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Friday, August 15, 2008

Homeschool Games

It seems watching the Olympics has awakened our family's competitive spirit. This week, Andrew and his dad pulled out the chess board again.


We bought this chess board, along with over sized playing pieces, from a company called Championship Chess that we saw at our local home school curriculum fair. I wanted the cutesy red one, but I was overruled.




We also purchased a carrying case, a Chess Basics book and a chess timer that has really come in handy for keeping my husband from wearing me down during a game of Scrabble by taking 30-45 minutes to lay down a single word.




We used the clock a few times and I beat him senseless. He surprisingly won't play anymore.

Chess not only boosts critical thinking and math skills, it is a great tool for character development.
"No, it's not okay to pout because daddy is beating you."

"Yes, you do need to teach as you play and not just show Andrew that you're smarter than he is and you can win."

In spite of any character flaws we may have, our family loves playing games. Card games, board games, puzzles, word games and games of trivia are great ways to reinforce concepts your children are learning, while adding laughter and fun to your home.

Here are some tips for choosing homeschool games for your family. In the September issue of Successful Homeschooling, I'll share ideas for making game nights a regular part of your family's schedule. Follow this link to sign up for my homeschool newsletter.

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4 comments:

MamaGames - Alexa C. said...

I love it! We're HUGE fans of board games here, and even before we had kids my husband and I used to talk about how we could really build a great base for any homeschool education just by playing all of our games.

Did you see that Idaho is offering chess as a part of its statewide curriculum this fall? The program is called First Move and is geared toward 2nd and 3rd grades. They're just following in our awesome homeschooling footsteps!

jugglingpaynes said...

Great tips! I'm constantly trying new games with mine because the younger two need that "character development" you were talking about. ;o)

To add to your list, my kids like Zoologic. It's a highly addictive logic game that is simple enough for the youngest (6) but has levels challenging enough for the oldest (15). In case you need more games!

Kris said...

We are huge gaming fans here, too. In an attempt not to seem shamelessly self-promoting, I have a blog where I review unusual and educational board games. I don't sell anything or have ads, my friend and I do it because we love games. Anyway, it's http://homeschoolgames.blogspot.com

Thanks for encouraging others to use this great form of schooling!

Anonymous said...

It is a lot of fun, isn't it? My son always wants me to play chess with him. Now, if he only knew how to play, it would be great.