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A mom doesn’t actually keep her new year’s resolution…does she!? Well, we set some family ones for the year and after taking the kids’ poll, we’re sticking to our twice weekly family game nights!
The first hurdle was making the time (put away the electronics, say no to a couple outings for the sake of prioritizing family time, and open the game) and the second was finding games that a 6, 4, and 2 year old can all be part of–which got a little tricky. But, we tried a few and here is our ongoing list of recommendations that we will add to throughout the year.
We came for the family time, but left with some sweet, little unexpected benefits of family game night:
– Patience for all (waiting for a turn is hard for a toddler but not as painfully hard as us waiting for them to move five spots like a real sloth)
– Finding joy in the success of others (somehow we all got the “If you ain’t first you’re last” gene and are learning to lose with integrity, not envy)
– Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving (I love watching the kids strategize in a way that’s difficult to do in school)
Ice Cool
– I never thought I’d get so competitive flicking penguins but Ice Cool has brought out the best in all of us, and a huge plus is fingers of all size can flick!
Go Away, Monster!
– Finally a game where our 2 year old can actually hang with us. As he blindly reaches his hand in a bag to feel different shapes, he hopes to grab the monster (who you don’t want to grab) so he can launch it across the room yelling, “Go away, monster!” The teacher in me loves the tactile learning aspect.
Sushi Go!
-This one is definitely more fast-paced and only our oldest (6.5yo) can hang, but the other littles are captivated by the excitement of it. I love how this game caters the development of strategic thinking and visual discrimination.
Feed the Woozle
-This silly game encourages dexterity, motor skills, and enhances little vocabularies with vibrant adjectives. I have come to love games that require the kids to move (anything for better sleep, am I . right?).
Sorry!
-I like how straight forward the directions are and as long as you have a child who can read, they can quickly teach a younger child and play it without an adult, if needed. The most annoying part of this game that my kids love is yelling “SORRRRRY!!” every chance they get.
Candy Land
– Need I say more? A classic and the only place the whole family can agree should be our next home;)
Chutes and Ladders
-One more classic that cannot be beat!
If you have family game recommendations, please leave them in the comments 🙂
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