• board games Archive

    Just because the holidays are over, doesn’t mean gift-giving is finished. The birthday party scene is in full swing, and both my girls are receiving more invites than I can keep track of. While I’ve always love kids’ birthdays, I’m admittedly finding it more challenging to buy for the older crowds. (I used to struggle with what to buy for high school age and up, but these days, even gifts for tweens leave me scratching my head.) Because we’re a big fan of gifts that get the kids away from screens and back into the land of the living, I’m often on the lookout for cool gifts that involve real human interaction, be it crafts or games. And because my 9-year-old appears to be on [&hellip

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    I don’t claim to be good at math. I may have inherited my dad’s good looks (!), but most definitely not his knack for doing complicated calculations in his head. My 8-year-old, on the other hand, seems to devour numbers and relishes challenging equations. So when we find a board game that truly tests her math prowess and keeps her engaged, we know we’ve got a keeper. Robbin’ Eggs keeps kids on their toes, even if they count on their fingers.  Just like a good math problem, the concept is straightforward. Players roll the dice and then turn over eggs to get the sum as close to the number on the dice. The catch? Some numbers are positive, others negative; if your kid can do [&hellip

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    Are you good at thinking on your feet? Do you possess a knack for coming up with words that stump your Scrabble partner? If you love playing games that allow you to flaunt your vast vocabulary, then take a break from the virtual Words With Friends and dust off the coffee table for Game Night. Packaged in an eye-catching vintage tin, Road Trip is a fast-moving board game where you get points for moving quickly (no worries about traffic tickets on this route!). Players travel cross-country as they move across the board, taking challenges that demonstrate their language skills. When you roll the Alphabet Dice, you must use that corresponding letter to answer a question. It can be as difficult as saying a word that [&hellip

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    When it comes to playing board games, my 7-year-old can be a sore loser. Blame it on an ultra competitive spirit that’s been cultivated over the years, or maybe it’s just plain bad sportsmanship (I don’t like being last either). Nevertheless, I miss the days of playing games like CandyLand when my daughter was content to land on any edible treat, even if it set her back 10 paces. Instead, there should be more games like the new assortment from Peaceable Kingdom that focuses more on cooperative game playing than who gets to the finish line first. One of the games in the line, Stone Soup, is a great way to encourage team building at a young age. Players must work together to cook a [&hellip

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    After three days at home with a sick kid, we’ve been going a little nutty over here. Once TV has run its course and activity books have lost their allure, you know it’s time to break out a board game. Well, even if my daughter isn’t yet cured of her virus, she’s been having a blast playing The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game. The concept is simple (perfect for foggy, cold-infected little minds): Each player gets a mini log and uses a spinner to land on a color. Once they have collected one acorn for each of the corresponding colors, they win! The trick is to demonstrate your dexterity with the Squirrel Squeezer (don’t worry–no animals are harmed in the playing of this game), tongs in [&hellip

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