by Alex Cappannari

Created on: May 04, 2009

Board games have been a constant presence in my life ever since I was a young girl. In a small family consisting of only myself and my father, board games were a way to connect and hang out. Of course, we typically only play the "actual" version of new board games once or twice before we change the rules, add in other games, and create our own ridiculous tournaments. While video games do include a level of interaction between the people in the room, board games put people face to face and force them to actually BE the entertainment.

My father is now 51 years old and, with the exception of "Shadow Warrior" the odds of him playing any kind of video game are pretty slim. There's no way he's going to join me on a Half-Life server, and he's not going to jump in the Mario Party. This could lend to the impression of being an "Old Fogey", but this isn't actually the case. I still visit him every Saturday and we invent some new combination of Scrabble, Cranium, Fluxx, and maybe Trivial Pursuit while perhaps throwing in a arbitrary challenge such as throwing a ball into a bin across the room. The creative interaction of making up our own versions of games combined with the actual challenges of the game is a rich experience that always leaves us laughing.

I'm now 26 and I still bring friends over to my father's house for a night of games and Italian cooking. The family atmosphere always extends to guests. There is simply no LAN party, no WOW tournament, no HALO group that can compete with the simple and human joys of playing in the real world with your friends. (don't even get me STARTED on the joys of going outside).

Video games represent an amazing development in humanity, as an artistic medium and just plain fun, but they can never replace or be as fulfilling as the simple interaction between people trying to draw with their eyes closed, hum a Queen tune, or act like a sea sponge without talking. Creative talents are allowed to flourish and given room to play, useless trivia finds a use, and everybody discovers their abilities.

For parents out there, I would highly recommend insisting that your children play with you (I bet they'd be really into the idea, even if it requires twisting their arm at first). Not only is bonding taking place and memories being created, it's also a wonderful place where children can talk to their parents without it being a "discussion". Board games are a forum for conversation and expression that video games, marvelous and entertaining though they are, simply can't compete with.

Learn more about this author, Alex Cappannari.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.