Benefits of Board Games
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Playing board games as a family are some of my favorite memories from my own childhood and in so far into motherhood. Family game time doesn’t need much to make it memorable and fun, it just requires spending time together.
Board games range in their offerings from cooperative games for preschoolers to intense multi-session strategy games.
What are the Benefits of Board Games?
Family social time is hugely beneficial to the cognitive, social, and emotional development of our children. Board games can add further benefit:
develop social skills: patience, taking turns, sharing, coping, compromising, flexibility
develop social emotional skills: setting and achieving goals, decision making
improve cognitive function: concentration, memory, critical thinking, focus, logic, strategy, spacial awareness
improve problem solving skills: identifying problems, brainstorming, analyzing multiple solutions
improve academic skills: mathematics, language arts
How to Encourage a Fun and Healthy Game Culture
We interviewed my husband on the podcast, Episode 97, and he shared some great advice for creating and maintaining and fun and healthy game culture in our homes.
Establish Rules/Expectations
Have fun
Cooperate
No cheating or negative talk
All are welcome at the Game Table
Allow everyone to participate, even if younger players team up with older siblings or parents. You want game time to feel inclusive so that everyone is encouraged to come back the next time
Look at game time as an opportunity for growth
at having to focus and play for an extended time
for having to compromise competitiveness for inclusiveness
in learning to lose and win with grace
How to Start Young Children With Games
Don’t underestimate your preschooler’s or young child’s ability to learn and play games! My husband has always encouraged teaching our children early and including them in games that are for older suggested ages. Often, being able to follow the basic rules isn’t so complicated. Having strategy and being competitive in game play will develop as they get older. Start by playing easy cooperative games like Hoot Owl Hoot or Count Your Chickens. Then introduce a fun win/lose game like the classics, Candyland and Chutes and Ladders. Finally, don’t be afraid to introduce a deck of cards! A deck of cards will strengthen number and symbol recognition and can be reinforced through the simple (yet annoying) game of War. Once they are comfortable with the deck, play Go Fish, Snap, Memory, and then eventually Crazy 8s and Old Maid.
Allow your young children to join you at the game table and give them grace (within reason) if they want to quit early. If they develop a pattern of not being able to finish a game, start discussing that with them and set some ground rules for participation. Decide whether or not the young child quitting will upset the game for others. If it does, ask them to play on your “team” so they can be in and out. Or, tell them they can try again this time and if they can’t make it through, maybe they can’t play the next time. Ultimately, you’ll have to assess and determine what works best for your child. In our home, my 4 year does quite well and can often play through a game up to 1.5 hours. Any longer and he gets squirrely, which is totally understandable. When we know a game will be long, we just decide how to let him play so it doesn’t upset the game for the rest.
Our Favorite Game Recommendations
Card Games
Cooperative Games
Logic Games
Party Style Games
Strategy Games
Don’t be afraid to begin playing games with your family! Start easy and work your way up to longer more intricate games. Encourage a positive game culture and enjoy the many benefits of spending time with your kids and playing games together.
References:
Benefits of Boards Games for Children and Their Families
5 Great Reasons to Play Board Games With Your Children
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