I love being with my family - don't you?  (I mean YOUR family, of course °Ü°)

We can choose how late we sleep, we can be flexible in when we do our book work and when we play.  If we plan playtime thoughtfully, we can sneak in learning without our kids even knowing it's happening.

A favorite ritual at our house is a Family Game Time.  We try to do it every week - Fridays are best, as it marks the end of the week with a "reward" of sorts for keeping on task all week.  Sometimes we do it instead of bookwork on Fridays, although I like to do it at night when hubby is home and we cozy down with a movie, pizza, snacks, and a good rousing competition of wits.  Bedtimes are meaningless, nutrition rules go out the window, and giddy over-tired children come up with some pretty funny one-liners.

Games that test your logic skills, spatial reasoning skills, and verbal skills are a great practical application of what the kids have learned all week.  It also keeps Dad on his toes!  Here are some of our favorite games to play as a family - all of them offer skills that are not necessarily age-relevant.  They take quick thinking, keen observation, and practical problem solving skills.  And of course, you can find them all at BRAIN-athon Emporium °Ü°

Apples to Apples (Party, Junior, & Kids versions) - This is a great game that helps build vocabulary for younger children, as well as help all ages make associations between "things" and descriptions (dare I say "nouns and adjectives'?)  Taking turns as "judge", the judge draws a descriptive card (e.g. "creepy") and each player chooses a thing from his hand that he believes fits the description best, according to how the judge thinks.  Players may then schmooze, argue, or otherwise persuade the judge that his card is the best choice, preferably without revealing which card is his.  Hmmmm - sound interesting?  Oh, yeah!  Kids make connections that are obvious when they can - remote when none of their cards fits the description.  They can draw from life experiences or anything at all to find the association that might convince the judge to choose their card.  Lots of laughs - and language arts!  With over 1,000 cards, even a big family can play together.

Freeze Up! - This is a great electronic game that talks to you.  Players take turns pressing the button that gives them a category and a letter of the alphabet, starting the timer.  The player must come up with a word that everyone agrees is acceptable for the category that begins with the given letter.  Sound easy?  Not with the clock ticking - while everyone else finds the answer 'obvious', your brain Freezes Up!  Tons of fun and, of course - lots of laughs!  Any number of players can play.

SET - SET is a game that tests your observation & logic skills. The object of the game is to identify a 'Set' of three cards from 12 cards laid out on the table. Each card has a variation of the following four features:

(A) Color:
Each card is red, green, or purple.

(B) Symbol:
Each card contains ovals, squiggles, or diamonds.

(C) Number:
Each card has one, two, or three symbols.

(D) Shading: Each card is solid, open, or striped.

A 'Set' consists of three cards in which each feature is EITHER the same on each card OR is different on each card. That is to say, any feature in the 'Set' of three cards is either common to all three cards or is different on each card.

Age of the players is NOT a factor in SET.  As you play, your mind trains itself to find SETs.  It is a great way to help your child develop the skill of paying attention to detail which is a great academic & life skill.  Everyone plays at once.   As cards are placed on the table by a dealer, the first person to shout SET shows the 3 cards that form a SET, followed by acceptance of the other players.  Play until the cards are gone - the one with the most SETs - WINS!  Up to 10 players can play.

The addition of a regular game time to your family schedule will build family bonds, give everyone a time to destress from a busy week, and help develop thinking skills that build confidence and a love of learning.  Mondays are bound to go smoother, but the memories of Family Game Time will last a lifetime!

© Copyright 2008 Cindy Powers