I’m a big proponent of having a family game night. I’ve even written two posts about great games for families - one focused on elementary school and one focused on preschool. But you might be wondering how game night can benefit your kids. It’s a great weekly habit that can promote a lot of positive behavioral growth. Here are four reasons to fit it into your weekly schedule.
It allows you to slow down and reconnect
Life is BUSY. There are tons of activities, meetings and appointments to get to. It’s good to reconnect as a family every once in a while. You get to talk and connect with one another. This is time to focus on one another. I know it’s tempting, but try not to check Facebook when it’s not your turn. Be in the moment for the duration of the game, and check your news feed once the game is all done.
Practice social skills during games
By playing games with your child, you get a chance to see where they do really well, and where they may need a little more help. They can’t always be first, or go again if something didn’t go their way and they certainly don’t always win. They have to practice learning how to play games, and playing games as a family is a wonderful way to accomplish that.
You can teach them new games
Sometimes kids want to play a game their friend has, but they don’t know how to play it yet. By introducing and playing the game as a family, you can help them practice before their next play date!
You can show them adults can play and have fun too!
It’s not just all about kids playing. Grown ups need to have down time as well. Grown ups can still enjoy playing games. Introduce some of your favorite games to your kids. It could be a board game or a video game! You could also try simple minute to win it games, if you like the quick and competitive nature of those types of games.
My sister and I played a lot of board games when we were younger, and my husband’s family did too. There are also plenty of family friendly video games on different systems. I always loved playing Mario Kart with my family on holidays. Maybe even try to get into Minecraft as a family!
I encourage you to start a family game night with your family. Try some different games, and see how it goes!! Go play and have fun!!
What was the last game your family played together?
