My family loves to play games.  Most nights before the kids go to bed, we pull out a card game or board game and spend time playing together.  Some of our favorite games are UNO, Skip-Bo, Sorry! and Monopoly.

Games have lots of benefits for kids and families.  Here are my top three reasons to play board games with my kids.

1. To spend quality time together.  Life is busy and family time is precious.  Playing board games is a fun way for my family to spend time together and build strong bonds.
2. To have screen-free fun.  One of my favorite things about board games is that there’s no screen involved.  So often, my kids are immersed in a screen and tune out everything that’s going on around them.  Positive face-to-face interactions during a family game night are healthy and needed.
3. To become a good sport. Kids learn to be a good sport from their parents. Family game night is a good time for me and my husband to model how to win and lose graciously.  Being a good sport is a work in progress at my house.  We have quite a few meltdowns over losing!  As we play games, I want to teach my children that the fun is in playing, not just in winning.

There are many other benefits to playing board games with your kids.  Through playing board games, kids can learn how to take turns, think ahead, work as a team and follow rules.  Games help to improve concentration, memory, decision making, problem-solving and fine motor skills.  Playing games can also provide practice with reading and math skills.  And, let’s not forget, playing games is fun!