Tag Archives: board games

For the Love of Board Games

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images-34I absolutely love board games! Growing up we played them all the time and had all kinds of them. From the traditional Monopoly to the unique and complicated Shadowlord, we would play board games for hours. My parents played with us to, especially my Mom, who still loves playing to this day.

Each year for Christmas we would get a new game. It was the family gift from Mom and we would wait in anticipation for what would come from under the tree. The challenge was of course as we got older, finding a game that we didn’t already have! But somehow Mom would find one and most of them were pretty good (cause some of them were not, though honestly I could not tell you the names).

images-32I have endeavored to continue the tradition with my kids, each year seeking out what’s new and hot, or faulting to some of the classics (cause yes all the games are still at my Mom’s house, so we have to buy our own. Which is totally ok cause then we have lots to play when we visit her). I have noticed over the years some of our favorites when growing up, are no longer available or have changed; like Survive (no longer available and not to be confused with Survivor), Pay Day (we really like the old version best) and Careers (also no longer available, but we loved!)

As a result my kids also enjoy board games, for which I am grateful, cause they will play with me! I also know that board games offer lots of learning in a fun way, like introducing colors and counting in Candy Land Board or strategies in games Settlers of Catan
as well as the basic concept of winning and losing and good sportsmanship.

I was very excited this year to find out what was new and hot in board games this year and discovered some great games. Some we already have but some we do not. Now the question is which one to buy for under the tree?

Hottest Games this Christmas

Settlers of Catan – hot and the current favorite in our house, Settlers is a strategy game, where players are trading and building in the mythical world of Catan. Dice is rolled to earn resources in which to build settlements, cities and roads and earn victory points. With the game board changing each time you play (and expansion sets to grow your game) you will never tire of this game.

Ticket To Ride – October 2, 1900 – it’s 28 years to the day that noted London eccentric, Phileas Fogg accepted and then won a bet that he could travel “Around the World in 80 Days.” Now, at the dawn of the century, some old friends have gathered to celebrate Fogg’s impetuous and lucrative gamble – and to propose a new wager of their own. The stakes: $1 million in a winner-takes-all competition. The objective: to see the most cities in North America – in just 7 days. Ticket to Ride is a cross-country train adventure game. Players collect train cards that enable them to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout North America. The longer the routes, the more points they earn. Additional points come to those who can fulfill their Destination Tickets by connecting two distant cities, and to the player who builds the longest continuous railway.

7 Wonders – 7 Wonders is a game that lasts 3 ages. In each age players receive cards from a particular deck. Cards are played simultaneously in each age to pay or collect resources as needed. Each card has different strengths and advantages making it important to pay attention to your neighbor. This strategic card playing game will engage ages young and old alike.

Classics

images-33Jenga – I still remember the commercial for this game when growing up. “Take a block from the bottom and put it on top, take a block from the middle and put it on top. Jenga, Jenga, j-j-j jenga”. This classic block stacking game, challenges each player to build and then take turns removing blocks without the stack crashing.

Twister – A great fun family game, this is the game that ties you up in knots. Using the spinner each player has to place a hand or foot on the appropriate color. It gets challenging when the color start to run out or are a little too far away!

Clue – Figure out who killed Mr. Body by going from room to room in the mansion and making guesses. All the classic characters, all the classic weapons.

Pictionary – Get your partner to guess what you’re drawing before the timer runs out. Play against other teams and score points for correct guesses.

Chess – Trap your opponents King using your knights and pawns. An excellent game of strategy.

Checkers – Through moving and jumping the goal is to claim all of your opponents pieces.

Games for Toddlers

Hungry Hungry Hippos – I have always loved this game. It makes a lot of noise but is so much fun! Hippo mouths chomping to eat the most marbles, whoever eats the most wins.

Trouble – a younger version of Sorry, Trouble is a fun way to introduce children to moving their pieces around the board. As they race towards the finish, they also have to be careful to not get bumped back to the beginning. The best part of this game is the popper in the middle, so much fun to pop!

Let’s Go Fishin’ – The first time I played this game was actually with my niece a couple of years ago. It’s hilarious! (and also not that easy) watching these fish mouths open and close as you use your fishing rod to hook them and take them out. I laughed my head off it was so much fun. Is great for enhancing hand eye coordination and just a giggle to watch those gaping fish move all around.

