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Once upon a time, there was no such thing as the Internet. There were no cell phones. The best video game console was Atari, and only the really privileged kids had it. Families had dinner together and spent time afterwards, either watching The Cosby Show or playing board games.

Unfortunately, board games - even the really cool ones - are all but extinct. No longer do families gather around the coffee table for a heated game of Monopoly, get into arguments about who sent whom back to start in a round of Sorry!, or even get the daylights scared out of them while playing Operation.

The best board games are those of yesteryear, known as the classic board games. Fortunately, the gaming giants such as Mattel and Parker Bros. know this and still produce their very best games. There are some old favorites with new updates. Here is a guide to the best board games for families to enjoy...

SCRABBLE is a game of words as well as a strategy board game. Each letter has a point value, which you add together in order to get the highest score. Use bonus spaces on the board in order to increase your score. Be sure to have a dictionary on hand to challenge any words that may be spelled incorrectly. This is a terrific game for families to play, especially with kids that are learning how to spell. There is even a Scrabble Junior for the youngsters.

MONOPOLY is fun, challenging and teaches kids the value of a dollar at a young age. The classic Monopoly is best, but there are all sorts of varieties on the classic to pique the interests of virtually anyone: Simpsons Monopoly, Las Vegas Monopoly and many more.

TRIVIAL PURSUIT is the board game to end all board games. In the original, players can test their knowledge in History, Science, Literature, Sports, Arts & Entertainment and Current Events. Now there are a ton of different versions, including Nickelodeon themed games for kids to enjoy. Test your knowledge and learn things that you didn't know with this game.

CANDYLAND is the first educational board game that many children play. Take your gingerbread man on a stroll through Candyland, using colors to move along. This game teaches preschoolers colors and is a great way to start a family game night tradition.

CLUE is a terrific family board game to play with older kids, especially teenagers. Before playing the game, watch the movie starring Madeline Kahn, Tim Curry and Christopher Lloyd. Then break out the game board and create your own murder! There is even a Clue Junior to play with younger kids.

PICTIONARY is the most fun board game of all time. Form your family into teams and draw your way to victory! Anyone who can draw a picture can play this game, so it doesn't matter how old your teammates are. This game will surely bring family members together.

TABOO is a fun game focusing on word association. This is a great game to play with a lot of people, especially at family dinners and parties. It's great because you can include all ages to be guessers, and everyone feels included.

Since these board games did so well right out of the box, many games are now available as an online board game and a computer board game. While they are still fun to play, they certainly don't have the special connection with the other players that you have when playing a board game in person.

Families need to reconnect with one another. So, put down the remote, turn off the computer, silence the cell phone and gather around the coffee table with your favorite board game.

Learn more about this author, Candice Cain.
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