Fun and Games
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| A game review about Trouble by our wee man: Trouble is a great game because you can do warps and doubles and it helps you but on the other hand the 1's gets everybody else out except for you! It helps to think about where you want to go and when. I like it because how other people make me laugh like Dad when he kept getting 1's last night :) |
Play a Game
Playing games is something that is an important connection activity for our family. Like many people we re-discovered this during lockdown. The rainy days over the festive season have given us time to play new games received as gifts.
There are so many great games out there, we have a good collection of card and board games that we play at different times and with different people, it is interesting how one or two are favourites for a while and then they run their course and something else takes favour.
Playing card and board games are beneficial for more than just filling in some time:
- they get us thinking, the brain loves a challenge and often games give us the opportunity to strategise and predict
- they help us practise skills like how to find our calm... they are great for practising the stimulation of excitement, disappointment, tension and even anger during a game and then managing these big feelings so we can stay engaged
- they give us an opportunity to connect away from screens, a slower pace and different visual stimuli
- they help us practise social skills like taking turns, competing positively, losing graciously, problem solving, negotiating and resolving conflict as well as generally chatting to each other as the game progresses
- they can enhance memory in a relatively low stress environment
- they can create positive memories and connections with others
- many games offer us the opportunity to practise life lessons too such as those involving luck, we learn that there are some things we can control and others we can't and how to deal with the whims of luck
I love listening to our boy chuckle as he steps on his Nana or Dad and sends them home in Trouble, our latest family favourite. Sometimes he laughs so hard he is nearly crying! I love seeing the connection between the different generations, it is something everyone around the table can access. Before this Yahtzee was the favourite to play with Nana and Monopoly Deal with Dad. My husband plays role playing board games with friends and we play card games together some evenings. It's lovely to take some time out from work or other distractions and just enjoy playing a game together, our latest is Sequence.
Games are portable fun and can be played inside or outside (depending on the weather conditions). They can be played in a tent, a bed, a caravan, a boat, a tree house, or your home. They can be played with new friends, old friends, family members old and young. We can replicate these online too, and I know that has been a real asset for some folk with internet access during lockdowns to minimise the sense of isolation.
Today is another rainy day, I wonder what game we will play after tea tonight?
This Joyful January project is part of the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit: Restore your health, boost your wellbeing and embark on a happy healthy lifestyle for 2021
That is exactly what the Happy Healthy Teachers Matter Online Summit is all about. YOU having the knowledge, skills, support and most importantly the WHY to make your health, energy and vitality a priority for 2021 and beyond.
22nd - 24th Jan with 17+ heart centred wellness experts and a 3 hour vision board online workshop (recordings available) Find out all the details here: please follow this link: https://www.spectrumeducation.com/happy-healthy-teachers-matter-online-summit-home/
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