10 Reasons to Have Family Game Night
While video games and movie nights can be fun, there’s something to be said for the unique connections made during family game night. Even the busiest of families can spare one night every week or month to gather around a board game or have a laugh over charades.
Beyond the fond memories, family game night gives your little one the chance to build communication skills and learn crucial social tools like handling competition, disappointment, collaboration, and excitement.
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Reasons why you may want to get a family game night into your family's routine:
1. Family Game Night Builds Special Bonds
Children need attention delivered consistently in order to feel loved and secure.
Playing games with your child as a family allows you to enjoy fun moments together. You will find yourself lighting up around each other, and even sharing inside jokes.
Play our card game of real connection, Train of Thought on your next family game night!
2. Playing Family Games Builds Communication Skills
Our covid days created some dependencies on screens that are now habits.
Family game nights can be the perfect opportunity for your child to connect with you and further develop their social-emotional skills.
3. Parents Can Model A Growth Mindset
No matter your age, working on something from start to finish makes you feel pride in your accomplishments. This is the thinking behind a growth mindset, an attitude which always looks for opportunities to grow.
In terms of family game night, this could mean learning a new game, and sticking with it even if you fall behind during the first round.
Related : Check out family board games that are easy to learn
4. Some Family Games Develop Motor Skills
Board games are a great way to develop fine motor skills and spatial awareness. Using pincer grasp to pick up dice, cards, and other small pieces is a great way to develop these skills in your toddler.
Let your little one make their way around a board game on your next family game night with a token of their own, or encourage them to set up and put away board games.
Giving them a responsibility while also strengthening their skills is a guaranteed win!
5. Playing Family Games Requires Strategic Thinking
Beyond the laughs and fun in a family game night – games offer tons of valuable opportunities to learn and grow. They provide immediate, useful, and friendly feedback. Games help little ones embrace challenges, learn from their mistakes, and build resilience to keep playing. All of these help boost your child’s strategic thinking skills too.
Play our strategy game of survival, Catch The Crook in one of your family game nights!
Find Catch The Crook in Skillmatics online shop.
6. Parents Can Teach Friendly Competition
While we all want our kids to do well and experience the joy of winning, losing is equally important.
Teaching your child how to lose gracefully in a family game night can be accomplished by modeling good behavior like shaking hands and high fiving everyone who played, regardless of the outcome. The minute your child sees you being happy for someone else’s win, they have already learned a valuable social-emotional skill.
Related : Teach your child to play with grace
7. Family Games Encourage Holistic Learning
Make sure you keep family game night interesting by switching up the games you play. Different board games use principles like vocabulary, math, and problem solving, or even a combination of two or three of these skills.
Watch your little one giggle over game night, and then excel in the classroom as they translate the tools they gather into everyday activities.
Involving them in the pre-game night activities, like planning an irresistible snacks menu, can also be a fun and easy way for your child to learn and try new things.
Related: Why Family Game Night May Boost a Child’s Academic Success
8. Family Game Nights Make Memories
Family game night is a great way to set aside the tensions of the week, plus, spending time with family is an added stress reliever. Simply enjoying each other’s company will improve family relationships and allow for the formation of long-lasting memories.
Whether you’re learning the rules of a new board game together, feeling the thrill of a rapid fire round, or laughing as someone stumbles through a turn, game nights lead to happy memories to cherish for a lifetime.
Learn more about planning a memorable game night here.
9. Family Game Nights Teach Us to Honor Our Family Members
Over the course of a couple of rounds, games show the importance of following the rules, waiting your turn, being honest, and thinking outside the box.
Your child picks up on these good behaviors at lightning speed when you model them, which is why regular family game nights improve not only your little one’s skills but their manners, too!
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10. Family Game Nights Offer A Framework for Fun!
As much as parenthood is a responsibility, it's also about providing joy and good times for your kid.
Family game night allows you to pause the business of daily life and allows your family to bond together through a shared activity. By choosing games you can all enjoy, you are sure to have a blast!
Check out our family game night e-book here for inspiration to make your family game nights memorable.