Board Games for Kids

Do you remember the days when families would gather around the kitchen table playing board games on a Friday night?

Adults and children alike would look forward to getting the games out of the cupboard, setting up the game pieces, sorting all the money and cards, and having quality bonding time with the family.

Although those times may seem far gone what with all the video game consoles and computers nowadays, it’s not too late rekindle the love of board games for kids in your children.

Friday game nights for all the family can come back again with some of the great games available including some of the classics. Board games for kids are beneficial in more than one way and here are just a few reasons why parents should encourage their children to play board games instead of the virtual computer or video games.

Unlike video games and computer games, board games require more than one person to play because it’s harder and a lot less fun playing against yourself. In a group of 2, 3 or more people, children as well as adults are encouraged to interact, challenge and compete with others. So let’s take a look at some of the other benefits of board games for kids and some of the games that you can play as a family.

The great thing about board games is that they challenge and exercise your childrens verbal and mental abilities.

Playing these games entails much more than just pushing a keyboard button to shoot zombies and communication goes beyond “Kill them!”, “Shoot them!” or “Die!”

Board games such as Scrabble and Upwords help expand your child’s vocabulary. Taboo and Guesstures helps to develop your child’s communication skills.

Monopoly is a great way to incorporate math, statistics, and economy into your child’s play. Battleship and Clue motivates your child to strategize, think and make intellectual decisions.

If there’s one thing that holds true for most if not all board games, it’d have to be that there can only be one winner. Board games teach children to do their best, reach their goals, strive for the rewards, cross the finish line, and eventually win the prize.

On the other hand, it also teaches children that not everyone can be a winner and that, like life, sometimes you come in second, third or fourth place. Board games can help your kids become humble winners and gracious losers, which is something that the world can use a little bit more of.

Other games like Monopoly and Life also teach valuable life lessons like money management and making the right financial and economical decisions, choosing careers, buying houses and other big assets, etc. There are a lot of things that can be learned from a board game that you can incorporate into yours and your children’s lives.

One of the best feelings you can get from playing a board game would be the feeling of success; knowing that you’ve defeated or beaten other opponents, that you’ve solved the puzzle, that you’ve won the game.

It’s a feeling that has so many positive repercussions such as a higher self esteem, a better outlook on circumstances and more confidence in yourself and in the decisions that you make. Board games can build on your strengths while developing and strengthening your weaknesses. Your children can become more confident, content and positive individuals by playing board games.

As you can see, board games for kids are a real source of learning opportunities. They’re beneficial, educational, they reinforce positive character traits and most of all they’re fun. It’s time to dust off those board games and dig them out from the coat closet, because game night is back!