Why playing board games with your child is important (and fun!)

Why playing board games with your child is important (and fun!)

24 August 2019 10:50 AM

Do you have fond memories of playing board games with your parents; Monopoly sessions going on for hours if not days?

Well, it's about much more than having fun and bonding family time, although that is also important, says parenting expert Nikki Bush.

So, make the time to be fully present and allow kids to learn the life lessons to be had from this activity.

Switch off your phone, switch off your laptop and just put that time aside, whether it's 15 minutes or an hour. It's that being present - physically, emotionally, mentally being in one place at one time and that is one of the biggest challenges for 21st century parents is how to be here, right now
— Nikki Bush, Parenting expert

She describes it as creating a safe space where your child can learn how to win and lose, properly.

Yes, we've got the social and emotional side of things, but we're learning to play by the rules and we're learning to win with humility and to lose with grace.
— Nikki Bush, Parenting expert

Life doesn't unfold in a straight line and your kids are going to be at the receiving end of loss many times. It's part of building a resilient child.
— Nikki Bush, Parenting expert

Other benefits include learning about being strategic, making decisions and solving problems.

These are all skills that are required for the future world of work.
— Nikki Bush, Parenting expert

Bush notes that board gaming has become hugely popular among millennials and alerts parents to the movement Unplug Yourself, launched in South Africa to help families spend more quality time together by reducing screen time.

Listen here for Bush's board game recommendations:

Written by: Paula Luckhoff