by Ron Schecker

Created on: May 07, 2008   Last Updated: May 12, 2008

In this day and age of laptops,cellphones that can do everything but make your dinner, Crackberries and video game systems that could possibly launch missiles, nothing beats few friends over on some cold wintry or rainy night and a few board games to keep you entertained.

Now, I do attest to pretty much owning nearly every known game console, but I have always felt that certain connection to board games more than anything. Some are silly, some can be very competitive, but nearly all of them are amazing learning tools.

Take for example Scrabble. Here is a game that pushes the players to stretch their brain cells to create words that perhaps they never even knew existed. Scattegories is along this vein as well, but instead of tiles, you roll a die with a whole slew of letters and to create words from descriptions on a card in a set time.

For those who enjoy more logic, there is always Battleship. I admit this is one game that I don't have patience for. (and no, it's NOT because I'm not logical-I just can't seem to win). Chess, Risk, Stratego, Axis and Allies. All of these games utilize forward thinking and logic in each move, which I have always found entertaining and fun. But Risk can bring out the Napoleon in all of us. I know it does with me. The thought of overtaking a country? Such power!

Then comes the games that require cards or dice thrown. Yahtzee comes to mind. I loved playing this with my family growing up, especially when watched the dice fall in just the right way. Monopoly and Life are 2 more classic games that help the players don role-playing guises and jump into the water head first. I love when a game can last for a long time. If it's short, that's no fun. Sorry! is another classic game that can get frustrating when you get all the way to "home" and get sent back to "start".

When I moved here to SW Florida, my aunt and uncle introduced me to a game from Germany called "Mencsh Argere Dich Nicht" (forgive my spelling). Loosely translated it means "Man don't get angry (or mad). Picture a game like Sorry! Aggravation and Parcheesi all rolled into one VERY frustrating game session. But I have to say that after one 90-minute game with those 2, you are really worked up into a frenzy.

So next time you get bored of 21st-century gadgets and gizmos, dig into the closet and rip out them games you locked up since childhood, and be a big kid all over again!

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