We are well into summer and if your family is anything like mine we are scrambling to fill our time with something other than Netflix and video games.  My kids actually love to have family game night.  Honestly, I have a love-hate relationship with board games.  I love the “idea” of family game night with all the family spending time around the table playing and laughing.  But the reality is our family game nights often end in tears and/or egotistical bragging…not my idea of relaxing!  Even though they are  not my favorite moments, the truth is great teaching moments lie beneath the tantrums and the egos. There are real benefits to a family game night.

• Board games teach you how to deal with life. Games simulate many real life experiences like decision making, disappointment, and winning.  How should a child deal with being dealt a losing hand?  How should they deal with crushing their siblings in the game of Risk and taking over the entire world?  Is it better to be sweet or cut throat to get that coveted piece of Monopoly property from my brother?
• Board games make you smarter. Many board games require cognitive functions such as memory and problem solving.  Improving cognitive skills can increase IQ and boost learning capacity.  Playing games is a great way to exercise the brain.
• Board games promote laughter and can even reduce stress. Even though our family is very competitive and can sometimes get upset when playing games, we actually laugh a lot.  Playing board games releases endorphins which leave us feeling joyful and help us forget about the stress of school and work for a short while.

• Board games encourage family bonding time. Sometimes I feel like days and even weeks can go by with our family running in all different directions.  Pulling out a board game after dinner is a great way to bring us together for some family bonding time.  Even if it is just a quick 30 minutes before my older children run off with their friends.

The above benefits of board games are good reminders as to why I should say yes to family game night.  The parental frustration of the tears and tantrums are valuable teachable moments. 

Need some family game night inspiration?  Here are some classic favorite board games that have stood the test of time: 

• Scrabble
• Monopoly
• Settlers of Catan
• Qwirkle
• Risk
• Clue
• Battleship
• Yahtzee
• Sorry
• Chutes and Ladders
• The Game of Life
• Trouble
• Candy Land