It’s that time of year when people start thinking about gifts to buy. I really love the idea of getting and giving games, especially those that can be played on a playdate with just two kids. Last year, I wrote a post where I listed five games that would be ideal to play on a small playdate, which is perfect for kids who are working on their social skills. Here are 5 MORE games that would be great to have on hand for a small playdate. They’re also great games for families too. You can practice and play together and have fun!
Bananagrams - Super quick and so portable! It’s a great game to bring over to someone else’s house. The game is pretty simple to understand. I’ve had so many people recommend it, I plan on getting it for my own family this year!
Chess - A classic. Once you understand the basics of how the pieces move, games and strategies get more and more complex. So many kids I’ve worked with LOVE playing chess, and love to find a buddy who can play too.
Boggle - A super fun game that requires you to think flexibly about the letters in front of you. You are looking for words from letters that are connected, and once you play, you start to see the words and get better at looking and shifting your perspective to (hopefully) find more words. One small warning: It can be a little loud when you shake the boggle letters up, some kids may not like that noise.
Dots and Boxes - This can be a simple and quick game to play when the kids might need a transition or a break. The goal is to make more boxes than your opponent. You start with a grid of dots on a sheet - you can find one online (I like this one from Tim’s Printables) or make your own. For each person, you draw one line per turn. Once you make a box, then you write your initial in it, and you get an extra turn. I spent lots of time playing this as a child, and it was so much fun! I even played it during study hall in high school.
Rush Hour - You can play this game as one player, or you can actually have two kids work together to figure out how the get the red car out. Cards that show you how to set up the different colored cars are labeled from easy to difficult. It can take some patience (you can’t just grab, or just pick up a car to get the red car out; you have to talk to the person you are working with), and there’s a fair amount of strategy. One action affects how all the pieces move. It’s quite a complex game for having such a simple concept.
What are your suggestions for good play date games?
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