Family Game Night Ideas
By: Michael Stevens
Staff Writer
Published: Oct 28, 2010
Family Game Night Ideas
Family game night ideas and planning. The idea of having a family game night has been going on for centuries, so coming up with ideas is nothing new. However, modern families are competing with video games, web surfing and of course the television.
Game night board competition, such as monopoly, is no match for a virtual character traveling through time and space or collecting gold coins. It may take some convincing to bring your kids on board, especially older kids. This is when you have to come up with some great ideas.
Set a consistent day and time for your game night. You'll need to schedule 1 - 1 1/2 hours. If every week is difficult, try twice a month to start and mark it on a family calendar. If you don't already have board games, purchase a few to get started, and then gradually add to the collection.
When game time approaches, give the kids a 30 minute reminder. This allows them time to finish up what they're doing, so they'll be more likley to come to the table with a positive attitude. NO interruptions or distractions; turn off the TV, cell phone, PDA and let your voicemail pick up phone calls.
Select games that everyone will enjoy. Often this is difficult if there is a large age difference between your children. Parents or older siblings can team up with little ones or you can create a variation of a more challenging game.
Another great idea is assign a family member to be "in charge" of the game night. They pick the snack and game for the evening. These ideas do work, give them a try.