 

Candyland

Candyland

Candy Land – Choose your sweet character and dance your way along the rainbow path to Peppermint Forest, the Lagoon of Lord Licorice and Princess Frostine’s Ice Palace! Let your imagination soar as you make your way to King Kandy’s Castle to win.

Connect 4 – Drop your round discs into the slots to create a line of 4, while trying to stop your opponent from doing the same. Sounds easy, but you can only drop one at a time!

All Round Favorites at our House

The Game of Life – Move around the board and try your hand at ‘life’. Choose college and student loans, marriage, kids, a new car. Goal is to build your wealth and see what kind of life you can create.

Sorry – A great game of slide and collide, as you move your men around the board trying to get home before the other players. Drawing cards to move your men, you try to bump others back to the beginning before they bump you!

Scattergories – A fun game using letters. Pick a theme card and roll the dice. From the list each player must come up with something that fits that item starting with the letter rolled. Sound easy? Well there is a time limit of course

Cranium – Cranium is a great game with 4 elements to it, allowing everyone to shine. Acting, drawing, data or words complete tasks in these categories to win points and advance around the board.

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Blokus

Blokus – This is a great strategy game we discovered a few years ago. The goal is to place as many of your pieces on the board while preventing the other colors from doing the same. The challenge is the pieces are in different number of tiles and shapes

Battleship – This classic game of who sunk my Battleship takes me back to days of asking for E4 with my sister. A two person game, each person places their battleships and then takes turns guessing on the grid to try and find and sink the opponents. They also have electronic Battleship, which is super fun, with all the explosion sounds and such.

Yahtzee – A great family dice game, rack up points by getting groups of numbers, straights and maybe even a Yahtzee. This game of luck and strategy makes it both challenging and exciting.

Taboo – Try and get your partner to guess the word on your card without using that word or any of the five other words on the card.

Survive, Careers, Trust Me (all no longer available :(, but have to mention – Ok Survive is the best! You build an island that is sinking and have to save all your men and get them to the safe islands on the outer rim, before the volcano explodes. Careers classic, create your formula of happiness, fame and fortune then go around the board on different career paths to achieve your dreams! (We love this game so much my Mother recreated the board so that we could play it at my house) Trust Me is a great game of buying, bluffing and making deals all for the most cash! (it is really too bad you can’t get these games anymore, I’ll never give mine up!)

Do you enjoy board games at your house? What are your favorites?

 

 

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Bonding 40 feet in the Trees

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Bonding with my oldest son is a bit of a challenge these days. He’s 11 and into all kinds of things that are not a huge interest to me. I’m 41 and his Mom, so there are not a lot of things that I like that are of interest to him. We do have some common ground of course, we both love board games, especially Settlers of Catan, so you will often find us in the evenings battling it out for the longest road and the most settlements.

Sometimes it’s a timing thing to, I’m making supper, or having to tend to his younger brother and sister. So when we had the opportunity to go to Sky Trek in Revelstoke, British Columbia to do the high ropes course; I jumped all over it.

P7290215We had been to the Enchanted Forest next door earlier that morning with my Mom and the twins, which we thoroughly enjoyed. But Matthew and I were both kind of eyeing the course through the trees. I had always wanted to go there since they opened and though Matthew had had the opportunity when he was about 5 to do the kids course, he wanted to get up high in the trees. So when Matthew asked about the course I said well let’s go check it out.

His eyes lit up, he was so excited with just the prospect of ‘maybe’ going. We discovered that the course took 1-3 hours to complete and though reasonably priced we wondered what Gran and the twins would do for that long.

My Mom graciously offered to watch the twins while we went and did the course. So after a quick lunch, off we went! I grabbed my closed toed shoes from the car, which I was glad I had thrown in that morning, as there are no open toed or flip flops allowed. Though I wish I had also had the foresight to put in socks, which would have been much more comfortable.

Matthew and I were both excited and almost ran up to the clerk to get going. First of course we had to fill out waivers, then pay, then meet our guide to get geared up and ready to go.

online-skytrek-02The course consists of 4 components, each one getting higher and more difficult as you go. Training is first, where your guide gives you a demonstration of the elements and obstacles, what equipment to use and how to keep yourself strapped in and safe. We all had helmets, harnesses and carabiners. We had 2 that we needed to clip in and each had to be done in a certain way in a certain order. He showed us how to use our zipline attachment as well as telling us only 3 people to a platform and to remember to call clear after we completed an element – which was the cue for the next person to go.

