Board Games Can Be Educational Fun for the Entire Family

As parents, we want our children to learn and excel in school. Learning shouldn't be painful, it should be fun. Youngsters, teens and adults like to play games, and these days more and more parents rely on electronic educational games to supplement their children's learning. But, families also need more quality time together. As a former homeschooling parent, I suggest it is time to give electronic games a rest, and revamp some of the traditional board games to bring both learning and fun into your home.

One example is the popular game, Scrabble. Traditional Scrabble rules forbid the use of a dictionary during plays. Alter those rules, by allowing and encouraging the use of the reference book. Let your child browse through its pages, finding the words that will use Z, W, or any of their chosen tile. It is an excellent opportunity for a youngster to become familiar with a dictionary.

These days, with more and more young people relying on computers and spell check, the dictionary becomes a forgotten volume. How many times have you heard someone say "If I can't spell the word, how am I suppose to find it in a dictionary?" But, once your child becomes comfortable with the reference book, they will begin to use it as an invaluable resource.

For younger children, use a children's dictionary. And for the parent, play along, and also use the book. Not only will you be setting an example, you will be learning.

Another popular game is Trivia Pursuit. While it is a fun game, most of the questions and answers aren't going to help your youngsters pass their school exams. Imagine if the questions on the cards reflected answers to future test questions?

Make a project creating customized game questions, based on your child's school level and current class assignments. Use 3 x 5 index cards to write questions and answers, each geared towards a different school subject, such as math, science, history and English. Working with your child to create the cards will in itself be a learning process. And it is a project you can repeat each year, adding new questions and answers, reflecting that year's curriculum.

When you aren't able to play along, persuade your youngsters to share the games with friends and classmates. If your child wants a friend to come over on a school day, encourage them to play the revised board games, instead of video games.