Game Time!

Of course, you must decide that having a game time is beneficial and will enrich your family’s life.

Once you’ve done that, buy or dust off some old favorites then choose a time in your week and schedule your game time. Write it on your calendar! Maybe Friday after dinner or Sunday after church. Pick a time that works for your family.

Make sure everyone understands the rules and the goal of the game. Give examples of good moves or strategies by illustration before beginning the “real” game. We often play a “practice round” . Card games are played “open handed” (everyone can see what everyone else has) and strategies are discussed. Sometimes our “practice round” isn’t a complete game, but it lasts until everyone if fairly comfortable with the rules of play.

Explain (especially to younger players) that for everyone to enjoy playing, everyone must play by the rules. Everyone should respect their teammates (if applicable), opponents, and the outcome of the game. Let younger ones know that we can have fun even if we don’t win and if we play frequently, everyone will have a chance to win. Adults should model good sportsmanship.

Don’t play ineffectively so your child will win. Instead, help them learn from your skills. Discuss out loud the moves and why. If your child makes a move that is to their disadvantage, have them look again and guide them to a better move by asking questions like “what are your options?” “What will happen if you do that?” “What might be better?” “I see a way you can win, do you?” Don't tell them what to do, let them figure it out on their own with a little guidance. This is a hard lesson, but one my children learned early on. As they got older, they gained confidence when they won, because they knew they had earned it. Now they proudly announce that “Mom never LETS me win, I have to do it all by myself.”

Whether your child wins or loses, summarize what you learned and ask what they learned. “What would you do differently?” If you’ve ever played cards with “hard core” card players (especially partner games), you’ll notice they do the same thing after almost every hand. They rehash what was played, what they played and how the outcome could have been different if something else was played.

Keep the game time fresh by bringing in new games every few weeks. Give learning games as presents. Let family members take turns picking the game. We have a rotation schedule in our house. There are some games each family member likes better than others. If it’s not your day to pick, you play anyway without complaining because you want others to do the same when it’s your day to choose.

What educational games would you recommend for game time?

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