Then there’s the green, blue and black courses, each one getting higher and more difficult as you go. So by the time you hit the black course you are 40 feet in the air and challenged!

Matthew went first and I was following along behind him. At points when we were waiting for others in front of us we would chat or connect, discussing the last element or what was coming up; continually moving higher and higher. I found the first 3 parts comfortable and easy to navigate, but by the time I hit the black I was not only tired but a little freaked out. Some of the elements were pretty tricky and they definitely pushed my comfort zone.

The very last leg of the black course you could choose to do the double black diamond or stay on the single. The double black offering shorter lengths, more rests, but more challenging (lots of swinging obstacles), while the single black was one long haul across a rope net, which was more tiring but a lot easier to do.

Matthew, the trooper, chose the double black. In fact in his mind there was no question as to whether he would do it or not. I applauded him, but said I was going to stick to the single. Matthew did very well, I was so proud of him. The last leg on the double black he was there legs spread apart between two triangle elements, and ‘resting’. I could tell he was tired, but he was almost there and he was determined. It was one of many moments that I was proud of him or maybe got a little teary eyed watching him and how he confidently navigated the course, though at times I knew he was a little freaked out like I was.

We completed the course with one final zip line to the bottom and high fived each other on the ground. We were surprised to discover that it had indeed taken us 3 hours to complete the course. No wonder we were tired!  And thirsty! as you can’t take water or any extra stuff up there with you. In fact I asked a lady on the ground if she would take a few photos of us and send them to me (unfortunately I don’t have them yet), as though there were times when I could have taken a really nice picture or two, there was no way I would have been able to carry the camera!

Some people may argue that because it was an individual activity that it was not really a bonding experience. But I would disagree. We connected and shared an experience where we both pushed our limits and can now share and discuss this experience. I also have etched in my mind some of those great ‘shots’ of him in the trees which will last forever in my mind.

I enjoy experiences like that with my kids and hope I get to have all kinds with each one of them. And I hope that they enjoy them to and that they will stand out in their minds as some of the best experiences they had, even though it was with Mom.

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Activities to do with Kids During Earth Hour

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ehourThis Saturday, March 29, 2014 marks the 8th celebration of Earth Hour, a global event to turn out all non-essential lights from 8:30-9:30 pm local time.

First held in Australia in 2007, Earth Hour went global in 2008; and is a demonstration of how people can reduce their impact on the environment by turning out all non-essential lights for one hour. It is amazing how the power usage numbers drop during this one hour and the positive impact it has on our environment and entire planet. During this event, many famous landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Tokyo Tower, Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace, Times Square, Niagara Falls and more turn off their lights.

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Sydney Opera House & Harbour Bridge

Sponsored by the World Wildlife Federation, Earth Hour can be a fun event that brings families, communities and the entire planet together for a common cause. There are many events and projects that are held locally that celebrate this event and promote the awareness of reducing our footprint on the planet. 2011 was the first Earth Hour to ‘go beyond the hour‘ and encourage supporters to think about what else they can do to make a difference throughout the year. Some of these include, and are as simple as, turning the lights off when you leave a room, recycling and growing your own garden.

A great part of Earth Hour is getting the kids involved! As it is the younger generation that are the ambassadors for our planet; and need to be taught it’s value and how to protect it. It is easy to get them involved with some of these fun activities you can do at home.

The first thing to do is explain to them what Earth Hour is and why it is significant. Depending on the age of the child will depend on the length of your explanation. Keep it simple in terms that they can relate to and understand. Then play with them during the hour of darkness. Not only will they have fun but you will too! Plus it creates some bonus family bonding.

Activities for Earth Hour

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERARead books about the Earth and the environment. Books like Uno’s Garden by Graeme Base, The Lorax by Dr. Seuss and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle are all wonderful children’s books with an environmental message. Choose an appropriate book and read by candlelight or flashlight.

Play board games. Gather the family together, set up a few candles and choose a favorite board game.

Make shadow puppets. Grab a flashlight and shine it against the wall. Have the kids create animals or figures using their hands and casting the shadow on the wall. Mum and Dad can participate as well. Have the kids create a dialogue or a short play about the environment.

