“Beginning when children are very young, they have a noticeable need to be valued as a distinct entity within the family,” said Beth Garrett, parenting consultant and owner of Parenting Forward. “We often underestimate just how capable they are, and family game night is a perfect way to help all children develop important social skills, and a positive sense of belonging. Young children in particular learn a myriad of wonderful life skills through game play that will serve them well for the rest of their lives.”
Members of the gaming community agree.
“It is our opinion that a family that games together stays together,” said Ed Ostling, manager of Hat’s Games. “The competitive and cooperative aspects of games encourage personal discovery of each other’s qualities that ‘How was school today’ just does not cover. Also, it instills an air of pride in fair play and the idea that sub-optimal situations with the right teamwork can still provide positive results.”
Attending game nights outside of the home is a good way to socialize the kids, says Justin Beal, co-owner of A2Z Games.
“Family game nights are important because it allows families to come together with other like minded individuals and be social while playing a game, an art form that is lost in the day and age of mobile, tablet and console games,” Beal said. “I believe the social aspect of gaming with people you do and don’t know is an important step in growing up and becoming well adjusted members of society.”
Having a regularly scheduled game night — whether at home or elsewhere — also serves as a way to let your kids know they’re important, says Garrett.
“Prioritizing this weekly event shows our children, in a tangible way, that they are worth the extra time and effort,” Garrett said.
In fact, family game night and game time is so important to Garrett, that she has scheduled a weekly event at her business, Parenting Forward, which offers parenting consultations, classes and more.
Garrett incorporates gameplay in all of her teachings and offers play classes, says Laura Sagerman, mother of one, and client of Parenting Forward.
“It’s vital to play games because they learn best through playing games,” Sagerman said. “She (Garrett) does a lot of different games, but, they’re all for a purpose. She teaches them how to play and take turns and handle disappointment. The kids don’t even know they’re learning anything. They’re just like ‘This is really fun.’”
“It (game night) is an opportunity for families to come together and have fun, of course, but more importantly it is a time where Beth encourages positive social skills,” said Cate Morales, mom of two. “Through positive reinforcement, her own abundant patience and just the right amount of boundary setting, she empowers the kids to do things like work together to achieve a goal and exhibit patience towards each other.”
Another plus for game night? It’s inexpensive.
Sure, building a game library for your home costs some money, but, once you buy those games, you get countless hours of game play.
Going out to play games is cheap, too. We found 10 places in Tucson that offer game time, in all forms — from role playing to classic board games — and none of them cost more than $5 for the family to play.
1
A2Z Games
, 4257 W. Ina Road, suite 101, has board game night from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. The games change from week to week and are organized by a local volunteer. Nights dedicated to specific games, such as Settlers of Catan or Ticket to Ride are in the works. It is free to play. Contact: 989-3455.
2
Bookmans Grant
,
1930 E. Grant Road, is hosting a free weekly Scrabble night from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Sundays in the community room. Bring your own Scrabble game if you have one. The store is also hosting Board Game Night from 6 to 9:45 p.m. March 28. There will be food, prizes and a variety of board and card games. A projector will be set up with Mario Kart tournaments. Visit bookmans.com for more events. Contact: 325-5767.
3
Bookmans Ina
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, 3733 W. Ina Road, hosts game nights from 6 to 8 p.m. on Fridays. Gamers can bring their own Magic and Pokemon cards, or families can play with one of the many board games in the store. There is no cost to play. Visit bookmans.com for more events. Contact: 579-0303.
4
Brewd — A Coffee Lounge
, 4960 N. Sabino Canyon Road, has board games and puzzles for families to play with anytime for free, while they have coffee, tea and food. Hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Contact: 623-2336.
5
Hat’s Games
, 3921 E. 29th St., hosts several game nights a week that families attend. The store also has a library of free to borrow board games for use within the store, as well as free gaming table space. Visit the store’s website, hatsgames.com, for a calendar of events. Contact: 514-2960.
6
Heroes and Villains
, 4533 E. Broadway, hosts a weekly event called New Challengers League, which is designed to introduce players to new games. Many parent/child combos attend. Each week focuses on a different game. The event is free, and first timers get free product. Starting May 31, the shop will have an event called New Challengers: Board Game, every fifth Saturday. It’ll be a day of free game demos and open play. Visit heroesandvillains-tucson.com for a schedule. Contact: 321-4376.
7
Isle of Games
, 7747 E. Broadway, hosts Family Game Day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the fourth Saturday of the month. It also has regular game days, which are open to families, the second and fourth Sundays of each month. It is free to play. Contact: 886-4263.
8
Parenting Forward
, 1430 E. Fort Lowell Road, Suite 120, hosts family game night from 3 to 7 p.m. on Fridays. It’s geared for children ages two to 10, but, all members of the family are invited to play. A variety of cards, puzzles and board games are provided, but, families can bring their own to share. The cost is $5 per family. Contact: 300-4314.
9
Pima County Public Library
offers lots of gameplay opportunities at its various locations. For example, Puzzle Up Youth Activity Table, gives families the play games, build puzzles and make crafts together. There is no cost to participate. Visit library.pima.gov for a schedule.
1
0
The Retro Room Gaming Lounge & Boutique
, 337 E. Fort Lowell Road, hosts a board game night from 6 to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays. Classic games such as Yahtzee, Monopoly, cards and more are available. They’ve also got a huge collection of classic video games, if that’s more your family’s style. Board games are free to play. Contact: 477-7603.
