Games are great fun, but they also bring families together, teach skills of problem-solving, taking turns, winning and losing and more.  Read on to find out why your family should be playing games and how to pick the right ones for you.

Parents come into MudPuddles asking for educational tools for their children, expecting me to show them workbooks, flash cards and electronic boxes. Instead I lead them over to the games. Why? Because there are games to help with reading, math or geography skills. There are games for learning logic, problem-solving, taking turns, winning and losing, handling frustration. And when children are playing games, they are having fun, being social with friends or family, and learning at the same time. They are enjoying an experience, with the learning being a valuable side effect.

What makes a good game?

A good game is atractive and inviting, with directions that are easy to understand. A great game doesn’t lose its appeal after just a few playings. An added bonus is when a game can be played by a variety of ages together, which offers a delightful oppotunity for a family fun experience.

Enchanted Forest, a game by Ravensburger, has a delightful, colorful board depicting a scene of great attraction to kids of all ages.  its cards and trees, with hidden fairy tale items, chance and skill, and the reward of getting into the castle, offer all the elements of a fun experience.  Counting, color-matching, memory, taking turns, making mistakes, and sequencing are all a part of the mix. It can be made easier or harder, by adjusting the number of cards, trees and matches to be made.  It could even be played in teams with an adult and a child working together on each team. I bought Enchanted Forest when my boys (now grown up) were young, and we all loved it. I played it with a multitude of children who came to me when I was a therapist. Now I carry the Enchanted Forest game both for sale and as a demo in my store.

Perhaps most importantly, playing games helps create memories. Do the words, “I suspect Professor Plum with the wrench in the conservatory,” bring back memories and smiles? You bet! We want to help you ensure that your children will grow up with such smiles and memories as well.

Some of our favorite games

Here’s a list of just a few of my family’s personal favorite games, plus a few introduced to me by customers at my store:

• The Ladybug Game
• Bananagrams
• The Amazing Labyrinth (on our website soon!)
• Quelf
• Rat-a-Tat Cat
• Great States!
• Ticket to Ride (my husband and I have been addicted to this game lately)

Those are just a handful, but we carry a whole bunch more. Have a look at games on our website, or better yet, why not come by MudPuddles and pull out some of our demo games to find one you love?

Does your family have any favorite games to play together? Share your favorites in the comments!

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