My boys have been on a game-playing kick lately, and I’d like to foster that habit in the new year. The bulk of my gift-giving tends to be books (of course!), but now that the boys can play games independently and are slightly improved in the area of keeping game pieces together, games may start to out-rank books in the gift department! The right games promote delight-led learning, cooperation, good sportsmanship, and time spent with family and friends. They are good for hours and hours and hours of enjoyment! And…they are easy to wrap. [hallelujah!]
Oddly, my boys have been begging for the Herb Fairies course that teaches about herbal remedies. It was developed by a local company called Learning Herbs. Two families in our Classical Conversations group shared about this course during their family presentations, and the boys were intrigued. The course wasn’t available at the time. Then it was. Then it wasn’t. But I purchased Wildcraft! An Herbal Adventure Game (from the same company, but now available at Amazon), and I think they’ll love it. It says it is for ages 4 and up, so Lola can play along! [I think I may add A Kid's Herb Book, because books—and I can’t help myself.]
Next up, Ticket To Ride. The original (#1 bestselling board game) is a railroad adventure across the United States (perfect for our geography studies this year), but I’m so tempted to buy the companion games for Europe, Asia, Nordic Countries, and more! [Some are expansion sets and some are stand-alone games.] The recommended age range for the original set is 8-12, but the companion games add complexity for a wider range of ages.
The award-winning Settlers of Catan finishes off my gift list this Christmas. I know the boys will love this one. Leif is a champion game-player (he was the family’s reigning Monopoly champion at the age of 4), so he’ll do just fine with Settlers of Catan even though the listed recommended age range is 10-14. This game with expansion packs should keep the boys entertained for years to come.
(This last-minute shopper is thankful for free two-day shipping!)
Are you finished with your Christmas shopping? What is the gift you are most excited to give?
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3 comments:
Ticket to Ride is my favorite family board game! Another good one if you like the Euro style game is Carcassone. It's not a for-kids game, but our 6 year old can hold her own with the rest of us. :)
That herb games looks amazing! I love ticket to ride too, it was on my October list of my 10 favorite board games http://amyrogershays.com/2014/10/21/10-favorite-games-board-games-party-games-card-games-made-ones/. I think your boys might really like Dominion.
I bought Ticket to Ride and can't wait to play with the boys!
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