Winter holidays can be long and often quite taxing on a parents budget as we try to keep the kids entertained.
Combine that with bad weather and you find yourself looking for other great ways for the kids to keep busy.
Why not bring out the board games?
The benefit of playing board games
Board games are great for your child’s over all development as they teach a child much needed social skills like :
- Taking turns
- Sharing
- Remembering and following instructions
- Facing consequences for your actions
- How to strategise
- How to pay attention to others
- Providing opportunities tk deal with good and bad luck
- How to lose well and be a good winner
A child also learns many other learning skills from a board game. Things like :
- Numeracy
- Spelling
- Speed
- Perceptual skills
Board games also assist a child to develop social skills, concentration, patience and provide an opportunity for bonding with family, siblings or friends.
What games to play
Most homes are familiar with games like Monopoly, Uno, Pictionary, 30 Seconds , Cluedo or Snakes and ladders but there are many more amazing games avaliable to play.
Let’s look at some: –
Spot it!
This is a fast-acting game where a child needs to look at the card that is on the table and find one object that matches with an object on their own cards. There is only one set of matching objects between any two cards. The game is packaged in a strong tin container and is small and easy to take along when you travel.
Classic Box game
This is a box sold by several brands, filled with our favourite 12 old school games like: snakes and ladders, noughts and crosses, ludo, lotto, dice games and Tiddly winks.
Rory’s Story Cubes
This is a fun and great game for the whole family. To play the game you roll the dice and create stories. It is one of my personal favourite games as it enhances creative thinking.
Jenga
Jenga is a very popular, fun game that is full of suspense and laughter for both young and old. It is also available in different colours and themes. To play need a steady hand to build a higher tower without letting the tower crash down.
Speak out
This is a laughter-filled game where each team gets a chance to read a sentence while having a crazy sea through mouthpiece in their mouth. The other team member must try to decipher what the sentence is.
Bananagrams
Another game I really enjoy is Bananagrams. It is a more serious word-spelling fast thinking game that can be played in two different ways. It is packaged in a cute banana-shaped pencil bag which is easy to take along on holiday. For those who love reading and language, this game is a must.
Which is your favourite board game?
For more holiday ideas you can try:
Take a virtual field trip or visit an online museum with my list here
Or
Try these these 22 rainy day ideas for kids
