Family Game Night: How to Have Fun with Board Games

With family members of different ages and interests, creating a family game night can be a real challenge. Every family's choice of games will be unique, so rather than recommend games our family enjoys, I will help you learn how to play the game. To avoid pitfalls, setting a few guidelines at the start can be helpful:

Set Aside A Special Time and Place For Gaming

1.) Choose a specific date and time for family gaming. Write it on a calendar, and stick to it. This creates a "sacred space" for family and makes it an intentional action.

2.) Our family has a game closet, where all the games are kept. When we get a new game it gets a special place in the closet. Having a space where the games are kept apart from other household items creates a specialness for the games and can make them more important to the family.

How To Handle Different Age and Skill Levels and Keep It Fun

1.) Take into consideration the age and attention level of the family members who will be playing, and choose a game that is slightly above the level of the least capable gamer. This allows everyone to play and will not lead to temper tantrums and bad experiences.

2.) If there is a large gap between gaming skills, or age you might want to consider partnering gamers instead. Perhaps, the youngest with the oldest - this will encourage team play and also help even any handicaps on the playing field. For example, if you have a toddler who wants to play but you are dealing with a game that requires counting money like Monopoly. The team can split duties - the younger player rolling and moving the piece, the older player doing the harder tasks such as reading and money exchange.

Why Can't We Play Playstation Instead?