Game play

I am a sucker for playing games.  I love the complexity of card games and board games.  We own several hundred games in our house.  It is nice and intense all at the same time.  One day about a year ago one of my friends posted a picture of her 6 yr old son playing Rummikub with her.  I was SOOOOO jealous!!  It is one of my favorite games I have played since I was a kid.  I can't wait for the day that Madalynn can play it with us.

I have learned that learning take place best when my daughter is having fun.  Duh, I know, but I have to be reminded of this on a reasonably regular basis.  Games play is perfect for teaching lots of concepts to kids.  Wining vs Loosing.  Taking Turns.  Strategy.  Numbers.  Sequences.  Value of Numbers in comparison to each other.  Colors.  Statistics and Odds....just to name a few.

So, I started to mull over what I could do to get Madalynn ready to play games, Rummikub specifically.  I started to think through the games I had played as a kid.  I posted a question to friends on facebook of their own kids favorite games.

I was thinking that one of the best ways for Madalynn to learn is to have her observe.  So, Russ and I started playing cards games during meals.  If we are home together for either lunch or dinner we are constantly playing a game.  She quickly learned her numbers and their values through this process, started learning strategy, learned how to take turns and learned that sometimes you win and sometimes you loose.  Russ always wins SkipBo.  Seriously, I don't know how he does it, but for everyone 10-15 times we play I might win once.

I started collecting little kids games.  I am definitely going to do the tradition my mom started when I was a kid.  Santa always brought either new individual card games or one family game.  I am getting kids Sequence for this Christmas.

She now plays and loves the following:
Rat a Tat Cat
Memory
Guess Who
Connect 4
Cherry Ho
Go Fish
Spot it
Trouble
Sorry
Candyland
Chutes and Ladders
and Phase Ten Dice

I try and make sure we play at least two as a family on Sundays and at least one other game every other day.  Remington has started to get interested in being invovled.  It is harder with a 2 yr old but obviously we make it work.  He gets strapped into a booster and he already understands turns.  He learned about turns from his jealousy when we have reading time..but that is for another post.

I keep a small set of memory cards in my purse to pull out when I have to wait somewhere.  I also keep our regular spot it card game in the diaper bag.  People of all ages get involved when we start playing it and it makes time pass so much faster.  Madalynn does actually practice spot it on her own and makes up her own games.  I usually put the game in front of her when I need to get dinner in the crockpot.  Sneaky learning moments that also help me do my jobs quicker.  I didnt' get the kid spot it versions.  My 4 1/2 yr old keeps up with the adults quite well.  She usually ends  up with just as many cards as the slowest adult.  When we play with just Madalynn, Russ and I, there are times that I count to three and let her look before we shout it out, but that is becoming more and more rare.

I do change up rules on games, add outside learning things to various games, and make it fit what we are currently learning.  I was amazed how quickly she learned her numbers when she knew that she could play with mom and dad if she learned them.

Hope you enjoy.