Over the years of working with parents, I realize that while a lot of them look forward to the structure the school year brings their homes they miss the connection that summer offers. Good weather and less structure lead to unexpected connections. During the school year schedules become more rigid. Time seems to slip through our hands even quicker and before we know it we haven’t really connected with our littles in days. Family game nights are a great way to win at connections and save money. Going out can be expensive and doesn’t always allow families to really connect depending on the activity. Invest in a game and it is something that you and the family can do for years. The right game can become a family tradition that gets passed down for generations.
We love games. We use them for connecting. We use them for school. We use them to pass the time. And we use them to gain new skills. JustaBXgirl has certain games she plays with me. Certain games she plays with justaBXgrandpa, and certain games she plays with her cousins. Here are a few games we’ve spent time playing over the summer.
Trominii – It’s rare that a game gets JustaBXgirl and JustaBXgrandpa excited but this one did just that. Think you’re a master at dominoes then it is time to take the challenge with Trominii. It is an excellent matching game for younger players and a wonderful strategy game for older players.
Tummple – Speaking of strategy games, Tummple takes the cake. It is so much fun. You have to think ahead when playing this game because you never know what will happen on your next roll. Alway gotta be prepared for the white and yellow pieces to come into play. Not only is this great for family game night but for an adult game night too.
Socially Twisted Kids Game – You might have remembered when I shared about the adult version of this game. I’m back with the family-friendly version now! I really thought about saving this game for a Toy School post because they are the perfect tool for creative writing. I just wanted everyone to see them because this is an excellent game for connecting. It’s about storytelling and coming up with the “best” story. I think as parents we win by listening to our littles creativity come to life. They will have so much fun trying to create the best story using prompts like, “I ate only the heads off my dino nuggies,” while including the words: hat, rat, cat, fat, cheese, and stinky.
Shoppin’ Blowout – Before you play you have to download the corresponding app to your phone. I like this for three reasons. First, nobody can say you’re not being fair and selecting an item that is closer to you or another player because the app will announce which product you search for. The second reason I like that the app is in play is that it tells you clearly when the game is over. It gets to be the bad guy and not the adult! And finally, I like needing to use the app because it means that my phone is out of my hand. I’m guilty of keeping my phone close by while we play games and at times that can mean I’m not fully focused on the gameplay. Now I have no choice but to fully focus because my phone is part of the game! Do you think you can find the piece you need before your littles do?
I like the upgraded or Steroids versions of the games def love the Toy Schooling idea. We always do UNO def got to get some of these ones for the No Video Game Days
These are great substitutes for Screen Free days. The Shoppin’ Blowout would be great because it still allows some screen usage but in a brand new way.
I think my dad, the Crews Grandpa would love to play Trominii. Gonna check it out thanks for the review.
It could be a great Grandpa Christmas gift!