The holidays are an excellent time to bring the family together for a game. Playing board games gets everyone in the same room and helps family members across generations connect and have a great time together. A program about “Bonding with Board Games” will be held via zoom on Wednesday, December 2nd at 12:10 pm. If you would like to join me, please contact me at [email protected] or call 785-628-9430 for the zoom link.
Board games are inexpensive and have benefits well beyond the activity itself. Games are an entertaining and painless way to help kids build essential learning skills on the sly or by accidental learning, which means there’s no anxiety or resistance.
Some specifically chosen board games are excellent for young members of the family as they learn numbers and words. Research has documented a positive relationship between academic board games and improvement in the classroom. Older adults can also benefit from many of the same concepts that children do – stimulating the mind, fostering relationships and strengthening social skills.
In his book “Family Treasures: Creating Strong Families”, John DeFrain covers six qualities that strong, successful families around the world exhibit: enjoyable time together; appreciation and affection for each other; positive communication; spiritual well-being (values, beliefs, life skills); successful management of stress and crisis; and commitment to each other.
Hopefully your family will find a game that will be brought to the table many times during the year and not just played during the holiday season. Here are some things to have in mind when carving out time for a family game night:
• Avoid choosing a board game that is too hard for your kids’ ages, or one that everybody hates playing. Start by playing one that your youngest child definitely can play. After that, let the younger children team up with someone for a more challenging game.
• Schedule a regular day and time on the calendar for playing a board game. Designate the same day every week. Keep it short at the beginning and then add more time as desired.
• Make it a rule that technology must be set aside until your game night is over.
• Keep a stash of great board games around the house. You’ll be sure to find a taker when you ask, “Does anyone want to play a game?”
Bonding Thru Board Games is a research-based program with the goal of teaching family life interactions and bonding via playing board games. Sedgwick County Extension agents shared information on family game nights in a fact sheet that can be found at https://www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF3401.pdf
Berny Unruh is the Family and Community Wellness Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. She can be reached at 785-628-9430 or at [email protected]