Game time!

My kids (and my wife and I) love to play games. Adventure games. Strategy games. Games of skill. Multi-player games. Solitaire games. While most people reading that intro would think of electronic systems like Wii, Nintendo DS, etc., I'm actually talking about the good ol' card games and board games.

Every year for Christmas break we find some new games to enjoy. Usually, at least one of those new games is some new variation from UNO -- H2O, Spin, Flash, Attack, ... The simplicity and element of chance within the games allows my youngest to join in (and just as often WIN!), and yet there is an element of strategy that keeps my older two and my wife and I interested. Fun for all!

This year we went hog wild both for break, and afterward, with new games. Here are some of our current favorites...

Card games:
Blink -- billed as the fastest card game, you really can't blink! You have to match shape, number or color of objects in your hand to multiple discard piles. More complicated that it sounds when you play so quickly.

Monopoly Deal -- all the elements of the original Monopoly (pronounced mono-PO-lee by my kids when they were younger), but a different game all to itself. You still have to collect property and pay debts and rent, but there's swapping and stealing property goin' on as well as -- all with more portable cards instead. It's a lot quicker than the multi-day games of Monopoly I remember as a kid.

Racko -- keep swapping cards until you get your rack filled with sequential numbers.

Rata-tat-cat -- remember the cards you have hidden on the table, swap high numbers for lower numbers and when you think you've got a lower value hand than an opponent, say Rat-A-Tat Cat.

Set -- similar to Blink in that you have to match color, patters and numbers, except that you can't have nay two of the same property. This is actually easier for younger children because they "just see" the right sets. Us older folks try to over analyze things and make it harder. Still fun to try to beat those young whippersnappers.

Dice games:
Tossup -- collect points for each green tossed, proceed with caution with yellows, and lose it all with reds. Do you dare roll again and risk it?

Farkle -- this dice game was one of the ones that my wife got hooked on when playing on Facebook, but the multiplayer physical dice game is a lot more fun. Collect points when you roll a 5 or a 1, but lose all points if you roll too many times.

LCR (Left Center Right, aka CLR) - roll dice to determine who you have to share your chips with. Or are you lucky enough to get the "pot"?

Again, these are appropriate for all ages and work well when there are young players as well as older players playing at the same time. They each have a different way of playing, but all have fun.

All of these can be found at Meijer, Target, Walmart and similar stores. Why not pick up one and give it a try? Turn off the TV. Turn off the electronics. Pop some popcorn. Gather 'round the table and have some quality family time!