Board games

[ribby97]

Hi there,

I'm writing an article about kids and board games and wanted to ask a couple of questions. If your kids/teens play board games, what do they get out of them and do you find them a good alternative to screens and video games?

Personally I'm sure that board games are very useful not only for children, but also for their parents :) First of all, they allow to communicate, spend more time together and feel the competitive spirit. Also modern games can teach everything you want, from reading and counting to development of sense of motor skills and visualization.

I've just had my 10 year old niece and nephew for a week and we've played a lot of board games and card games. They are fun and teach cooperation, communication, social interaction, strategy, logic, thinking skills and they also support reading and maths (monopoly money, counting moves, reading cards etc.).
As a teacher I wish more families played board and card games.

One of mine loves board games. Plays chess competitively and loves nothing better than a rainy day at home around the monopoly board. Loves Blokus, Mastermind, Ludo, Backgammon, Articulate, Laser Chess, Battleships etc etc etc.

I enjoy playing too but find my other DCs get bored fairly quickly.

There is so much to be gained from playing them: concentration, strategy. When we do play as a family it's a great shared bonding experience. This summer we have had a few Articulate evenings where we have all howled with laughter.