Capture the Summer: Make It a Game Night

Summer around here means staying up a little later and enjoying the longer days.  Some evenings we go out for ice cream while others we have a picnic in our home.  Every few days we'll also take time to watch a show or two with the girls whether it's HGTV or Disney.  We try to make the most of our longer evenings together.

Because of the longer evenings, summer is also the perfect time for family game nights.  Our summer hasn't gone exactly as planned, but on our agenda for the next few weeks is to have a few family game nights.  Our youngest daughter loves board games; this is one thing we have in common.  It's just something about figuring out the rules together along with a dose of competitiveness that brings us together and often there are lots of laughs to follow.

Three Tips for Creating a Fun Game Night Environment

• Choose games that everyone can enjoy.  My oldest daughter isn't a big fan of board games so we have to select ones that she would also enjoy.  This means instead of full out Monopoly we will play Monopoly Jr. because it is shorter.  We have a variety of games in our home so for our game nights, we usually have four to five games to choose from that everyone can enjoy.
• Be enthusiastic.  I know some of us are not all that enthusiastic about playing games, and this posture can affect those around us.  Make a choice to be enthusiastic and have fun with your family.  I shared last week about diving into things for our children's sake.  This suggestion goes right along with that.  Show your children that you can be exciting and fun too.
• Make it a party.  Game nights should have some of your family's favorite snacks and maybe a little music or conversation.  I am not a big fan of eating unhealthy or snacking for the sake of snacking, but if I plan in advance then I am less likely to be uptight about the change from our norm.  Impromptu parties are a hit in our home even though it is only four of us.

As I encourage you to have a little fun before summer ends, I am challenging myself to put a family game night on the calendar for the next few weeks, and our first one will be tonight. 

How often does your family have a family game night?  What are some of your favorite games?

This week's giveaway is sponsored by ThinkFun. There will be three winners selected for their new Balance Beans game. My girls love this fun logic game. It is created for one player, but we have playing it together. The game challenges us all to think, and it really is fun! The goal is to get each sided balanced. The position of the beans matter which is often the tricky part.

To enter the giveaway: 

• Leave a comment sharing how often does your family have a game night and your favorite games to play.
• Make sure to sign in with an email or include it in your comment.  If I don't have your email address then I can't contact you.
• Remember to check back in to see if you have won. :)

This giveaway is open to U. S. residents ages 18 and above. No purchase is necessary to enter this giveaway.

The winner will be selected at random.  Those who have left a comment by 7/26/16 by 11:59 pm CST will be placed in the drawing.  The winner will be announced on 7/28/16. The winner must respond by 8/2/16 or the giveaway items will be forfeited, and another winner will be selected by random drawing.