Tabletop Games Benefit Families
Posted by GamePlaya on 2018.02.06
Moms and dads, if you want a great way to spend time with your kids, tabletop gaming cannot be beat.
- Togetherness. You are face-to-face, and interactivity is high. This isn't a movie or television, where you all sit and absorb whatever is being beamed into your brains. Conversations spark from events during the game. Often, this will encourage the expression of opinions about anything from fair play to winning or losing to strategic or tactical thinking. And the jokes! There's always a opportunity for jokes, which means laughter! Or groans.
- Conflict resolution. Your machinations will often conflict with your child's, and this can lead to some hurt feelings. But every child will experience conflict, and this is a great-- and ultimately harmless-- way to train your child through difficult times. Show your child how to respond when they don't get their way. Teach them that they can still hope to overcome.
- Decision making. Many tabletop games today have a variety of options each turn. In old-school games, you might just "roll the dice and move your piece." But modern tabletop games bring great variety that will exercise your and their strategic and tactical decision-making skills.
- Cooperative games allow for entertainment without player conflict. There are many great cooperative games out there that let you win or lose as a family.
- Model grace in victory or defeat. You are afforded a great opportunity to model grace, whether you win or lose.
- Patience and other life skills. This is a great learning environment for any age! Children learn patience, as they wait for their next turn. They learn boundaries and how to play within the rules.
Kids can learn how to poker face.
If I had to go back and do it over again, I would introduce tabletop gaming to my kids much earlier, and use that time for even more quality interaction, and to enhance their training to be confident, graceful, and considerate.
Do you involve your kids in your tabletop gaming events?
