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Bored Games Which games will best cure the doldrums of the time 'falling back'?
Photo by Kathy Marsh
Text by Nancy S. Moseley ‘Tis the season for lots of things. For holly, for jolly, for inflatable yard art, for stuffed turkeys, gift-giving and tree-trimming; for lots and lots of time indoors with family near and far. It only seems appropriate that the week of Thanksgiving is also known as National Game and Puzzle Week. It's like the clandestine governing board of national such-and-such days knows what we might need and when: an excuse to fill our bodies and our minds with something besides calories and cabin fever. Chess and Checkers top most lists as the bestselling board games of all time. Early forms of chess can be traced back to a game in 7th Century A.D. India called "Chaturanga" because the game had two distinct elements of modern day chess – different pieces that possess varying powers, with victory decided by one single piece. By 2022, the chess market is slated to be worth upwards of $40.5 million dollars in North America. Thankfully, the market didn't just stop with the success of two implausibly timeless board games. The wellrounded gaming industry continues to ebb and flow and release games that are socially timely and relevant for all 30
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age groups. Yet, the effects of games on juvenile audiences, whether it's a simple card game of Uno or something more multi-faceted like, say, Dungeons and Dragons, are invaluable to a developing brain. Through all the thrill and fun, games sneak in strategic reasoning, problem-solving and hone a healthy desire to win, while also teaching the grace of defeat. Schoolyard.com's blog states: "A Michigan State University study reports that kids who play games experience spikes in creative thinking and abilities. Not only is creativity fun, but it is a special life skill that can be useful in school and become essential in the workforce. Playing games with kids over holiday breaks may do more than help them behave for a few hours; it may also prepare them for a lifetime of success." Retro relics like Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land, Monopoly, Life, Operation, Yahtzee and even Mouse Trap, first released in 1963, are fan favorites and still move off the shelves. Countless editions of Trivial Pursuit, from Horror Movies to Harry Potter, make it a customizable fit for all Nov/Dec 2021
