Ask the Horizons Team: Fresh Game Ideas for Families

Question:

My husband and I enjoy playing games with our two sons, and have used games as a great avenue for addressing our older son’s developmental challenges. I realized the other day that we are all bored with many of the games we have and need to get some new ideas. I know you have written before about using games in your clinic. Can you recommend some fresh ideas for our family? The boys are ages 7 and 11.

Thank you,
Debbie in Jackson, MI

Answer:

Hi Debbie,

I’m so glad that you and your family enjoy playing games together! There are so many different ways to adapt games to meet whatever developmental objectives you are working on at the time. I went through our game room and found some new ones that I hope you and your boys enjoy!

1. Rory’s Story Cubes – There are multiple versions of this game, but they all entail rolling pictured dice to create limitless stories and ideas. The game can be played alone or as a group. I have a few families who have used this game to support their child’s language development and creativity.
2. Headbanz – Who doesn’t love a game that involves wearing something on your head? Each headband holds a card that the wearer can’t see, and players take turn asking and answering questions to try to guess what card is on their head. While this game does require the ability to generate questions and accurately respond to them, it can be played in teams so everyone can play regardless of language ability.
3. Scrambled States – This game can be played a variety of ways depending on the skills you’d like to spotlight. It involves visual discrimination, riddles, maps, and more. Again, it can be played in teams to accommodate players who are unable to play independently.
4. Blink – This fast-paced card game helps develop visual discrimination, categorizing, and processing speed. It’s portable and moves quickly, making it a great choice for playing the car, while waiting for events to start, or other times you need a quick way to pass the time.

Happy gaming!
Nicole