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Quality family time is an essential, important part of being a parent. It is crucial for time to be allocated everyday which does not include mealtimes, school runs or time spent watching television. Playing games is key to quality family time, your attention is fully focused on the children, with no distractions. You learn a great deal about each other when immersed in competitive games.

Children's games are varied, it should be remembered that despite the growing trend today, the term games should not automatically conjure up the image of video or Wii games. The traditional card and board games still exist, many of which can be educational, or at the very least can be key stimulating your child's intelligence.

While children are young, jigsaw puzzles are a great shared activity. They are not only fun, but they also require intelligence and they help to stimulate brain use. Simple card games too can be used as a way to promote brain activity as well as a fun time to spend together as a family. Playing pairs using picture cards requires concentration and a sharp memory, as does playing snap, which also tests your reaction time.

Chess is an extremely taxing game, it only comes easily to a very small minority. For the majority it requires time, patience, intelligence, and perseverance in order to master the game. It is a great family game however between all members of the family. A shared interest in the game could forge a bond between parent and child, and they could deepen their knowledge together as they discuss rules and tactics. It is a game which requires an imaginative, inquiring mind.

The board game of monopoly is a time old favorite of families. It is a lengthy game perfect for winter evenings around the family table. It has educational value as it revolves around money and property. The aim of the game is to manage your money, invest wisely in hotels and houses on the more prestigious roads of London, and hope to collect more in rent than you have to pay out.

Scrabble is another firm favorite, it requires up to four players, and tests your child's intelligence in regards to the English language. The aim of the game is to gain the highest score by forming words out of seven tiles and placing them on the highest part of the board. Each letter is graded with a number of points, for example the letter "Q" is worth far higher than a vowel. There are also opportunities to earn more points by playing your words on a triple letter or word score. Towards the end

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