| In praise of good clean family fun | | | | The foundation of board games: children's board |
| Ah, the joy of a family night of fun board games | | | | games. I'm talking heart of childhood, elementary |
| played at the dining table! From Chutes and Ladders to | | | | school, make a game out of everything age group. |
| Monopoly, through Tripoly and Clue, to Stratego, Risk, | | | | They make their own board games. They play board |
| and Battleship, board games are just plain fun. | | | | games at school when the weather is bad. They play |
| When we were youngsters, our movies were books | | | | board games all summer long in the floor, usually in the |
| and our game consoles were stored in boxes on the | | | | doorway to the kitchen. They just play. So what do |
| closet shelves. I recently rediscovered this joy with my | | | | they play? |
| seven-year-old granddaughter. We made a decision to | | | | Old stand-bys are still loved. Checkers and Chess are |
| watch tv less and spend more time doing things that | | | | easily obtained and only take two people. Monopoly |
| encouraged conversation and personal interaction. It | | | | can take an entire afternoon and even then may not |
| was a great decision. We spent the summer working | | | | end with a clear winner. There's a Monopoly Jr. now |
| puzzles, reading books together, and playing games at | | | | that is perfect for beginning readers and only takes |
| the dining room table. I now know which girls in her | | | | about thirty minutes to play. |
| class giggle too much, which boys will chase you on | | | | Sorry and Trouble, with it's great Pop-O-Matic dice |
| the playground, and how much homework "they" | | | | tumbler, remain crowd favorites. The Game of Life |
| expect her to get done. I also had the pleasure of | | | | has become pretty convoluted, but kids still like to play |
| watching my really smart, very funny granddaughter | | | | it. Mouse Trap is fun to build and has the added value |
| become a card shark. | | | | of a half hour of trapping mice once the game is done. |
| All of this together time took me back to my childhood. | | | | Upper grade levels have a great time with Clue and |
| We never really had to decide to watch less television. | | | | Colonel Mustard and the Library - with the candlestick. |
| We only got three channels and my father's interests | | | | Then there are cartoon-based games (think |
| ran the gamut from the news to football. Chet Huntley, | | | | Spongebob) and Junior versions of Trivial Pursuit and |
| David Brinkley, and Joe Namath pretty well dominated | | | | Cranium. And Chinese Checkers and Parcheesi and |
| the airwaves at our house. The Philco belonged to | | | | Operation and Tri-Bond and Mancala and Aggravation |
| Daddy. So we played outside in the sunshine and | | | | and Backgammon and Scrabble and - oh, you get the |
| played inside when the rains came or nightfall drove us | | | | idea. The list of children's board games is as long as |
| indoors. I can still sense the feeling of sitting around the | | | | your imagination. |
| kitchen table on a cold night with my brothers and | | | | Don't leave out preschoolers. Board games are not |
| sister and sometimes my parents, the smell of goodies | | | | just fun. They're useful. |
| cooking, the laughter swelling with the ups and downs | | | | We don't always think about board games for |
| of game play. I remember so clearly knowing the | | | | preschoolers when we think about their play. Little |
| warmth and comfort of my place in the family. And all | | | | ones run and jump and fall and get up and do it again. |
| of this is connected in my mind with the delightful fun | | | | We sometimes limit their calm time to television - |
| of board games. | | | | cartoons and children's movies are quite good when |
| Board Games for Adults can be fun! | | | | Mom and Dad need some quiet time. Still, we miss out |
| Board Games for ADULTS??? Okay, "for Adults" | | | | on some important training for small ones, as well as |
| doesn't have to mean "for Adults," if you know what I | | | | missing time spent together in an atmosphere of calm. |
| mean. | | | | More and more, children are losing the art of polite |
| Seriously, most of us just want to have some good | | | | conversation and civilized interaction with adults. One |
| conversation, good company, and good clean fun | | | | solution? Bring out the games! |
| when we socialize. What better way to enjoy the | | | | Pre-school board games help children to develop skills |
| company of friends than with a peaceable evening | | | | they will need in reading. They learn to match colors, |
| spent playing a game or two. Put on a pot of coffee, | | | | count, recognize letters and their sounds, think |
| heat up some banana bread or a coffee cake, and pull | | | | sequentially, win graciously and lose gracefully. These |
| out a crowd-pleasing board game. | | | | are pretty important concepts. Candyland and Chutes |
| Pictionary is a terrific game. I have a friend who | | | | and Ladders will wear you out, because your |
| guesses the picture from a straight line. Honest. I have | | | | youngster will want to play again and again. There are |
