Learning through games – Chess and such

A recent article about family game nights in The Atlantic emphasized the importance of games. In this summer there were days we got together as a family and played a variety of indoor games besides some outdoor games. There were two themes that emerged.

1. Rules Driven Games encouraged discipline. Games like Chess, monopoly, cards, Set, etc. have several rules. This meant that it took a while for us to learn the rules, let alone become masters. Mastery in chess is likely a decade long effort. It was still useful to have these games, because it brought us together and kept us at the game for a few minutes at a time.
2. Make your games encouraged creativity and more free play. Sometimes we made up card games on our own and that means our own rules too. the rules were changeable midway through the games. Free play and opportunity to create rules meant we could make up games anywhere – on the drive, at home, or elsewhere.

Either way both these types of games were useful to keep us together and keep our focus. We have to consciously allocate more time for games in the coming months. Preferably games that can span the age group to cover both the kids.