Spending time together as a family is just as important as having fun. And what better way to incorporate both than to host a family game night! Everyone in the family — young and not-so-young — can take part in this delightful and entertaining family tradition.
Kiddie Academy’s very own vice president of education has been and still is an advocate of family game night too. “From preschoolers’ to now adults, my four children have always enjoyed our family game night,” says Peterson. “This special night of fun has become a tradition in our home and playing and laughing together has created a bond that will not easily be broken.”
Engage young brains in learning activities with these fun and entertaining games for the whole family, courtesy of SheKnows.com:
Candyland – This classic game requires no reading and reinforces colors and matching.
Super Why ABC Letter Game – Based on the Emmy-nominated Super Why TV show (check out Kiddie Academy’s sponsored ads each episode!), this game is designed for children ages 3 to 8. This is a great one-on-one game you can use to reinforce your child’s early literacy skills.
Memory – The great thing about memory games is that they are easily adaptable for the age and attention span of your child. Get more creative and use decorative scrapbook papers printed with letters or numbers and take them to your local office store to get them laminated.
If you need more reason to kick start your game night, just take a look at all the benefits you can gain from creating this new family tradition:
Quality family time. Just like Mr. Peterson said, playing games together leads to a lot of good conversation and sometimes even leads to family jokes that last well beyond game time.
Media-free entertainment. It’s hard to keep communication going in today’s super- cyber-society. It’s a digital world out there, which is why it’s always refreshing to have face-to-face family bonding time without the use of a handheld device or television.
Thrifty entertainment. We live in a society where things aren’t cheap! However, game night can be a rather inexpensive alternative. Aside from the cost of the game and some snacks, there’s really no budgeting involved. Money well spent!
Learning new skills. Playing games is not only enjoyable, but it can also teach your children new skills, such as counting, matching and problem-solving.
Learning sportsmanship. Family game night is sure to bring out everyone’s inner champion. A little healthy dose of competition is good for children, especially when it comes to learning good sportsmanship.
