Family Fun: Have a Game Night and Prove that Learning Can Be Fun

Do you want to have some fun with your family? Are you concerned about the high cost of family entertainment these days? Do you cringe at the thought of paying an average of $8.00 per person just to see a family movie (not to mention movie popcorn, soft drinks and candy)?

Instead of going out for family fun, try staying inside the comfort of your home and have a family game night instead. Most families have a board game or two stashed in a closet. If not, you could probably buy a couple of games and an ordinary deck of cards for a lot less than a night out at the movies. Besides, the games and cards will give you more than just one night of family fun. As an added bonus, a lot of board games and card games can help your children learn while having fun.

Which games should you choose? After all, there are so many of them these days. Make it simple. Pick some of the tried and true games that have been around for dozens of years. Many of them are still quite inexpensive and have a lot to offer.

The games you choose will also depend on the ages of your children. Here are some suggestions.

Ages 3-5
Try the old standby games of Candyland and Chutes and Ladders. These games can help children learn their colors and help them learn to count. Memory is also a good game for this age group. It helps children to concentrate and be observant while testing their memory skills. One more idea is to take an ordinary deck of cards and play Go Fish using only the number cards. This would help preschoolers with number recognition.

Ages 5-8
This age group might enjoy the junior versions of Scrabble and Monopoly. These games might not be as challenging for the adults as the regular versions, but they would be less frustrating for the early elementary ages which means everyone would have more fun. Besides, these games help with reading and math skills. Another good board game for this age group is Sorry.

Ages 8 and Up
The variety of games seems endless for this age group. There are the regular versions of Scrabble and Monopoly. Other games to improve word skills include Boggle and Upwards. Yahtzee can help with math skills. Card games such as Uno or Crazy Eights help with concentration.

These inexpensive games and many others can help your child perform better in school, but more importantly playing games together as a family can be a lot of fun and can provide you with some lasting and cherished memories