How to Overcome Boredom with Board Games!

Spring Break still as a week left and the weather has taken a turn. Going outside to play is not always a desirable option, although there are many rainy day activities everyone can enjoy. One of our family’s favourite rainy day, screen-free past times is playing a board or card game. I’ve personally always been a fan of board games and have fond memories of playing Monopoly for ours with a friend as a child. Now as an adult, my family and I enjoy playing Monopoly Deal all the time.

Here are some of the reasons why board and card games are great!

Break from screens

The argument to get kids off of screens is a persistent battle. It is always a parent’s goal to get the kids unplugged. Unlike video games or smartphones, board games don’t emit blue light or bombard us with notifications. Instead, they encourage face-to-face interaction, tactile engagement, and focused attention. Playing a board game requires players to be present in the moment, fully engaged with the game and the people around them. Whether it’s the satisfying clink of game pieces or the laughter of friends, the sensory experience of playing a board game is a refreshing departure from the digital noise of everyday life.

Skills of strategy

Board games are not just about luck; they require strategy, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. From planning your next move to outsmarting your opponents, every decision in a board game involves some level of mental engagement. Games like Chess challenge players to anticipate their opponent’s moves several steps ahead, while cooperative games like Pandemic demand teamwork and coordination to overcome challenges. Even seemingly simple games like Connect Four or Tic-Tac-Toe teach important lessons about pattern recognition and spatial reasoning.

Inspire creativity

Beyond their entertainment value, board games can also spark creativity and imagination. Many games transport players to fantastical worlds filled with adventure and wonder, whether it’s exploring dungeons in Dungeons & Dragons or building civilizations in Civilization. Board games provide a canvas for storytelling, allowing players to inhabit different roles and weave narratives as they play. Moreover, the growing trend of “legacy” board games, where the outcome of one game influences subsequent sessions, adds a new dimension of storytelling and player agency to the gaming experience.

A Gathering Point for Connection

One of the most beautiful aspects of board games is their ability to bring people together. In a world where social interactions are increasingly mediated by screens, gathering around a table to roll dice or move game pieces can be a refreshing change. Whether it’s a group of friends meeting for a weekly game night, a family bonding over a holiday, or strangers becoming friends at a board game café, the shared experience of playing a game fosters camaraderie and strengthens relationships. One of my favourite games is Cranium. It’s been my go to game with friends since I was in my early 20’s.

New and old games to enjoy

Monopoly Deal

• The fun of the Monopoly game to play with cards
• Make a quick match
• it only takes 15 minutes to play
• Use action cards to collect rent and do business
• Collect 3 sets of Property cards to win
• Recommended age: 8 years and up

Blokus™

Stake your claim and protect your territory with the Blokus™ game! It takes less than a minute to learn, but offers endless strategy and fun challenges for the whole family. Each player gets a set of 21 pieces in red, blue, green, or yellow then takes turns placing them on the board. There’s just one rule: each piece you play must touch at least one other piece of the same colour, but only at the corners! The goal is to fit the most pieces on the board. The game ends when no more pieces can be placed down, and the player with the lowest number remaining wins!

• Ages: 7+ 
• Availability: Amazon
• MSRP: $31.99 CAD

Pictionary™

In Pictionary™, the quick-draw family game, count on big laughs as players find out who’s an artist and who really isn’t! In this game, the guesses can be just as hilarious as the sketches. Players use markers to draw their best rendition of the clue on the card, with a one-minute deadline. Is it an animal? A person? An action? What is that drawing? If team members just aren’t getting it, the sketcher can try a different direction. Players take turns drawing, so everyone gets to channel their inner artist! And the laughs just keep coming! Pictionary™ includes two erasable markers, erasable boards for drawing and fun clue categories like ‘Pop Culture.’ Year after year since 1985, Pictionary™ has proven itself to be the ultimate party game! 

• Ages: 8+ 
• Availability: Amazon
• MSRP: $33.99 CAD

Skip-Bo®

Skip-Bo® is the ultimate sequencing card game from the makers of UNO®! Players use skill and strategy to create stacks of sequentially numbered, ascending cards (2,3,4…) until they have no more left to play. Once everyone is dealt their own personal stockpile of cards, play begins by drawing from a central pile and building up to four “build” piles. The Skip-Bo® “wild” cards break up static situations and may be played as any number. Use these cards wisely, for they can really help you beat your opponents! The first player to deplete all of his or her Skip-Bo® stockpile cards is the winner!

• Ages: 7+
• Availability: Amazon
• MSRP: $33.99 CAD