Fun with your family!
CYNTHIA JOHN
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Did you think that only computer games were enjoyable? Try a board game.
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Quality time: Everyone has a nice time.
Why on earth are toyshops and bookstores stacking up board games, pushing CDs to the back shelves? Are kids really getting bored of computer games? But no, board games are here for a different reason now – to promote family time. If you haven’t caught on to the new trend, it’s time you did. Board games have made an official comeback.
Very different
The good old games that were merely ‘games’ for kids are now being recognised for their value in building family relationships and togetherness. And they are just as much fun as they have been for years. So before you sit for your umpteenth game at the computer, think again. Scrabble, chess and monopoly can be as enjoyable as a computer racing game. Guess what makes board games so much fun? Well, a major reason is that there’s a lot of interaction. It’s interesting to watch different personalities respond differently to the victories and setbacks they face in the game.
Board games let you do things you may not be able to do right now in real life. The game, Careers, for example, lets you be a person with a different occupation for a short time. You get to try out different careers along the game. While you play Monopoly, you can buy and sell property to other players and charge them rent for the houses and hotels you build.
In case you haven’t played many board games, and are wondering where to start, here are some ideas.
Chess, for one, is a challenging game to pit your wits against your opponent. The fact that it is an international sport proves its popularity. Try this game which, like any other sport, improves with practice.
Scrabble, the word game, is now so popular that there are Scrabble clubs and competitions in many cities. Join a scrabble club or just play with a sibling. Monopoly or trade is fun with three or more players. You’ll be dabbling in real estate – buying and selling property, building houses and hotels, mortgaging them…until you go bankrupt. Fun for all ages.
Theme-based games plunge you into a different world — a world of animals, a haunted house, a racing road or a treasure island. Fantasy Forest takes you through a forest where you need to escape vampires, dragons and werewolves to finally reach the good wizard at his castle. There are games that use dice or spinners, numbered or word cards, sand-timers and alphabet-dice. Each has its own charm. So try out a variety. There are games like Careers, Picnic and Cluedo. And of course, good old Ludo and Snakes and Ladders. Not to speak of Chinese Checkers, the all-time favourite.
So all you need is a game and a few players. And you can get set for a time of fun of a different kind!
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