Game time

​

With all this renewed love of learning Mahjong, I think people are feeling inspired to dive in and rediscover all the old-school games. I’m always amazed when someone tells me they don’t know how to play chess, cribbage, or backgammon…what the heck did they do growing up?

I suppose I was fortunate. As the youngest of four, all born within five years, we made up the perfect number for a game table. My three kids always had me to play with, and there were usually a few extra players around the house, ready to jump in. I taught my kids every game under the sun, most of them much earlier than you’d expect! We played cutthroat Monopoly, Parcheesi, and just about every board game imaginable.

I remember teaching my youngest son how to play chess when he was only three years old…he was definitely ahead of the curve! So now, when people tell me they don’t know how to play certain games, I’m all in and ready to teach.

Backgammon is a fantastic game for two, unfortunately, Tim never wants to play. And when I break out the cribbage board, he practically runs. I think the trick to him enjoying a game is winning, and when we played cribbage, I almost skunked him. He somehow thought he was ahead until it was my turn; I counted, pegged out, and left him completely stunned. That was about the end of his cribbage career.

Thankfully, my son loves to play and will stop by for a game whenever he can. All my kids enjoy games, and the grandkids are just as enthusiastic, so these days I tend to look for games that work with a crowd of at least a dozen. We usually settle on Werewolf when everyone’s together, an epic mix of challenge, strategy, and teamwork.

I might be overdue for a proper family game night, time to bring out the old favorites and really get things going. And as for my friends who are waiting to learn…their fun is just beginning. Before long, they’ll be shuffling, rolling, dealing, and strategizing like pros, and wondering why they didn’t start sooner.

"We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” ~ George Bernard Shaw