Best board games to enjoy with your family this pandemic

To survive the reality of life, you may just need The Game of Life! Yes, since we are still advised to stay at home because of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country might as well enjoy this time with our family by playing board games.

It's good to take a break from screens every now and then. Board games are a fun way to gather everyone around the table to engage in some group escapism. It is a great, inexpensive way for families to spend quality time together and an excellent way to engage your children while hitting pause on electronics.

While no one can argue the benefits of technology, it doesn't help families build strong relationships. Board games aren't just for the kids, they can be fun and educational for the whole family!

Here are the 6 best board games you can try at home with your family.

A little on the nose, Pandemic is a board game where you work together with your co-gamers to stop the spread of a disease before it takes over the world. The lesson of the game, of which there are several, is that only by working together can you put a stop to a global pandemic. Pandemic's base game is perfect for 2-4 players, but there are expansion packs you can buy to play with more people.

Your classic word game. Whether you sit down to play all the way through or keep coming back throughout the day, Scrabble is great for players both young and old. Keep a dictionary close by if you really want to challenge each other!

A classic strategy game but with a number of rules. Recommended for children ages 10+, Chess is difficult, but a classic for sure. Stretch those brain muscles as you practice concentration, patience, and strategy.

Young or old, the nerves and thrill of manipulating the teetering tower of blocks are like no other game. Make sure you have a nice steady table or a place on the floor cleared out before tackling this classic game.
Stack the wooden blocks in a sturdy tower, then take turns pulling out blocks one by one until the whole stack crashes down. Younger kids will really love when someone else knocks down the tower, though they are fine motor skills might not be developed enough to remove blocks reliably.

A Filipino classic game, sungka, pronounced as Soong-kah, is a two-player turn-based board game wherein the players compete to obtain more stones than the other. The game unleashes the competitiveness of a person. Somehow, the Sungka game seems to be a mind game. It is also known to improve the mathematical thinking and observation skills of an individual.

Gameplay involves arranging one's tiles into a grid of connected words faster than one's opponents. The objective of the game is to be the first to complete a word grid after the pool of tiles has been exhausted. The tiles come in a fabric banana-shaped package.

A classic real estate game with many skills to master that can relate to real life! Depending on the age of your children there are Junior editions, expansion packs, and speed cards. Learn all about buying, saving, selling, and the most important, money skills!

In the age of technology, good old-fashioned board games can prove to be a welcome change of pace that brings the whole family together. Playing board games is entertaining, but that is only one benefit of board game playing.

As families are struggling to find the balance between digital and real-life connections in today's new normal era, board games can provide a tool for that emotional connection to each other. This family time benefits your brains, boosts language development, and teaches you little life lessons. (FCSC)