Gathering with Family and Friends for a Little Fun...

Board games are a great way to have fun with family and friends as they bring us together with competitive and cooperative game play. They bring us more than entertainment, as they are a great way to keep your mind active and healthy.

Develop memory and cognitive skills: Playing board games is a great exercise for brain because it stimulates the areas of the brain that are for complex thought and memory formation for both kids and adults. it assists in practicing essential cognitive skills, such as problem solving and decision making. Especially for kids and teens, board games encourage healthy development of executive function skills, like planning, organizing, and making good decisions. They offer early learning capabilities to youngsters, helping them identify colors, count spaces, and develop hand-eye coordination and dexterity in moving pieces around the board.

Reduces stress and risk of mental illness, and lowers blood pressure: Laughter is the best medicine, as laughter is a side effect of playing board games. Through laughter, you will find it easier to kick back and relax, which is a healthy distraction reduces stress. Board game playing also reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and for elderly people helps to keep mind sharp. Along with laughing and increasing your endorphins, playing can help you lower or maintain your blood pressure through the release of endorphins which helps muscles to relax and blood to circulate. Then evidently, lowering your blood pressure.

Make you unplug: Board games are a simple way to get some quality, screen-free time with family and friends. Especially for the kids —you'll be surprised by how much they love it.

There are many benefits to playing board games, but this last one hits home for me. Many families struggle with disconnecting from the digital world and making real-world connections. Board games make that real world connection happen and help us connect with each other on an emotional level.

So, don't wait and start you family or friend game night now.

In my next article I will explain the "Dragon Farkle". It's a family favorite for game night and it's easy to play.

Thank you for reading,

Tiberius Stark

Elder Geek of the Geek Clan