Long time... no writing! It has been extremely busy around these parts, which has caused our household to focus truly on the little things that make the most difference. Like taking advantage of the warm weather days to teach Emmalie to ride her bike without training wheels. And helping Dalton prepare for high school baseball tryouts that started today.
That brings me to the February topic of discussion... Family Game Nights!
A lot of research articles have been published in journals ranging from family life to education, dealing with this very topic. And, if you think about it, the bottom line in all of them is that it is beneficial to every member of the family to participate in some sort of "family game night".
The Cost:
* Time- Time is valuable in a busy family... especially if you seem to be running from sun up to sun down. BUT, think about the wasted time you may have that can be converted into a family fun night. Even a couple of hours one day a week proves to be of benefit.
* Belly Ache- You are sure to have a belly ache from the endless laughter that a family game/fun night provides. (So practice having a good laugh in advance!)
The Benefit:
* Bonding- It is a proven fact that spending time together as a family is a bonding experience. We can personally say that, as parents, we've learned something new about our children from a family game night. Often, it's learning about something you have in common or how well you work together as a team.
* Education- What is your favorite game? Chances are there is something educational in it. Whether it's a game of Go-Fish or Uno (numbers), Monopoly or Life (planning), Candyland or Memory (colors and remembering), Jenga or Don't Break the Ice (problem solving) or even Scene It or Twilight (trivia and knowledge)... there is an educational asect to them all. Emmalie often brings home a new math game page or spelling trivia game from school... because it helps to reinforce her learned concepts. So why not pull out an old board game and reinforce other fun concepts (some learned and some to be learned) with our children?
* Memories- Every time we have a family game night at our house, one or more of our children mention it to one of their friends. It becomes an instant memory... and a future request for another game night!
You don't have to spend a lot of money purchasing games that you don't have in order to put together a game night for your family. There are all sorts of websites with creative family game ideas that don't cost anything. Or, you can get creative and have a decorating day prior to game night... a few pieces of paper, a ruler and a sheet of stickers at the dollar store can create fun, kid-friendly bingo cards. And a few sheets of multi-colored construction paper, some tape and dice can create a life-sized board game around the house with every member of the family as his/her own game piece (this one's quite fun for little ones to get some energy out!).
So... our challenge to our blog readers is to get a family game/fun night together for your family. You definitely will not regret that you did!
