Have a Game Night At Your House
Build family communication and togetherness by having a weekly toy/game/hobby night. It’s very easy
to often let work, school, and the day-to-day business of life rule the day. So much so, that we can easily lose touch with our kids and what’s gong on in their lives. That’s why setting one night each week aside for a toy/game/hobby night can rekindle close family ties.
Those families with small children will probably focus more on the “toy” aspect of the toy/game/hobby night. Take the time to get down on the floor and play with the little ones. Roll playing games such as “house” or “firemen” are lotslots of fun and also a great chance to interact with your children. These activities can also be wonderful opportunities to teach so be sure to take full advantage of them when they arise.
Modeling dough is also a great activity for toy/game/hobby night. Collect some small cookie cutters
and old jar lids (for pans) and create fancy cookies and desserts - inedible and calorie-free, of
course! The kids can turn a large box on it’s side for a counter and place the goodies on display to
sell. Of course, you’ll pretend to buy, eat, and enjoy!
Some fun games for family night include card games like “Uno,” board games like “Candy Land” or “Life”, and
that old favorite dominoes.
When choosing games to play there are several things to consider.
Is Scrabble, for instance, fun for everyone, or does all the spelling and thinking feel like work to some of the players? Does the game take forever to play, so that some players’ attention spans play out? Does the game encourage merciless competition, like Monopoly, leaving losers feeling left out?
It’s important for kids to learn how to lose and still have fun. Don’t “throw” the game, intentionally letting them win all the time, but don’t mercilessly beat them every time either. Make it fun. If losing is a problem for some of the kids, check out some of the newer “cooperative” games where everyone is on the same team.
And don’t forget computer games played either on a gaming console like xBoxxBox or directly on a PC.
Having a toy/game/hobby night every week will help you stay close to your kids as they grow up. It will also keep the lines of communication open with your children so be sure to plan a toy game/hobby/night at your house this week!
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