-tech, all you need is the game and the players and you are good to go.
Sneaky Learning
Your kids may not realize it, but dice work and card reading are two sneaky ways to have the kids practice their English and Math skills during the summer. Trivia games allow for knowledge acquisition in various subjects like History or Social Studies. Card games help with memorization. Playing games with the kids is a great way to sneak in some learning and check up on how their reading and math skills are holding up over the summer.
Teamwork and Fair Play
My kids are super competitive. In everything. If there is a way to compete, these kids will find it. Playing board games is a great way for them to practice winning and losing. With younger kids, this is an important life skill they need to master. In addition, when playing games that require a partner, kids are learning how to problem solve and collaborate when determining a strategy and game play.
Be Creative
Heads Up is a great game because it calls for kids to be creative and think quickly. Recall is important and coming up with new ways to describe people and things are key and great for vocabulary development. Scattegories has been fun to play as we watch our kids defend their word choices and see them advocate for themselves and rationalize their decision making.
Have Fun and Laugh
Often times our games have to stop due to fits of laughter. Repeatedly. The kids take delight in my fumbles and missed guesses of "easy questions" regarding obscure sports references. We bond as a family over amazing guesses, successes and have a new batch of stored references that set off another round of giggles. The best part about Family Game Time is the good times we are having and the memories we are creating. That is priceless and worth more than anything.
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