Classic Board Games as Indoor Kids’ Games

If you are a parent who is encountering problems when thinking about indoor kids’ games that would keep your children in company during those bad weather days, brace yourself. Your favorite board games could fit the bill. Take a look at several classic board games. Maybe it is about time you introduce them to your children, if they are still not familiar about those. Such board games could be considered as classic as they have already stood the strenuous test of time.

Here are five of the classic board games that have successfully transcended from generation to generation. Many people hold these games dear to their own hearts. It is about time you introduce them to your children as their new indoor kids’ games.



Chess. This board games is considered as among the most popular. The game could be traced to as far back as the early 7th century. It is a strategy at its best. Chess is one board game that would make kids think, strategize, learn, and be scheming. Some children may not like the board game but others do. It is time you make them realize how chess could be more fun than expected.

Monopoly. One of the planet’s most popular board games get even more popular. This board game is played like purchasing property and real estate. You have to develop the ‘acquisition’ and make sure opponents would lose their money long before you do. Monopoly has gone several versions and is now reaching out more to children. There are variations for kids like Disney editions, cat and dog edition, and deluxe editions. Kids would surely have a grand time.

Checkers. This is another of those popular board games that could be repackaged to be introduced as an indoor kids’ game. Almost everyone could recognize the classic black and red checkered playing board used in the game. Among all other board games, this one is considered the simplest and easiest to learn and to play. Checkered has been around since the 1500s, when people started playing with less interesting pieces.

Scrabble. This board game is another classic. Not surprisingly, it has diehard followers. You could be one of them. However, among all the usual board games, this one may not be readily appreciated by children. This is because the game might get a little nerdy. It involves widening of the vocabulary. The goal of the game is to outwit all players. Some kids may feel intimidated as the board game could test their ability to spell and find the right English words. Once children get a hang of it, they surely would be able to enjoy scrabble and win it.

Life. This board game is a relatively newer game compared to the others. It is designed to resemble real life. Children could go through making choices that could eventually affect what they do in life. It has plenty of options; each choice holds a promise of happiness and satisfaction. You could turn this board game into one of the popular indoor kids’ games that your children would love.

Choosing Indoor Kid’s Game

What could be the trickiest parts during family game nights is choosing what game should be played. Even if it is another indoor kid’s game, the question what to play crops up especially if there are many kids of different ages including some toddlers perhaps.

Unless the whole family had converged on one or two favorite games, one or two kids would have divergent favorite-game-at-the-moment.

Options

There are several solutions to making a fair choice. All of them is simply to avoid conflict from any or all members.



First, try to come up with everyone listing what they want to play for the evening. Then, come up with a list for games that everyone might not be too interested but would not mind playing. The next phase would be to put this in a bag, have one member pick out a name of the game, and that would be the game to play.

The next one is the most democratic of all but is the most brutal. This one will put all the choices in the bag, including those that others completely do not like. Whatever is the game picked out (including those least liked by most) shall be the game of the night.

The main consideration for the second option is to make the children know this game-selection method beforehand and that there should be no grumbling afterwards.

The third method would have the kids themselves assigned to choose which game to play. Moreover, each child will be assigned days when he or she will have the chance to choose the night’s game. (There might be less grumbling, although there will be nights when some are playing half-heartedly.)

This can be done far in advance so the kids concerned will have prepared for it. If it is a new game, he or she will take charge in orienting everyone the rules and guidelines and everything else about the game.

Learning skills

They can also have the added chore of setting everything up and cleaning up afterwards. This technique teaches them leadership and organizational skills which they will have to play by ear, including on the spot decisions and all.

Aside from these, the children shall learn structure, guidance and responsibilities like set-up and clean-up.

Another system would be to keep track on who won and who lost in the games. The winners will then have the privilege of choosing the next game on the next game night.

This is not to pamper the winner or giving him or her special treatment. Let every child know that being a winner is an achievement and worthy of feeling proud. On the other hand, let the losers feel that it is simply one more opportunity to make good the next time. (Make sure the games should not be advantageous to those with physical advantages, etc.)

Losing and winning

It is good practice to say “good game” to every player and “congratulations” to the winner. Winners probably would be given the privilege of not having to help clean up. But if he gloats over it, he will do the cleaning by himself.

After all, the whole thing is an indoor kid’s game, and the object of the game is simply having unadulterated fun.

Charade – All-Time Popular Indoor Kid’s Game

The game of Charade is thought to have been invented in France, but more as a game of riddles. The clues are given in sentences instead of the modern “acting out” of the hidden word or object.

The acted charades later became popular in England. In the novel Vanity Fair, William Thackeray made mention of the game.

It was very popular in the 30s till World War II. There were a few TV shows in the 60s based on the game’s mechanics, and today it is still a classic party game.



Charades is often played as an after-dinner game by adults. But with a bit of coaching, kids are certainly good, if not better than adults, especially when it evolved into an action-oriented game.

Some props

There are some things needed for the game: a stop watch (one with a visible minute hand), a pen and some paper, index cards to write words, sentences, phrases, names, and a referee to keep time and the score.

Game mechanics

The object of the game is for a team’s member-player to act out a word, an idea, a person’s name, boom, movie, etc. his team mates will then have to guess the answer in the shortest possible time. The “hidden” word or idea is given by the opposing team.

The team members pepper and shout out what they think is the word or sentence is. The actor nods or shakes his head, and repeats and repeats his actions.

He can change it any which way, all in the hope of making his teammates understand it. They can begin by asking if it is an object, a person, a place, etc.

This makes for a somewhat easier guessing. When a team member finally gets the word correctly, he points at him/her and present the index card the actual word.

The referee takes note of the time. He can also be the arbiter in cases of disputes. Scoring is to be agreed by the two teams, and whoever has the highest correct guesses wins.

Dos and don’ts

The opposing team is not allowed to do anything to derail the other team who is doing the guessing. The member who guesses the right word gets to do the next acting of the word.

The team who gets it within the time limit wins the point for that round. Win or lose, the other team will do the next round of acting and guessing. The scores will be tallied after the designated number of games.

Preparations

Before the game, each team will write out the words on the card for the other team to act out. (The harder to guess the words are, the better.) They give these cards to the referee for safekeeping.

Sometimes, themes are written on the card which can be announced by the referee. So that children will have an easier time acting them out, only one word is used for guessing. Sometimes, the topics are limited to a few groups like animals, places, or famous celebrities. An indoor kid’s game should not be hard.