Just remember: The days are getting longer.
That's true, but this is still the dark, damp, sometimes frosty time of year around the Northwest. And because of you-know-what, a lot of events and activities that you and your family might normally do this time of year, from bowling to movies to concerts, might be off the table for now.
But you know what can be on the table? Board games!
It's the way people have passed the time indoors for generations -- before Netflix, before cellphones, before Xboxes, families played board games.
Checkers and chess -- maybe. But the classic board games -- Monopoly, Risk, Clue, Sorry, Scrabble, Battleship, Candyland? Those games are still around for a reason -- they're fun!
My son started getting serious about board games around 6 or 7 when someone gave us Monopoly, Jr.
Not quite as exciting as the grownup version; I think you get $2 when you pass GO. But it's way shorter to play than the original, and was a start. By the time he was 8 or 9 he was ready to move up to the big-stakes world of actual Monopoly. And he likes to win. Those can be lonnnng games that stretch out over the better part of a weekend -- a 3-day weekend, in fact.
My son also took a liking to The Game of Life. I actually believe this classic game gave him a lot to think about: How many kids do I want? Do I want to go to college? Is it smart to play the stock market? Do I need to buy insurance? It gave him a taste of the random nature of adulthood. Sure, you could be a doctor with a fat salary and a big family, but the next thing you know, your uncle dies and leaves you a skunk farm, which you have to pay $9,000 to get rid of. That's life. Or, Life.
I think that's still a really fun game, and a pretty strong one when kids and adults are sitting around the game table together. Just know that you may have to field questions from the kids about real-world realities like paying income tax and playing the stock market.
My younger brother in Michigan scoured eBay and found a pristine edition of a game we used to play as kids called Wide World. This one goes back to 1957, when America was entering what they called the Jet Age, and all of a sudden it was possible for anybody to zip across oceans and continents in hours and see the world.
Besides rolling the dice to exotic-sounding destinations all around the world -- er, the board -- you also learn a few facts about the countries you "visit." While the whole thing is a little outdated, I can't help feeling like my 10-year-old son is secretly getting a little lesson in geography -- and geopolitics -- every time we play.
I guess I've kind of been through the Trivial Pursuit phase in the 80s, and Cranium around the turn of the century, and those are definitely all-time classics for me and my family, anyway. I have to mention a couple of other family favorites around here -- especially if you've got a big group who are around, say, during the holidays: for sure Apples To Apples, and Pictionary. Still fun after all these years.
And then there's the category of board games that aren't exactly board games, but still play the same role in our family and maybe yours too. I'm talking about games that are a little more three-dimensional or physical in some way, starting with Mousetrap for the littles, Jenga of course, Operation, Boggle, Connect 4, and Twister. (I guess Cranium was kind of in that category, too.)
And finally, there are the board games that don't even need boards -- they're just a pack of special cards, like the big current favorite Cards Against Humanity, which -- let's be honest -- is really just a hipper version of Apples To Apples. (And in case you didn't know, there's a kids version of CAH now, so if you have some young smart-alecks in your family, that might provide more family-friendly fun. Still pretty snarky and gross though.)
Also big in my house: UNO, a timeless classic, and a weird little game called Set, which was tough to learn at first but once you get the hang of it, it gets a lot easier, and you really feel like you're using some neglected part of your brain when you're playing. I recommend giving it some time, or finding someone who already knows how to play to walk you through it. But once you get it, you get it.
If there's a board game shortage in your house, here are a couple of lists to get you started:
The 24 best board games to have at home
Top 20 Classic Board Games You Must Play With Your Kids
Did I leave out anything essential? Let me know: john@thesoundseattle.com or join the conversation on our 94.1 The Sound Facebook page.
And speaking of leaving things out, a listener named Joshua emailed me from the dentist when he heard me mention this post on the air:
Hi John,
Here's the games you missed that you should introduce to your family and friends:
Settlers of Catan (The king of the past 20 years, dethroning monopoly.)
Pandemic (Was a popular co-op even before Covid!)
Forbidden Desert (Part of the co-op 'Forbidden' series. Probably the best one, but that's hotly debated.)
Magic: The Gathering (This Tradable Card Game has been around since 1994 and is still going strong (And is made local here in the area.) You can pick up preconstructed decks for about $10 Or really get into the card chase and dump your life savings into a fantasy card game that teaches you a lot about simple math. From standard 1 vs. 1 to group games of the most popular format 'Commander'... Your son will probably really dig this one.
Honorable Mentions:
Carcassonne (Competitive road / farm / city building game)
Wingspan (Competitive Bird Sanctuary building game and potential candidate to dethrone Settlers of Catan soon in popularity.)
Betrayal at House on the Hill (Starts off as co-op spooky mystery (think scooby-doo) then potentially becomes competitive with a twist.)
There are more but those off the top of my head.
Cheers,
Joshua