Great games.

I'll admit it. Sometimes I get bored playing with the kids and their toys. I can only race cars and trucks down the ramps for so long before it becomes a snoozer for me. Quite frankly, it's why I love doing crafts (or "pwojwects," as Alex calls them) with the boys. A little use of creativity and brain power is a good thing.

I've also been looking forward to the day when we can spend some time as a family playing games. Until recently, Alex has not had the interest or attention span to listen to or follow the rules. He mostly liked making up his own rules and running the game pieces all over the boards. Again, not much fun for me. But lately, he's made the turn, and he now has the ability to comprehend and follow simple rules for games and can practice some self-control to wait his turn. Sometimes. ;-)

Playing "Busytown Eye Found It!"

Remember how I mentioned that (selfishly) I like using creativity and brain power in our play time because it makes it more fun (for me)? Well for Christmas, we scored some great games geared towards kids ages 3-5, and they require a bit of skill/thinking which makes it fun for grown-ups to play along, too. So just in case you're in the same boat and looking for some activities that can be enjoyed by all, here are a couple that we love and recommend.

Richard Scarry's Busytown Eye Found It! Game
This one is part board game, part hidden picture search. And the neat thing is that while each person takes his own turn to move along the board, the only way to win is as a family/team.


Zimbbos
This is a stacking and balancing game. It teaches number recognition and helps with fine motor skills. This game is so well crafted and one of the best "balancing games" I've seen.


Spot It Jr.!
This is a card game. Each card has several different kinds of animals on it. You put down two cards, and find the one animal that appears on both cards. Alex and I now play for speed on this game to see who can find it first. There are several variations on how you play, too, so you can mix it up once you've "mastered" the basics. 

These last two games are by a brand called Blue Orange. I hadn't heard of them until this Christmas, but I anticipate that we'll invest in more of their toys over time. Awesome, awesome selection of games for all ages.