BOARD GAMES

The game is present in our lives. It is the basis of the achievements of boys and girls at each stage of their development. 

Johan Huinzinga therefore approached the game from a scientific-academic and anthropological framework in his book HOMOLUDENS (1938). Almost a go-to book for anyone who dedicates themselves to leisure and free time or to sociocultural animation. In Homoludens, Huizinga explains that people as social beings create culture in any civilization or town, in the form of a game, to establish its primary foundations. This does not mean that culture does not evolve and vary, because it does, like social norms. 

With the return to school, there are many families concerned about the recovery of routines, the patience of the children, the management of frustration, the turn to speak, respect for others and participation times, positive communication and organization of strategies and for all this, the game can help, especially the symbolic game and the board game. 

The board game is a game that is based on a board or cards, it has a challenge and many times with dice and participant tokens to move around the board. Currently, there are countless board games that have been reinvented and evolved, facilitating the way they play and understanding the rules for the participation of the little ones. 

Below, we have prepared a “top five” of games to introduce the little ones to this type of games, from 2 years old:

• Puzzles or stacking games: They are not a board game as such, but if we include participation turns, counting of pieces placed, help and cooperative play it can be a good introduction to the characteristics of the board game.

• My first little fruit: from the HABA brand, recommended for ages 2 and up. This game is an adaptation of the game El Frutal. It features wooden pieces and a segmented board, a cardboard basket and a dice. It is ideal for working on turn participation, color sorting, cooperation and manipulation.

• Little action: Great Djeco game for boys and girls ages 2 and a half and up. It has cards, rubber animals and achievement medals. It is a game of challenges, in which participants must manage to imitate the challenge that appears on the card: stack, sort by color, balance a small animal on a part of the body or make a pyramid. Laterality, manipulation, creativity, coordination, observation and creativity are developed. 

• Little monsters: If your little one is one of those passionate about construction, this HABA game is going to be his favorite. It consists of 12 monsters, plates and a colored dice, with the challenge of stacking the fun little monsters in balance and has several adaptations of complexity. 

• My first Totems: The SmartMax brand has designed a great system to facilitate the fitting, stringing and placement or stacking of elements, ensuring fixation by a magnetic system that allows the craziest placement of the elements in 3D. My first totems is a fun construction game that allows the development of logical thinking, coordination, fine manipulation, spatiotemporal organization and concentration. To do this, it has a series of totem elements in bright colors and some cards to create totems according to the desired complexity. 

They are not the typical board games we are used to, which is why we recommend them. The little ones will love them, as their elements allow boys and girls to develop different skills and ways of thinking through free play.

Some small recommendations for playing together:

• Show the elements and allow them to investigate them, do not pretend that the first experience is a game with its rules, turns... rolling the dice and assuming progress according to the number or color that comes up... small children will want to advance until the “yellow” place the figures to their liking and invent their own game... don't get frustrated, allow that experience and take the opportunity to verbalize what they do and create a pleasant moment of communication. 

• Place the pieces and the board with them, following a visual scheme before starting to play... explaining this goes here... the doll seems to be placed here... do you see the dice? If they feel involved from the beginning, they will be curious and interested in the game. 

• Explain the rules in a very simple way... you go from least to most complex depending on your son or daughter's stage. No more than 3 rules, and be patient... even if they "understand the theory" their practice will go the other way the first few times. 

• The game will be very short during the 2 and 3 years…. It will take you longer to investigate, place and remember the rules than to play... do not force them to sit down, respect their moments of attention so that they become familiar, change the game and ask them what they want to play. 

• And the last and most important recommendation: enjoy! Participate as just another boy or girl without trying to be didactic... think that the game is already an objective of enjoyment in itself... in this way you will be an example and you will connect more with your son and daughter, creating these moments of board games in an experience that will permeate the family year after year... 

Do you play board games with the little ones? do you know these games? If you know others we will be happy to read them and share experiences.

To play!