Family Game Night!

When we were kids, my brother and I begged our parents on a regular basis to play board games with us. It was a coup when we had them convinced.

The thing was – we had their attention locked in, guaranteed for at least the length of the game.

Where they could give up just easily as we could on rolling out Play-Doh snakes or running toy cars around the living room, with the board game or puzzle spread out in front of us, there was a logical beginning and end to play.

Which makes Family Game Night optimal bonding time for families who are always on the go. As much as parents mean to spend time with their kids, a study commissioned by HearthSong earlier this year found that 62 percent of us find less than an hour a day to play with them.

When it comes to the health of our kids, their development and just plain old family bonding, that’s not much.

Since the old favorites are probably packed away in your closet (not getting much use), I offer up my list of favorites that are a little fresher to the market to jump-start your family game night:

The Ladybug Game by Zobmondo! will be a fly-away hit with your kids because it comes from the mind OF a kid. Kylie Copenhagen was in first grade when the California kid developed this simple follow-the-path board game with cards that direct them where to go and when. Rescuing a quartet of little ladybugs who’ve been blown away by a windstorm, kids learn a little about helping others – in a game that’s short enough for their limited attention spans. Although it’s marketed to kids 3 through 7, beware that lots of little aphid chips need lots of care from bigger hands!

While you’re at it, pick up one of the Zobmondo! “Would You Rather . . .?” series – there’s a kid’s version, the classic or the twisted, sick and wrong game to get the family debating the downright bizarre. It’s a simple premise – players are faced with questions they don’t always want to answer. Would they rather do A. or B? When A is crazy and B. is a little disgusting, the fun is in the reasons behind the answers. Ever wanted to know more about your kids? You’ll get more than “I dunno” with “Would You Rather . . . ?” just make sure you pick the age-appropriate game for the setting.

Remember I Spy on long car trips in the back of the family station wagon? Now it’s coming to your dining room, thanks to the folks at Briarpatch with a series of card and board games that suit every family’s needs. I Spy Spooky Night is out just in time to put the whole family in the holiday spirit and a memory testing card game that will keep them guessing all year long. But I’m hooked on I Spy Private Eye which puts the old Boggle shake-it-up twist on the memory challenge.

For something a little less taxing (and time consuming), Briarpatch’s Beddy-Bye Baby Game over at Fat Brain Toys is just right for little kids before you bundle them off to bed. With a similar set-up to the Ladybug Game (minus that pile of chips), Beddy-Bye is designed with the pre-school set in mind, and helps get them in the mood for a lullaby.

Fat Brain is my go-to spot for toys that won’t melt their brains, and I’m happy to see their magnetic puzzles are selling like hot cakes. Good for game night or on-the-go, the pieces to these puzzles stick right to the board, which means fewer lost pieces. And Moms on the Move know that means fewer tears! Fat Brain has endangered animal puzzles on sale right now so get on over there. While you’re there, stock up on the whole series for game night and every night. Some of my other favorites include the space puzzle for your little explorer and the alphabet animal puzzle.

What games from your childhood have made a comeback for your kids?

Jeanne Sager is a freelance writer and mama (on the move) to Jillian. She lives in upstate New York, works as a newspaper reporter and let’s it all hang out all over the Web including the Mother of All Parenting Blogs, Babble’s own Strollerderby, at her site Inside Out, over at Burbia and of course here on PeekabooPicks. With Jillian in tow, she interviews Grammy nominees, big time authors and the farmer up the road - and she shares her juggling secrets every Monday here on Peekaboo Picks. To be featured in Mama on the Move, send an e-mail her way (mailto: jeannesager [at] gmail.com).