Do you struggle to find fun ways to connect with kids away from electronics doing something fun as a family? We definitely have, but since we’ve started playing board games together finding time to squeeze in quality family time got easier. Now our son would choose to play a game with us over playing any video game.
Board games are one thing that has stood the test of time for popularity in our digital obsessed age. With the onslaught of new games popping up all the time from top board game publishers and small companies on Kickstarter, there’s no sign that this trend is going to slow down anytime soon.
We own a selection of games that we love but when the gameplay gets old we start looking for new games to add to our collection. Board games can be really expensive so we’re always looking for ways to help us choose new ones wisely. Reading online reviews is one way to choose a new game but being able to play it ourselves before we buy it is even better.
That’s one of the reasons we love board game cafes! The truth is, choosing to spend time together playing outside our home helps us overcome a lot of barriers to family time. Here are 3 things that make a visit to a board game cafe a top pick for us.
It’s a Cheap Fun Way to Spend an Afternoon
We love getting out of the house together to do something fun. Seeing a movie is a favorite family activity but where we live going to see a one usually costs about $60 for our family. We can’t afford to go and see a movie every week! Eating out is another thing we love to do, but again, a night at our favorite restaurant sets us back between $70- $100.
Visiting a board game cafe costs us about $20 for an afternoon or evening of fun. Most cafes charge a $5 cover to play the games and sell drinks, snacks, and sometimes full on meals. Eating is not a prerequisite for playing the games. We’ll eat before we go or plan a special meal at home for afterward and just have drinks and a few fun snacks while we play. The day ends up being loaded with fun and really affordable too.
Time With Our Kid Face to Face Without Electronics
Family time is precious, doing things together away from electronics is so important these days. Prioritizing meal times together, having a movie night, or doing something together like baking or a craft are great ways to spend time as a family.
Playing a board game together does something most other activities don’t though, it encourages face to face engagement.
Watching a movie you’re looking at the screen, baking or making a craft you’re watching what you’re doing, and mealtime can be quick and conversation can be sparse. Playing a board game you’re looking at each other; if it’s a cooperative game you’re working together. If it’s a competitive game you’re paying special attention to each players moves and expressions.
Playing games naturally encourages conversation and not the usual “how was your day?”. This is what we love most about playing board games.
When we Want to Buy A New Board Game But Can’t Decide Which One
Board games can be expensive and we hate to make mistakes buying ones we don’t really like after opening and playing once.
There is no better way to know if a game is fun for everyone in your family than playing it together before you decide to buy it. If we’re in the market for a new game, we’ll do some research online; read reviews, and visit the game makers site to check out the game components. Then we’ll head to our favorite board game cafe and take the game we’re interested in for a test drive. Seeing the quality and playing the game help us avoid buying games we could regret getting later on.
The Bottom Line On Board Game Cafes
More and more board game cafes are popping up in cities all over the world and that’s a very good thing. Visiting, what is essentially a game library is a cheap fun easily accessible outing for families.
Our examples of how board game cafes help create fun ways to connect with kids are just a few. The benefits include the engaged face to face time with kids, the chance to mix with a community of like-minded gamers, and the fun conversations that start because of the gameplay. The experience can be different every time if you want and it gets everyone’s brains working in different ways; strategically and critically.
Have You visited a board game cafe with your kids? What benefits not mentioned above have you discovered?
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