Growing up I played a lot of board games. So much so that when I think about my childhood a smile comes to my face of all the fun memories I had simply playing board games. I use to play board games with my family, with friends at school, friends on the street, with my sister, my cousins…if someone asked to play a board game, I was in! At the time I only associated board games with having fun and spending time with family and friends but now as an adult I have come to realize that there are so many benefits to playing boards games. Primarily, board games are a wonderful opportunity to learn and practice social skills. Here are just a few benefits of engaging your child in board games:

• Taking Turns:Board games are a wonderful opportunity to practice taking turns with peers and demonstrating patience. As a parent when playing board games with your child be sure to appropriately model the behaviour you would like to see from them.
• Winning vs. Losing:The concept of losing can be difficult for some children to cope with. If your child loses while playing a board game remind them that sometimes we win and sometimes we lose and that’s ok! Also try to teach your child to be gracious towards the other children if they experience a loss.
• Approaching Social Situations:Board games can teach children how to approach other children and initiate play. For example, you can prompt your child to ask another child “Do you want to play a board game with me?”. Practicing this builds confidence and the skills necessary to engage in social interactions.
• Break from screen time: Playing board games is a great alternative to spending time in front of a screen.
• Family game night: Organize a family game night! It brings your family together and is something the whole family can look forward to.