You Sunk My Battleship!

Brrrr! Hear that wind? Gotta love winter—that is, unless it’s so cold you don’t even want to leave the house. Rather than you or your kids sacking out in front of a mind-numbing screen or waiting for “The Cat in the Hat” to appear, channel your inner child and play a classic board game.

Ahem—with another human being. Playing against the computer doesn’t count.

Whether you choose Scrabble, chess, Monopoly or Twister (extra points for physical exercise), games are a great way to bring family members or friends closer together—provided it doesn’t get too competitive. Taking turns, following rules and winning or losing gracefully are skills we can all stand to brush up on every now and then, especially with our kids. As an added bonus, intellectual games can sharpen our visual perception and critical thinking.

Hey, I saw that. Wait, didn’t you just roll? That’s not fair.