How_to_Make_Shadow_PuppetsPlay hide and seek. Playing hide and seek in the dark is lots of fun. Set clear boundaries and guidelines for the game to ensure everyone feels safe and young children are not scared. If some children are afraid of being alone in the dark, play in pairs so that they feel safe during the game. Place candles safely around the house to provide some light or give each person his own flashlight. Establish where home base is so that anyone who feels he would no longer like to hide knows where to go.

Stargazing. This is the best time to go out and look at the stars! With all non essential lights out, there will not be all the extra light interfering with what can be seen in the  night sky.  The kids will be able to see more from their backyard than they could before! Everyone will be able to see quite a bit with the naked eye, but if you have a pair of binoculars or a telescope the kids will enjoy using these to see even more. This could start a dialogue with the kids as to why they can see more during this hour and what light pollution is.

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What activities will you do with the kids this Earth Hour? Add to our list by commenting below and share with others your ideas.

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The Importance of One on One

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Hiking at Moraine Lake

In many of the parenting articles I have read over the years they have often suggested that as the number of children in your family increased that you should make time to spend with each child one on one. Give them each a bit of time with just you and them, and with each parent individually. Yet as the number of children in the household increases the amount of ‘leisure time’ seems to decrease comparatively as there are more activities, more friends to play with and more things to do in general, like cleaning and laundry!

Where do you find the time exactly? The thing I have learned and been gently reminded of, is that kids don’t need large blocks of time or need to do fancy and exciting things during with you. They just want some time with you, it doesn’t matter to them how long or what you are doing; just that you spend time with them. Of course there are times when they would like to do something a little more involved and exciting (like laser tag, dinner or a movie), but they don’t always need that kind of activity with you on a regular basis. Your one on one focused attention is what they desire.

A prime example of this for me was this past Saturday. I had to take Matthew, my oldest, to pick out his frames and order his glasses. Our optometrist is up in Signal Hill, which is northwest Calgary and a bit of a drive for us. I had the opportunity to do this with just Matthew as D’Wayne had offered to watch the twins while we went.

Luke and Mom

Matthew was super excited to go. I had asked him to shower before we left, washing his hair and even suggested he dress up. He not only did as I asked but combed and parted his hair and put on a shirt and tie! He was bouncing and excited in the car as we drove to the optometrist, his eyes sparkling and chatting about this and that. It is not often that we get to go somewhere and have an uninterupted conversation, as usually the twins are chiming in or have something of their own to say.

He noticed and mentioned how I had showered and put on make-up and I responded, “Well if you’re dressing up then I should too.” He just smiled. Once we got to the optometrist we were literally only there for 10 minutes, as Matthew already knew which frames he wanted and it was just the details to sort out. I was kind of disappointed knowing that our time was so short. That’s when I decided we’d stop at Community Natural Foods on the way home. So we popped over there picking up a ‘few things’ (I had intended on only getting some vegan cream cheese but ended up with a few more items, especially with Matthew picking things up and asking to buy them. And honestly in that store he is asking for dried mangos and cheese, not chocolate bars and candy, very hard to say no).

Even this time in the Community Natural was fun, bonding and a way to continue to get to know each other. Yes he did ask me for many things, of which some I said yes and others no, but it was great. We laughed, we enjoyed.

Chloe and Mom

As I was driving home I realized then that the time I spend with him one on one does not always have to be fancy, simply focused and interactive. I have always made the effort to spend time with just him, either taking him to a movie, going for a walk or playing a board game at home once the twins are in bed. But I realized in that moment that whether it be a trip to the optometrist or a little grocery shopping as long as it’s him and me that was all that mattered. And if I could give him more moments like this, even at home, if only small, that that would make such a difference in our relationship. As I have even noticed that although sometimes I have to fight with him to come and dry the dishes, that once he is there, he is quite chatty and happy and we have some great conversations and connection happening.

I feel as parents yes it is important that we spend one on one time with each of our children but that we need to give ourselves a break and realize that it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, just a happy and enjoyable few moments (or more when possible) where we can connect with each other, and remember who we are to each other and in this world. To listen and recognize the beauty in our children and the great gifts that they bring to our world, as well as to share who we are and our wisdom with them. That is connection, that is bonding and that is something we don’t always achieve with all the kids together at once. It is not only rewarding for the child, but will be extremely rewarding for you as well.

