Illinois PTA has shared why the new renaissance in board games provides a great way for your family to spend time together. The Geek Dad blog has an article on the top 10 reasons to play board games with your kids. Each reason has the theory behind it, how it has worked in practice, and a suggested game to go with it. Those reasons are:

  1. Taking Turns: One of the first skills that games teach us is to wait for our turn, something even the youngest players can do.
  2. Math Skills: Whether it is adding up scores or learning the probabilities of rolling two dice, games provide opportunities to practice some math skills.
  3. Mental Agility: Exercising your brain is important as you age, and board games can help build that into a lifelong habit.
  4. Thinking Ahead: More complex games require you to think about more than just what you are doing this turn. Learning to plan ahead and think about what will happen depending on the choices you make is an important skill to develop.
  5. Actions and Consequences: Related to thinking ahead, board games provide positive and negative consequences to your actions in a smaller world where the cause-and-effect is more easily seen.
  6. Making Tough Choices: Board games often require a player to make choices between similarly good (or bad) options, providing an opportunity to learn how to think critically about risks and rewards.
  7. Teamwork: Not all board games are “I win, you lose.” Cooperative board games pit all the players against a problem, whether it is rescuing people from a burning building, fighting the spread of disease across the world, or collecting treasures from a sinking island.
  8. Being a Good Sport: No one likes a sore loser or a gloating winner. Board games provide an opportunity to teach your children to be gracious whether they win or lose and to focus on the experience of playing and doing their best.
  9. Cutting the Cord: Board games provide a fun way to spend time with face-to-face interaction, making it easier to pull even the most dedicated video gamer away from their screen.
  10. Building a Bond: When you look back on your childhood, what you remember most are often the experiences you shared with your parents. Board games provide an opportunity to build those memories and bonds with your children.

The article concludes with a bonus reason as well—fun! Be sure to check out the full article for new game ideas for your family.