This is a great list and it is so unbelievably sad that you had to put it together. As a grandmother of 14 we grew along w our kids and played along w them. Sad that this generation will have little to no idea of these magical years
We are in a veritable Golden Age of board games, with more great games than ever before, many of them so much better than the old standbys we grew up with and know.
At Board Game Geek, the most popular board game site, here is the list for its ranking of Children’s Games:
There really are some amazing games out there you may not have heard about, and these lists are a great way to explore what’s new, popular, and unfamilar. Enjoy!
my grand girls are elementary school age, but they always know that gramma and grampas house is for pillow forts, rough housing and painting and running out to the woods.... like all in the same few hours. they are always peppy and enthusiastic, so we keep up!!
All kids need for entertainment is for parents to butt out and allow them to play. Rough and tumble comes naturally to kids. What is not natural is constant surveillance. Note: also true of adults. "Careful, you'll hurt yourself" is the most overused phrase in the English language, and most unhelpful. Not even kids like to be hurt: pain is our best teacher.
Those of us in Michigan entering the gray, cold winter months appreciate this list! Thank you. Ginny Yurich @ 1000 Hours Outside has some great ideas, books, and motivators for keeping kids away from screens and active during the winter months, too (also from Michigan!).
Love this recommendation on audio stories— I just tried out a Toniebox for the first time! Have you heard of KidsPod? It's an app that delivers audio for co-listening for kids and families, no screens required. Would love to hear thoughts from other families using KidsPod or other podcast apps as a screen‑free story break!
Love this recommendation on audio stories— I just tried out a Toniebox for the first time! Have you heard of KidsPod? It's an app that delivers audio for co-listening for kids and families, no screens required. Would love to hear thoughts from other families using KidsPod or other podcast apps as a screen‑free story break!
Don’t take your kids to a pet store for the express purpose of gawking at kittens and puppies. Kids should not internalize the commodification of animals bred in mills. Take your kids to a shelter instead. Bring toys and ask the shelter staff if your kids can give them to a dog or cat in need. Give the gift of play to a shelter animal, and teach the child a lesson in selflessness and compassion at the same time. Two birds, one stone.
Parents who want to keep their kids off screens must themselves be off screens. Kids want to be with their parents / siblings / etc. The list is great, but the executive summary is Put Down Your Phone.
If you happen to have a National Park near you, I would also recommend checking out their Junior Ranger Program which are great in-park activities that support kids and families in exploring our National parks. https://www.nps.gov/kids/parks-with-junior-ranger-programs.htm
This is a great list and it is so unbelievably sad that you had to put it together. As a grandmother of 14 we grew along w our kids and played along w them. Sad that this generation will have little to no idea of these magical years
We are in a veritable Golden Age of board games, with more great games than ever before, many of them so much better than the old standbys we grew up with and know.
At Board Game Geek, the most popular board game site, here is the list for its ranking of Children’s Games:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamecategory/1041/childrens-game/linkeditems/boardgamecategory?pageid=1&sort=rank
And here is the link for Family Games, those suitable for older children and adults, by ranking:
https://boardgamegeek.com/familygames/browse/boardgame
There really are some amazing games out there you may not have heard about, and these lists are a great way to explore what’s new, popular, and unfamilar. Enjoy!
my grand girls are elementary school age, but they always know that gramma and grampas house is for pillow forts, rough housing and painting and running out to the woods.... like all in the same few hours. they are always peppy and enthusiastic, so we keep up!!
All kids need for entertainment is for parents to butt out and allow them to play. Rough and tumble comes naturally to kids. What is not natural is constant surveillance. Note: also true of adults. "Careful, you'll hurt yourself" is the most overused phrase in the English language, and most unhelpful. Not even kids like to be hurt: pain is our best teacher.
Those of us in Michigan entering the gray, cold winter months appreciate this list! Thank you. Ginny Yurich @ 1000 Hours Outside has some great ideas, books, and motivators for keeping kids away from screens and active during the winter months, too (also from Michigan!).
Excellent post 🤍🤍
High value content!
Love this recommendation on audio stories— I just tried out a Toniebox for the first time! Have you heard of KidsPod? It's an app that delivers audio for co-listening for kids and families, no screens required. Would love to hear thoughts from other families using KidsPod or other podcast apps as a screen‑free story break!
Love this recommendation on audio stories— I just tried out a Toniebox for the first time! Have you heard of KidsPod? It's an app that delivers audio for co-listening for kids and families, no screens required. Would love to hear thoughts from other families using KidsPod or other podcast apps as a screen‑free story break!
Don’t take your kids to a pet store for the express purpose of gawking at kittens and puppies. Kids should not internalize the commodification of animals bred in mills. Take your kids to a shelter instead. Bring toys and ask the shelter staff if your kids can give them to a dog or cat in need. Give the gift of play to a shelter animal, and teach the child a lesson in selflessness and compassion at the same time. Two birds, one stone.
Live this list and perfect timing to help select Christmas gifts and before the dark winter afternoon arrives.
Parents who want to keep their kids off screens must themselves be off screens. Kids want to be with their parents / siblings / etc. The list is great, but the executive summary is Put Down Your Phone.
If you happen to have a National Park near you, I would also recommend checking out their Junior Ranger Program which are great in-park activities that support kids and families in exploring our National parks. https://www.nps.gov/kids/parks-with-junior-ranger-programs.htm
This might be for kids but it’s also for adults. As it gets darker, I notice myself being more and more pulled to cozy up and just watch TV.
Glad puzzles made it on the list! Personally I’ve been having SO much fun with magic puzzles this year.
"My toddler once saw a video of Irish step dancing and the rest is history"
Now I really, really want to see a video of what happened next!
Perhaps consider asking the boomer generation what they did as children during playtime.