Dear Reader,

I just thought I'd share some of my thoughts on "Family Game Night". 

It has become our habit, after dinner, to play a board game as a family before starting the evening ritual of bath, book & bed.  It has truly become a special time for our family.  Not only is it a great learning experience for our daughter, but it is also a wonderful way for us to unwind and bond and relax with her.  Amazingly, we also learn quite a bit when we play with her!

Just to back-up a bit, I read a few years ago in an article in the NY Times how European families tend to play board games instead of watching tv after dinner.  I thought that was a great idea!  So I printed out the article and enclosed it in the gifts I gave out that Christmas (which were mostly popular European board games mentioned in the article).  They were a big hit!

So now, after dinner we play a board game.  We visit the classics (chutes and ladders; candyland, etc.), we play card games (go fish, old maid, etc.) and we also play some more obscure games.  Once a month, I get all my daughter's cousins together for pizza at the house and game night.  This new tradition not only promotes closeness in my immediate family, but has now also become a great extended family tradition!

Let me just describe some of these games for you, just in case you want to check them out!

Kids on Stage:  A very simple charades that simply requires you to act out the clue from one of three categories (animal, object, or an action).  Hands down, this is my daughter's favorite game!  She gets such a kick out of pretending to be different animals or brushing her teeth or trying to mimic a table!  It is also fun for adults.

Zingo: A twist on bingo -- you basically have to fill every box on  your card with a zingo chip -- frankly, I enjoy sliding the zingo chip holder to reveal the new chips!  Its a lot of fun and no reading required.

Technically, this is not "one" game, but I have to give props to one of my favorite children's goods manufacturers, EEBOO and their "Miniature Playing Card Library" (volume 1 & volume 2).  The illustrations are beyond adorable and put twists on classic card games such as "Old Maid", "Crazy Eights", "Hearts", "Farmer in the Dell", etc.  Just how CUTE and ADORABLE are these cards?  Let me just say one thing -- the cards in the "Go Fish" game are in the shape of (you guessed it!) little fish!  'Nuff said!

Blokus:  This is highly addictive and good for grown-ups and kids starting at age 7.  This is a strategy game that has essentially three rules and no reading required.  This is so highly addictive that I feel I must warn you -- play at your own risk!  You may never want to stop playing! :)

Apples to Apples:  Another terrific game good for both kids and grown-ups!  Besides encouraging vocabulary and complex thinking in your kids, this is the kind of game that teaches you about how your kids think and helps you gain insight into their personalities.  And its tons of fun and is guaranteed to have you laughing up a storm!

Whew!

I'm tired!

Enough of this blog for tonight!

I'll try and revisit this topic again soon with more game recommendations.  I hope you all give this new tradition a try and give your tv sets a break!

Please feel free to send me your comments and recommendations!

Long Island Suburban Mom

KINDERGARTEN SCREENING

My 5-year old just went through Kindergarten screening.  It was a little nerve wracking!  We didn't quite know what to expect and, as much as I'd like to think I'm not a crazy, pushy obsessive mom - there's always that little voice inside your head that can't help but whisper "maybe she's a genius!".

We get to the school and my little girl is always a little shy when in a new situation.  She takes a good 15-20 minutes to warm up to a new place and new people.  The guidance counselor came out to meet us and my little girl did not want to go into the testing room alone, so I asked if I could go in with her and the counselor said yes - then she made a comment about how some kids her age are "stage y".  Of course, my inner "crazy mom" starts freaking out about this (what's stage y!?! is it good?!? is it bad!?! -- what the heck is stage y and what does it mean for my kid!).  All the while hoping my "calm mom" face is on!

Our school district had three psychiatrists/psychologists (still not quite sure what the difference is!) that tested things like colors and shapes, phonics, basic knowledge such as body parts, name, birthday, etc.  They also tested for motor skills like throwing and catching, hopping and skipping.  They checked out her writing and cutting skills and also had her build different shapes with blocks.  She did great!  I was so proud of her!

Afterwards, we went out for a celebration breakfast and I kept telling her how proud I was of her and how great she did.  By the time the last piece of pancake went down into her little belly, she was glowing with pride and a sense of accomplishment!  We had called all her grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and other various family friends to let them know the good news!  Even the waitress at the diner (who knows my daughter well) gave her praise and congratulations.  My daughter is now extremely excited to start kindergarten in the fall!

by: Long Island Suburban Mom