Playing Games

My family is obsessed with games. We play card games, board games and car games all the time. Why I think every family should try to have game night:
Playing board games is a great way for kids and teens to develop social skills.
Playful competition can get rid of any tension in the family.
Games are a great way to get to know your child. Whether it is with actual get-to-know-you style games or just plain fun, you can learn what kind of character your child has.
You can teach values through board games. You can teach your kids about losing well, being honest and being a good sport while playing board games!
Great way to bond without having long serious talks
Games can be educational! Lots of word and math games can help develop good language skills.
Some of our favorite games are:
Candy Land & Chutes and Ladders: Ethan’s favorite. Playing these classic games bring back childhood memories.
Scene It: For kids who are movie buffs, this is awesome. They also have Disney Scene It, Seinfeld Scene It and Harry Potter Scene It.
Card Games: Uno is a very popular game for my family. Poker continues to be the Mike’s “guy’s thing” once a month. Pokeno, the mixture of bingo and poker and a fun game for a ladies night.
Scategories: This always gets us laughing and is good for all ages. This is a very popular game between me and my adult friends. The larger the group, the harder the laughs.
Pop Cranium: We love Cranium too, but this one is better for the myriad of ages in our family, plus it is Pictionary, Charades and word games all rolled into one.
Clue: Who doesn’t love a good game of mystery?
Scrabble: Another one that is great for word building, this is a classic great game to always have in the house.
Apples to Apples: I play this with my friends all the time because it is a great way to get to know each of your family members as a person. It also always gets some good laughs.

Our next game night is in a couple of weeks at a neighbor’s house. Game nights are intended to get friends together for a night of laughter, and I have managed to meet that goal. Laughter is the best medicine so take it from me, and go get playing!