Family Game Night is a tradition in many household, a time when kids put down the video games, parents turn off their smartphones and everyone gathers around the kitchen table for some old-fashioned family fun.
Here are just a few board games that have spanned generations and lived on from grandparent to parent to child:
Scrabble. The game that proved that wordplay really can be "play". Scrabble helps parents teach kids new words and allows mischievous kids to try to sneak made up words past their parents. It’s fun for all and as stated is a great learning tool.- Monopoly. Monopoly has grown over the years from a game about buying up property in Atlantic City, to banking and begging for that get out of jail free card. From Star Wars to Shrek, to Hello Kitty and The Wizard of Oz, there's a variety of versions of this game. I am sure you will be able to find one everyone loves.
- The Game of Life A game that literally spans across generations, Life has you playing through your character's entire...well, life, graduating college, getting a job, getting married, having kids- all to see who can wind up with the biggest house and
the most money at the end. - Clue. Murder! Mystery! Problem-solving! Clue has you piecing together certain facts during your investigation to try to solve a crime. Unlike a lot of games, you're not just rolling dice and seeing where you land. You have to use your noggin to win this one.
- Guess Who? Speaking of games that build reasoning skills! Guess Who? Is the game of using context clues and your own wits to figure out who you're talking to - not an altogether invaluable skill in today's increasingly Web-connected society.
Battleship. I think we all remember the commercials of "battleship sunk!" There's nothing that quite brings a family together like simulated naval warfare.- Jenga. Often forgotten in any discussion of classic games, Jenga is all about virtually every child's favorite past time, breaking things.
