While video games may help keep you razor sharp, and old favorites on the Game Show Network are still as much fun as they used to be, for quality time with family or friends it’s hard to beat classic board games.
Young people spend so much time in the virtual world that many don’t even know what it’s like to open a box, spread out the board, set up the pieces, and go at it for hours on end. But I remember the experience well—and I bet you do, too.
If you’re like me, you exposed your children time and time again to those classic board games you used to love. Perhaps you’re a grandparent who’s brought your grandkids into the magical world of board games. Snakes and ladders … Connect Four … Candy Land …
It’s hard to think of a bad old-time board game. But some, of course, are more magical than others. For great times with friends, family, and especially grandkids, may I recommend:
Checkers
The simplicity is what makes this a great game. A young child can learn checkers in a single sitting, and can be a competitive player in no time at all. Whether you’re on the road or waiting for a table at the Cracker Barrel, checkers is about as perfect a board game as you’re going to find. It’s just the right challenge for players of any age, and if you’re hard pressed for time you can play a game or short series of games in minutes. And it’s amazing—given the simplicity of checkers—that no two games ever seem to turn out exactly the same way.
Sorry!
Whoever designed Sorry! was a genius. No matter how big a lead a player gets off to in this game, a game of Sorry! nearly always comes down to the wire. For the grandkids an added bonus is in the cards. Every turn begins with the drawing and reading of a card, and Sorry! provides some great reading practice to young children. What better way could there possibly be to get your grandchildren reading without even realizing they’re reading?
Clue
This is a game that lets you watch children grow before your eyes as they learn to apply logic to solving a crime. This classic board game isn’t just a lot of fun. Clue helps young people learn reasoning skills that can take them far in life.