Our first holiday gift guide of the season is all about games. The family that plays together stays together…so they say. Our family and our friends who might as well be family love to play games that challenge us…here are a few favorites (click on image for more info):

Rummikub Game

One of our favorites! Please ignore the manic looking crew on the box - this really is a fun, intelligent game requiring strategy and good flexible visual thinking skills - fun for all ages so you can actually enjoy something less mind-numbing than Candyland with younger kids too.

Quiddler Game

This is another favorite. A really challenging word game involving strategy and vocabulary skills and the luck of the draw. This one requires scorekeeping, so throw in some math skills as well. This makes a fun stocking stuffer for your favorite competitive wordsmith!

Bananagrams Game

This is a fast paced scrabble-like word building race to the finish! It is a bit adrenaline-inducing since this IS a race…does that mean it counts as exercise too? This is also a fun stocking stuffer…and it would stuff down into the toe so nicely and be much more interesting than socks!

Wordspiel Game

From the makers of Quiddler, this is a fun and quick word builder card game. Even when you are short on time, there’s always time for a few rounds of this. Bring you vocab A-game and a little luck!

Mah Jongg Set

Mah Jongg is for the serious game devotee. This has a bit of a learning curve. And even then it requires constant thinking and strategy. Additionally, there is a whole culture of Mah Jongg etiquette which you can choose to ignore…or not…depending on the people you play it with! It is meant to be played with four people, but can be adapted for 3 or 2 players and there are even solitaire versions. The more you play the better you get - or so I hear?! I love this game for the feel and look and sound of the tiles alone and surely all that strategic thinking is staving off dementia!

That concludes our current lineup of favorite games. More social than reading and less calories than eating, games are a fun way to connect with family and friends, and they make EXCELLENT gifts that are meant to be shared!

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