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The Secret to Family Game Night Success: It's a Science!
© Copyright DiscoverThisI love games. Some of my fondest memories feature animated sessions of Scrabble, Hearts, Monopoly and other standards with my parents and grandparents, my brother, my cousins, and my friends. So when my son began showing interest in more challenging games than Chutes and Ladders and Hungry, Hungry Hippos, I decided it was time to institute a "Family Game Night," one night each week when my husband, son and I would shun the television for a little friendly, if boisterous, competition.
Once we got in the groove, enjoying family favorites like Clue Jr., UNO, and Monopoly Jr., my husband and I decided it was time to expand our repertoire to include more educational games that still would be engaging and entertaining. What we've found in the process is inspiring: Not only does our son have a natural affinity for logic, math and science games, the more educational and challenging the games we choose, the more entertaining Game Night becomes for all of us.
If you want to give Game Night a try with your own family, these are a few of our favorites. (I bet you'll be surprised how much your family will learn – and how much fun you'll all have learning it!):
- Blokus was our first attempt at "educational programming" for Family Game Night, and it still tops our list of all-time favorites. With only one rule – each piece you place on the board must touch another piece of the same color, but only at a corner – the game was simple enough for our five-year-old to pick up immediately, but the strategy involved is intriguingly complex. My husband, son and are all addicted to Blokus, and we've introduced it with great success to family and friends from 7 years old to 77. It's no wonder Blokus has won so many awards, including Mensa Best Mind Games Award 2003, ASTRA 2003 Good Toy Award, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2004, Teacher's Choice Award 2004 and Parents' Choice 2003 Gold Award.
- When we find ourselves too tired for complex strategy, rather than cancel Game Night and pick up the remote, we opt for lighter fare like Science Bingo. The questions are interesting and entertaining, and we've all learned a lot about basic science from playing, but the game itself is simple and relaxing. We also enjoy Dinosaur Bingo, Bug Bingo and Weather Bingo to keep the questions fresh and challenging.
- Another seemingly simple but strategically complex favorite is Rumis, a 3-dimensional strategy game. My son particularly enjoys the building aspect of the game, in which players take turns constructing replicas of ancient Incan structures, all the while trying to make sure their own stones are most visible. There's even a solitaire version to enjoy on your own.
- When my son started showing an interest in spy games and secret codes, we decided to try Cogno Codebreaker for a new Game Night adventure. We especially enjoy playing this one with visiting relatives because the codes you create, which involve all your favorite memories, can spark the most interesting conversations you've had in years. It's fun to see how other players create their codes and how they crack yours!
- We've enjoyed Cogno Codebreaker so much, we're planning to get two more Cogno games: Cogno Alien Adventure Game, a strategy game with a space adventure theme, and Cogno Deep Worlds Game, which takes you deep beneath the ocean.
- Another game we plan to explore soon is Sci-ology which promises to challenge our memory, critical thinking and strategy skills in a fast-paced game that introduces such diverse fields as Botany, Chemistry, Entomology, Paleontology, Geology, Physiology, Zoology, Astronomy, Marine Biology, Ichthyology, and Conchology. (It's certain to be educational since I don't even know what Conchology is!) Also an award winner (2005 Dr Toy Smart Play/Smart Toy Product Award), it sounds like a perfect fit for our Family Game Night science, math and logic theme.
I have to admit, it wasn't easy to convince my son – or my husband – to turn off the TV for an entire evening every week. But now that we've established Family Game Night, it's a ritual we eagerly anticipate. It's amazing how much fun we've had, how much pizza we've eaten, and how much we've all learned.
If you feel inspired to give your own Family Game Night a try, you can get all our favorite science games at Discover This. I'd better go now, though ... I'm honing my skills at Rumis and I need to get in a quick game of solitaire before my son comes home from school!
Home > Resources for our Science Kits > Articles on Science Learning and Science Kits > The Secret to Family Game Night Success: It's a Science!
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