by Maria C Collins

Created on: August 22, 2009   Last Updated: September 22, 2009

Board games can be entertaining and amusing, an ideal way of spending family time together. They can be educational without being worthy. There are some games which are very useful in teaching children different skills in an entertaining way and, most importantly, without making a big issue out of a child's difficulties.

New board games arrive on the market every week but there are some board games which have stood the test of time and their educational value is unquestioned.

Very little children can learn a lot from picture matching games. There are very many of them and they are similar. Basically, they are a set of picture cards each of which has a pair. The idea of the game is to shuffle the cards and deal them face down in a grid pattern. Each player takes a turn at turning up two cards at a time, if they do not match that is the end of that player's turn and the next player does the same thing. When someone turns up a pair of cards s/he takes the pair and gets another turn until he turns up two cards that do not match. This is an entertaining game which helps with memory and recognition skills. It is also good fun for those who are playing with small children and puts everyone on an equal footing because winning relies on memory and recognition skills only.

Many people know Cluedo, or Clue as it is called in America. It is a game with a board and figures the object of which is to guess the murderer. Players throw a dice to determine their moves and move around the board. The board is designed as the rooms of a house. Players have to deduce the identity of the murderer, the weapon used and the room in which the murder occurred. It is not gory in any way. It is a game in which logical deduction and elimination skills as well as tactics play a great part in success but it has long been a family favourite because it is entertaining for both children and adults.

Chess is very old but has much to teach children and adults. It teaches concentration, forward planning, adapting thinking and planning to circumstances and memory skills. Many teachers recommend chess as a way of helping children to concentrate.

Many people are Scrabble addicts. There are even championship competitions and clubs for this popular game. There are both senior and junior versions. Scrabble is a great way to assist both adults and children with spelling and word knowledge. It is also a great deal of fun.

For older children and adults Trivial Pursuit is a good way of expanding general knowledge. There are many other quiz type games which can expand knowledge on different subjects. Some of these also combine activities with quizzing and can be fun even for adults.

Board games are an excellent and amusing way of passing the time. They can be a welcome opportunity for families to spend time together. They are also an excellent way of learning and honing educational skills without realizing it and both adults and children enjoy them. There are many excellent board games which can teach many skills. Go to a good established retailer who has a good selection and see the wealth of games that are available. Board games are simply learning without tears.

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