I forgot to add we also have Chess. I don't know how I could forget that one, we have almost 10 chess boards in the house (plus at least two Chess software programs).
Some of our favorites right now... Blokus Aggravation Bananagrams Make 'n Break Mad Gab Spoons (not the drinking version for the kiddos!!) Blackjack
In Create a Story they go around and get topics, characters etc... then make an outline then design their story. I didn't think they would like it - but they ask for it all the time!! My kids both like RISK - but they don't play it right Clue Monopoly Jr Sorry TONS others that we have in the cabinets.... my "family room" is actually the "game room" as I have a GREAT table that is usually in the middle of the room (I have to get the christmas tree out of here) and no TV.... just my laptop so I can monitor
I love all of these ideas! I have wanted apples to apples for a while, and hubby wants are you smarter than a 5th grader.. I think he wants the computer version or maybe the dvd version.
I had to see what Khet is about. DH and the kids love to play chess and seeing you mention that Khet is lazer chess caught my attention. I googled it and it looks so cool. I think I might have to buy it.
We have: Uno Scrabble (my favorite) Cadoo (the kids and I really enjoy playing this one!) Mad Libs card game Monopoly Monopoly Jr (my kids still love to play this) Multiplication bingo Trouble Sorry Moose in the House Loot (DS loves this game!) Twister My kids and I still play Hi Ho CherryO and Chutes & Ladders still, too. MIL just bought the kids a fractions game too. We haven't played it yet. I was rummaging in my in-laws cabinets and found some great games there too! I am going to snag Battleship, Aggravation, and Stratego. They also have Risk which DH wants to play with the kids. It has been mighty cold here so it looks like tomorrow may be a game day. Woohoo!
You guys have tons of games! WOW! Has anyone ever played Chicken Foot or Double Nine?? Both dominoe games and easy enough for my 5 yr old. Grace is also good at Uno and Yahtzee. The cabin we rented for vacation was stocked with games and that was the first time we all played Yahtzee together. We loved it so much Santa brought one for xmas! Okay lets see. We have.... Scattagories Trivial Pursuit DVD Monopoly Monopoly Jr. Dora matching game Dora dominoes regular dominoes (so many games to be played!) chutes and ladders 2 candylands twister Bratz (which I want to throw away because I hate them but it was a gift) Wizard of Oz Pretty, pretty Princess (my dad won last time he played! Have you ever seen a 73 yr old man as a pretty pretty princess?? Pricless! and I have the picture!) Chess checkers Don't Break the Ice Bible Trivia Operation Concentration Stay Alive The Hungry Hungry Catterpillar Game Hungry Hungry Hippos Go Fish (one of Grace's favs) Regular cards (so many games can be played like solitare, hearts, clubs, battle, etc.) Memory Clue Clue Jr Kerplunk Okay we have more but unless I go look in their closets I don't know.
Ugh.. Tiff, I would totally GIVE it away. It is one of those things that would have never been opened and regifted. Bratz especially and Barbie have been banned from my house. I have made it very clear to everyone who will listen that I hate them and not to buy them for any of my kids. My mom doesn't see the harm in Barbie... but I nicely explained that Barbies' taste in clothing has changed WAY too much since i was a kid... and there is just too much Barbie crap out there.. it's almost like they try to brainwash little girls into being materialistic little creatures. It's hard enough to keep people focused on the non material things in life.
Ever played Othello...not sure what it would have to do with school other that problem solving & you could count the colors at the end. It's kinda like checkers, but you have chips that are 2 sided white & black. When you line up one of the colors you flip them over...to win you have to have the most of your color up. If you google it you can play online.
Battleship is great for teaching graphing points. We also have "Equate," which is like Scrabble, but with math equations. DD just got Smartmouth...where you get the first and last letter, and you have to come up with a word that has those two. For example, first letter is O and last letter is S.....call out Octopus. Carol
Is Equate hard to play? Is it fun? Both my kids really struggle in math and I don't want them to not like the game. I want to make learning math fun (well as fun as it can be when one doesn't like math). Smartmouth sounds great. I am going to see about getting that one.
Mastermind was a favorite of mine as a child, and we just got it for my daughter. Great logic game. They also like Battleship. Catherdral is another new one we have been enjoying. Absolute favorite card game...Dutch Blitz. I like the games that we can play with the kids without loosing our mind. After ten minutes of Chutes and Ladders, I'm ready for the looney bin!
I'm okay with Barbie myself but I can't stand Bratz. That game sits in the back of Sam's closet and doesn't get played or even taken out. When Sam asked why I don't like them I told her straight out that they are little girls dressed like prostitutes and have really bad disrespectful hoochie attitudes. She agreed! LOL! Grace has tons and tons of Barbies. None are new, they have all been handed down from me when I was a kid and from Sam. Honestly the clothes we have for them are mostly dresses and pants. I don't recall us having any trashy type clothes. Grace likes to dress them and have fashion shows with them. Thankfully I am blessed with an older daughter who is like the most modest thing ever. She hates anything even remotely reveling be it clothing or tv shows or anything. She is a really good wholesome girl and a good role model for Grace. Not materialistic at all. But I can totally see how some girls who are not like Sam could get swayed by things like that. I just hate Bratz!
Blokus Apples to Apples Junior Trouble Boggle Junior Monopoly Junior Monopoly Twister Jenga Don't Sink in the Sink Memory Mancala Chess Dominos Tri-Ominos Chinese Checkers Checkers Clue National Geographic Global Pursuit Some Body Rummikub Backgammon Scrabble Yahtzee Shuttles Uno, Skip-Bo, and other various card games.
After seeing the lists, we have a bunch that I forgot about. LOL! I can't believe I forgot chess. We have an entire table devoted to chess that the kids and DH love to play against each other. My DD learned to play chess when she was 4 and in preschool and DS was in the chess club in 2nd grade. He patiently taught her how to play. I never learned.
Equate can be tough, but I think they do produce what they call "junior" tiles that you can purchase. In any case, always just stress that it's a game. Or have an adult pair up with a child in teams. That tends to cut down on the frustration. Carol
I used to have a link to an online store that sold TONS of educational games. I loved going there looking for ideas and then would hunt them out cheaper if I could... anyone know what store I'm talking about?
My dd likes the hair of the bratz dolls - so she has them and makes clothing for them so "they aren't naked - they needed more appropriate clothes" (that's her phrase).... She never liked Barbie - but she likes the movies.
