Family Games Night

In preparation for our family games night, I like to give our children lots of opportunities beforehand to play with the game pieces. When our youngest can play with them unrestricted, the novelty wears off and she can later sit through a game without insisting on holding or moving them. Game pieces are new toys to them. We tend to play games like Rummikub or Mexican Train Dominoes where the pieces aren't damaged when they're chewed on. http://www.amazon.com/Wood-Expressions-Mexican-Train-Dominoes/dp/B000JMIJNY/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1282779123&sr=1-22

I like to set the mood for fun in our home by playing a game like Magnetic Fishing as we're waiting for Daddy to join us. http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-10-Piece-Magnetic-Fishing/dp/B000KMHBFA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1283348262&sr=1-2
Connect 4, Backgammon and Scrabble are fun games to play, even when we're not following the rules. http://www.amazon.com/Milton-Bradley-1081-Connect-4/dp/B001FPK1OY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1283349609&sr=1-3

Some board games that we like are: Sorry! http://www.amazon.com/Hasbro-00390095-Sorry/dp/B00000IWD0/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1283347809&sr=1-6 ,
Bible Trivia http://www.amazon.com/Bible-Trivia-Game-Knowledge/dp/B0028BIVNM/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1283347868&sr=1-7 , Battleship, Snakes and Ladders, checkers, http://www.amazon.com/Games-Set-Checkers-Parchisi-Ladders/dp/B002PMAMQI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1283350027&sr=1-1
and Masterpiece. http://www.amazon.com/Masterpiece-The-Art-Auction-Game/dp/B000MZZMVA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1283349910&sr=1-2 I like to keep an extra set of game pieces and dice on hand, just in case they go missing. http://www.amazon.com/Think-Fun-1510-Math-Dice/dp/B0007LYKX0/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1283348950&sr=1-7 We like using a three-minute timer for young children. http://www.amazon.com/Three-Minute-Sand-Game-Timer/dp/B001697H6Y/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1283349518&sr=1-2-fkmr2

When we play Skip-Bo, http://www.amazon.com/Mattel-42050-SKIP-Card-Game/dp/B0000205XI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1283350107&sr=1-1
we give our toddler cards that she can hold. Sometimes I teach her numbers or colours and show her where to put the cards. If she sits with us long enough, we give her a turn and she's thrilled to be the center of attention. We also play Uno, which is a similar game. http://www.amazon.com/Mattel-42003-Uno-Card-Game/dp/B00004TZY8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1283350591&sr=1-1

Children love to be involved, doing things together as a family. I recently learned that sharing a meal together releases oxytocin in each family member. Perhaps that's why families love playing games together. http://www.examiner.com/mental-health-in-los-angeles/the-mystery-of-oxytocin

I find that it's good to limit the timeframe of our games night so that we end on a positive note and look forward to the next one. When we play often, our children don't mind ending because they know that they'll have another chance to play soon. In between times, we can play the games and improve skills so that next time they'll come closer to winning against Daddy.

Michelle is an author and entrepreneur for a continuing education and business development company showing people how to build business success. Find out more by calling 1-800-719-8268 ext. 45455 or visiting http://www.timewithmama.com We can learn from each other. Contact Michelle at timewithmama@shaw.ca