| trouble identifying a photograph, so they wait until I'm | | | | all kinds of dominos (I know - not strictly a board |
| out of the room to choose teams. I'm much better at | | | | game) that allow children to match cartoon characters |
| Scattergories. And Trivial Pursuit. I am a font of | | | | rather than dots. There are games that let them match |
| useless knowledge. | | | | picture cards arranged on a grid and games that |
| How about you? Are you a brain? Maybe Cranium or | | | | require fine motor skills. You'll find that all of them are |
| Scrabble are to your liking. If your ability lies in strategy | | | | great fun for your four-year old. |
| you may prefer Chess or Mastermind. Backgammon | | | | Take the plunge. Board games with your preschooler. |
| and Yahtzee both utilize a combination of strategy and | | | | How much fun can you cram into one day? |
| fortune. There's always Clue if you're a sneaky | | | | WHOOHOO! Most fun section. Vintage board games. |
| son-of-a-gun or if you harbor suspicions and | | | | Yep, fun board games of time gone by, making them |
| conspiracy theories. Old reliable Monopoly lets you | | | | vintage. Nice word for old. Well, maybe not all that old. |
| practice getting wiped out financially. And for all of you | | | | Remember these? |
| would-be Kings of the World, it's hard to beat Risk for | | | | Tripoly. We played this one with the neighbors. I don't |
| world domination. | | | | remember much about it except we used poker chips. |
| There are lots more. Pick a favorite board game or | | | | There was a big green mat. And it was pokerish. And |
| two and call the crew. The adult crew. Adults - | | | | rummyish, too, I think. That's it. That's all I remember. |
| grown-ups - having fun just playing some board | | | | Probably because I had a crush on the neighbor. |
| games. Hanging out. You know you want to. It's been | | | | Then there was the Game of the States: VERY |
| too long since the last get-together. | | | | educational. |
| Teens want to have a little board game fun, too. | | | | I'm pretty sure this one was a gift from my aunt. Very |
| Fun board games for teens just sounds like you're | | | | sure. Really. Aunt Helen. She was always the best at |
| trying too hard. Really. But you're not. Young people | | | | finding "educational" stuff that was pretty fun. Thanks, |
| are just people. They have friends. They like to do | | | | Aunt Helen. I miss you. |
| things with the people they like. They get tired of trying | | | | We really did learn all kinds of things about the states. |
| to say the right thing, wear the right clothes, hang with | | | | We learned capitals, state birds, agricultural products, |
| the right crowd. Heck, they get tired of just trying to | | | | population - none of which I remember now. Not that |
| figure out what all of that is. They need some | | | | much of it would be the same, anyway. |
| easy-going time with no big consequences - just a | | | | Now let's talk about the REAL fun we had with board |
| chance to slow down a bit now and then. Offer them | | | | games. How about Tycoon? You had to be |
| a board game party. | | | | money-grubbing and free of conscience. My brothers |
| Risk, Yahtzee, Pictionary, Scattergories, Trivial Pursuit - | | | | slaughtered me. What are some others? Stratego. |
| all of these lend themselves to team play. Trivial | | | | Mystery Date! Now there's a great game for a |
| Pursuit comes in a number of variations, so if they're | | | | sleep-over. Surfer dude. Hmmm. Remember him? Clue, |
| big Lord of the Rings fans, go with that one. | | | | Monopoly, Scrabble, Rook, Payday, Stock Market - all |
| They will, however, play with a different intensity than | | | | great games. I wish I still had all of them. But there was |
| their parents. "Soorrryyy" could take on a whole new | | | | one we played ALL THE TIME: |
| meaning at your house. Player pieces may well be | | | | Square Mile. This was the game with plastic roads and |
| slapped around the board with more energy than one | | | | bridges. There was a railroad and a swamp. There |
| might expect. The Game of Life could be assigned | | | | were these little bitty buildings - houses, a school, a |
| choices not listed in the rules. Scene It will cause them | | | | church, factories, apartment buildings, a shopping |
| to monopolize the television while Monopoly will give | | | | center. This was a cool game. Square Mile was the |
| them time to take over the refrigerator. Who cares? | | | | best for a rainy day. |
| They're home, at your house, laughing like crazy and | | | | Board games are amazing fun. I recommend their |
| having more fun than they ever thought. No keggers, | | | | resurrection even if you just pull out the Monopoly |
| no missing parents, no car trouble - just friends and | | | | game for an evening. Step away from the x-box, look |
| food and fun. Even teens have fun with board games. | | | | your children in the eye and say, |
| And how about the children? Do they have any fun | | | | "That's Boardwalk with four houses. You owe me |
| playing board games? Mayybeee. | | | | $1700. |