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We are big fans of board games, especially in the colder and wetter months. There’s something very enjoyable about getting hunkered down in the front room, woodburner warming the space up and enjoying an afternoon of board games.
This autumn, Dementia UK are asking people to play their favourite games and have fun, whilst raising vital funds to help their dementia specialist Admiral Nurses support more families facing dementia.
Raise your Game is taking place in October, but you can hold an event on any date that suits you. Read about how you can Raise your Game for Dementia UK here, and sign up for your free fundraising pack with everything you need to get started.
There are plenty of games that can be played via zoom or skype and it’s a great way to stay connected with family and friends in these strange times.
Games We Have Been Enjoying
We have been enjoying some new games recently and I thought I’d share them here to give you some inspiration.
Please note, we were sent these games in exchange for promoting the Dementia UK campaign. We will be making a donation to the Dementia UK campaign.
When these arrived I wasn’t sure which the children were like. We had a look at Grabolo together and I like this game a lot. It is quick and fast paced and small enough to take out with us. H also enjoyed sorting these tokens; it’s something we have been working on in his maths works the last week or two and these were great for him to do this with.
I am a fan of the classic games and we were sent Othello to play. I haven’t played this before, although I do remember the game being at my grandparents’ house in Cardiff when we would visit as children. It’s a simple idea and you can look to be losing the game one minute but the next go sees you slip the counters to your colour again! Em is superb at this game and has beaten me a few times already! This is definitely a game I can see her enjoying playing with her grandad when we can meet face to face again.
The children have enjoyed playing Rubik’s revolution and Damian and I have enjoyed this too. There are four games to play and this is definitely one of the better electronic games we have come across. I’m not usually a fan of electronic stuff, but this one is great fun and all three children have enjoyed playing this together.
A Surprise Hit
Of the games that arrived, I wasn’t sure about Bank Attack. The children were keen to play this so we dug out the batteries (3 x AA) and set it up. This is a co-operative game and is really good fun. We have played this a few times and Em really enjoys it. You have to work together to break into a bank vault. aiming to win £50 million along the way. Only once have we managed to win all the money and crack the vault! I wasn’t too sure about this game when I saw it, but it’s brilliant fun and it’s great to have a co-operative game in there. Teamwork games are great for reluctant game players I find.
The idea of Bank Attack is that each player takes on a role, as the game progresses ‘The Boss’ gives instructions for each member to take a tool, to use the tool or to pass the tool to another player. You have to be quick and pass the items in time. As the game progresses you win money and the vault begins to lift. If you complete the game without making any errors the vault opens and you win the bars of gold. It’s really good fun and takes team work and careful listening as well as speed to do well.
Em has also enjoyed Rummikub Word. We have played this a couple of times and it’s a great way to get the brain thinking and to help children with their spelling and problem-solving. We haven’t quite mastered this one yet, but I think with a little more practice we will get there soon. I’m tempted to get Rummikub junior for the children as I think the full Rummikub might be a bit hard for them just yet. It’s a game Damian and I have played in the past and certainly gets the brain ticking over!
Why Board Games?
We have a wide selection of board games here, and it’s something I recall from my own childhood – a cupboard filled with games. We play them a fair bit and in the winter months, we might re-energise our board game championship. I do need to find a better way of storing them and am working on Damian to swap around some of our bookcases to better store some of the games.
What famly board games do you enjoy playing?
Cant beat board games, especially in the winter months. We also used to have Orthello – I shall look forward to a game with Emma!