“I wonder if our first job isn’t to enjoy our kids and our second job is to raise them.” -Rob Bell

I’m not gonna lie folks, I’ve been excited about family game nights since before my kids were born. Quality time is definitely one of my love languages. Playing games has been a great way for us to connect as a family. The TV is off, the phones and computers are put away and we are genuinely playing together. We’re laughing, learning and bonding in a way that seems to be slowly slipping away in this new technological generation. During these times as a family, we learn more about who are kids are becoming. We see new tidbits of their personalities. They ask questions that might not otherwise come up. They tease and joke and laugh with us. Part of me thinks that these genuine moments together help them to find and solidify their place in the world. They help to build confidence and communication and of course, sportsmanship. Games are also a fun way to spend a rainy or super hot day, as we are having here in Charleston recently. Here are some of our favorite games along with the ages that each game was introduced.

Zingo – We got this game when my youngest was almost 3. It’s a great game for younger kids because it’s very simple. Unlike traditional bingo, you don’t have to know your letters and numbers yet. You simply match pictures. And the little device (red thing picture below) is super fun to use . . . if you have multiple children, they will fight over it! Wonder Works has this for less $ than Amazon.

Uno – We started playing Uno when my youngest was 4. This is a great simple game that can be played as a family or with just two people.

Concentration – This game probably differs by age. My younger son is very good at this game. He can beat everyone in the family, including the adults. We got this for him on his 4th birthday.

Sorry – We love Sorry. We changed a few of the rules such as you don’t have to have a 1 or 2 to get out of home base, you can get out on any number. This was mostly because their attention spans are pretty short. We got this for Christmas when they were 4 and 5 years old.

Checkers – The boys have been playing this classic since they were 5 and 6. They still have a little trouble with which direction they are allowed to move the pieces and they don’t always anticipate the next move but practice makes perfect, right?

Guess Who? – I used to love this game as a little girl. It’s a great game for two people. They’ve been playing this since they were 4 and 6.

Rummikub – I’m pretty excited to be teaching them how to play Rummikub. This has always been a favorite of mine and its a little more challenging than the other games. We introduced it a few weeks ago. The boys are almost 6 and 7. My 7 year old is picking up on it pretty good.

Have fun with those little humans!