Matthew and Mom

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Rainy Day Activities

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Playing at the lake in Oliver, BC

We have been blessed this year with a very beautiful summer. Many warm, sunny days filled with clear blue skies and days at the lake. Fortunately we have not had many rainy days at all, which has been great for those of us who want to play outside, but probably not so good for the farmers.

When we do have the odd rainy day and as the weather cools as we move into fall, it can be challenging to keep the kids entertained and prevent the inevitable ‘cabin fever’ that sets in from being inside for too long. I have found that having a ‘backpocket’ full of activities for the kids is a great way to keep them busy and you happy.

Here are some activities that I have enjoyed as a child and have used with my own kids to keep us all sane on those rainy days. Of course there are the typical things like watching movies and playing video games, but I always find that it is great to have some creative ideas and activities to engage their minds and imagination, as I feel that being in front of the tv all day is not always the best.

Build a fort

My favorite indoor activity has always been to make a fort. My sisters and I would get chairs and blankets and set things up so that we could then get inside and play all day. We would spend hours setting it up and enjoying it. My kids tend to use the couch cushions and pillows, in addition to blankets to set up their forts. Yes my couch comes apart for a while but the deal is at the end of the day they put it all back together, and everybody’s happy. They have had hours of fun and I have had hours of stress free activity.

Matthew in his couch fort

Kids can also use cardboard boxes to build a fort, this is something that they could leave up for awhile and use if it was in a space that worked for everyone. They can experiment with all shapes and sizes, decorate it with crayons or markers.

The important thing with forts is to let the kids be creative. Let them build it and knock it down a few times, let them use their imaginations. Regardless of what they create ensure it is safe to play in and is under adult supervision.

Play Board Games

Candyland

Also another favorite when I was growing up. We had all kinds of board games, from Monopoly to Pay Day and would often spend all day playing them. We would often set up Monopoly and have a tournament. The game would last all day and Mum never had to worry about what we were up to. There are lots of board games out there for all ages, like Candyland, Yahtzee, Connect Four, etc. that once you get the kids set up they can play on their own or join in.

Create a Play

Have the kids write their own play, assign parts and do a performance. Kids will be very occupied creating the stage, costumes, props as well as practicing the play itself. They can then present to friends and family at the end of the day.

Play Hide and Seek

Who says this is just an outdoor game? Set clear guidelines and boundaries about where they can and can not hide, then let the games begin. You can add a variation by changing the game to Sardines, where only one person hides and then everyone else has to find them. The catch is when you find the person who is hiding you have to then hide with them in that space. This can get very tricky if the space is a little small.

Have a Puppet Show

If you already have puppets, grab them; otherwise, the kids can make their own. They can use brown paper lunch bags and decorate them with markers, glitter, construction paper, etc. You could also use old mitts or sew little hand puppets for them to decorate. I know you are saying “Yes I am going to whip out the sewing machine and make a few puppets for them while they are waiting”. Perhaps have some ready beforehand and just put them away ‘for a rainy day’. They can also make a puppet theatre to do their show in using a cardboard box, blankets or a combination of both. Other great ‘theatres’ could be the island in the kitchen if you have one, or simply standing behind the couch.

Go outside and Play in the Rain!

Yes if all else fails, put on their rainboots, raincoats and send them outside in the backyard. One rainy afternoon we had all 3 kids going crazy by 4 o’clock. They were running around the house screaming and I was ready to scream myself. With an hour to go til dinner, I dressed them and sent them all outside. They had a great time, they ran around the deck, splashed in puddles and just plain enjoyed themselves. The stress level in the house went down, everyone was happier and I was able to make dinner in peace while still watching the kids.

The important thing is to keep on eye on them and make sure they are not getting cold, that they stay close to the house in case they need to come inside if they are. Otherwise let them play and jump in puddles. Challenge them to make as small a splash as possible, then a big one. You can also take out buckets and shovels and they can fill them up and scoop water out. My daughter loves transfering water from one bucket to another, filling it up and then dumping it. She can do that for an hour straight without getting bored or distracted. Who says that just because it’s wet outside that you can’t go out? The fresh air does everyone good and keep us all sane!

Play-Doh Fun Factory

This is just a sampling of ideas of what you could do, there are many other things that kids love that you could do with them on a rainy day, like playing with Play-Doh, various crafts, even some baking. You just have to do a little planning and have some materials on hand, so when it does rain you know what you can do. Believe me, it is worth the time spent planning to have a smooth and stress free rainy day!

 

 

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