Board Games...Fun for the Whole Family

Some of the most vivid memories of my childhood were of playing board games with my siblings and my mother. They are instilled in my memories; but more so they are instilled in many of my life skills. Kids want to play them because they're fun...just plain fun. More importantly is the fact that kids and families are learning life skills and social values when they play board games. The two most played games we did as kids growing up were Scrabble and Monopoly. I've been thinking about those times while I was preparing to write this article.

Here are the things that I think were most important about those times: I grew up with strong word skills. I think it's why I enjoy writing so much. The basis for my writing skills came from playing Scrabble. Secondly, when I became an adult I always had this desire to sell real estate. I didn't know where it came from until yesterday. I think it came from playing so much Monopoly! Selling real estate nagged at me all through my years working for the telephone company. In fact at one point in my life I actually walked away from my career to go into real estate. It didn't take long to realize that I had made a wrong move and went back to finish my career and eventually retire. Years later after retirement...what did I do? I fulfilled that longing to sell real estate. I never put the connection together until yesterday. I had sown those seeds into my life playing a Monopoly board game. The moral to this story is that board games can instill life seeds in you that can later bloom into life skills and values. The fullness of this revelation is pretty remarkable. So parents I would tell you to spend time with your children playing board games. You will enrich their life with memories they will never forget and you just never know what gifts may ultimately come into their lives.