Board Games are getting a “Second Life” + Games Quest Giveaway

As we all know by now the gaming industry is growing bigger every day… more gaming consoles, more gaming tablets, phones handheld devices, more options to simply isolate ourselves from the outside world and just play…

One could easily start to think that this whole boom in computer gaming would “kill off” board games, but one would be wrong. Actually board games are having their own boom and were never as popular as they are right now.

According to Doctor Tomasz Sobierajski sociology Professor from Warsaw University “we miss the need to be with other people”. Computer gaming can be fun but most of the time we are isolated; it is just us stuck in the room staring at a screen whereas board games give us the opportunity to be interact with others and at the same time learn something new, have fun and relax.

Board games are extremely important part of growing up. They help with intellectual development, social rules as well as interpersonal relationships; they teach us how to win and more importantly… how to lose.

How to choose the perfect board game?

Well, I am not sure I have a perfect recipe for success when it comes to game choices but I have a few pointers which might help with this task.

Read information on the box

This would give you the general idea about the game and the ever so important age bracket the game is designed for.

Read the rules

Every game has its own rules. When picking something new we need to make sure that the rules are not too complicated and that the participants will be able to follow them.

Time frame

Some games can take a long time to finish. It is important to pick the right game that suits the time frame available to you to finish the game – too long and kids can get bored.

Number of players

Different games require different number of players. If there are only two of you most of the time then don’t get a party game…

Type of the game

Fantasy, simulation, adventures, logical… you know best what you like, you know best what your friends or kids are good at… take it into consideration when making your choice… If your players aren’t good readers don’t pick the game which requires a lot of reading in order to progress… games should be fun… this is their main role and everything else we learn during this time it is just a bonus!

We have a lot of board games in the house. We might not play them as often as we would like but there is nothing better than a friendly scrabble session 🙂

Games Quest was started by people who love games and love having fun. They stock over 30,000 of the world’s favourite board games, toys and books. If you are looking for it, I am sure they have it.

Games Quest have kindly offered £40 of site credit to one of my readers, so you can pick something you and your kids or friends can bond over and enjoy during these long winter evenings.

If you have a board game on your wish list and fancy winning £40 to spend at Games Quest please just follow the link to my rafflecopter giveaway.

Enter to win a £40 voucher to spend at Games Quest

 

Good luck!

Do you like board games?

Do you think their future is bright?

Do you play with your kids, partner or friends?

ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions
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42 Days of Summer #Sweeet Challenge

McVitie’s BN Biscuits in connection with BritMums have challenged bloggers to write about their 42 Days of Summer. The brief was very open – tips, ideas and inspirations, whatever you do to make it fun was allowed. I wanted to be the part of it, so here I am.

At first I was thinking about making a day out post, or maybe some fun summer cooking recipe or something crafty, but finally I settled for a kind of tip / advise post.

So how do we assure that the 42 Days of Summer are actually fun?

Well, let’s start with making a list and listening to the kids. Put on the list all those small things that they have always wanted to do. Ok, I must admit that most kids will have a Disneyland or a Legoland trip at the top of their list, but when you really ask them want they want, you might be surprised by some of their choices.

Kids think differently and their pleasures are totally different from ours. They might really want that PJs party you never got around to throwing during the school year, or a movie night with friends, when they can just lounge around in their onesies and stuff their face with popcorn or maybe they still didn’t fulfil their desire of building a den under their bed (I would not advise this if you have a standard bed, we have a mid sleeper so it is doable). A nice family picnic is a great day out and it will not cost a fortune. How about a trip to the woods, this can be very knowledgeable, walking around the trees, picking all the gifts from nature, which later on can be used in crafts or some lovely handmade decorative arrangement.

Evening at the Greyhound Racing Tracks

Day in perfecting homemade sweets

Day with nature, picnic included 🙂

Every family member is supposed to make a list – short or long – this is up to you, then try to pick at least 5 things from each list to do over the summer.

This way everyone gets something they wanted and we can learn from one another and hopefully discover something new and exited we never thought we would enjoy.

Maybe your other half wants to go fishing, so we all go. Who said that fishing can’t be fun? Learning about different rods, different type of fishing and not to mention the excitement when you finally hook a fish.

Summer is always a great time to plan for the future; check out new clubs, try new sports… who knows maybe that one trip to the swimming pool you just took will result with your child regularly going to a swimming club after school or becoming a great swimmer?

So, whatever you do over summer, remember that it is all supposed to be about fun.

* This post is an entry for 42 Days of Summer Linky Challenge sponsored by McVitie’s BN. Learn more at http://bit.ly/1mRpMCL

Caffeinated Owl Chart by Dave Mottram

Caffeinated Owl Chart by Dave Mottram

Looks like Irish coffee does wonders 😉

and double espresso really works!

Really clever work…

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