Ten board games to play with your family during the holidays
Ahh Christmas... that magical time聽when the jangling聽of sleigh bells infiltrates every TV commercial, we're remarkably okay with the idea聽of a reclusive, strangely dressed sweatshop owner聽from the far north with a penchant for home invasion keeping notes on聽our sleep habits and passing judgment on our naughtiness, and聽families gather from all corners of the globe聽to sit around the dinner table and check聽their phones for emails, text messages, Facebook updates...聽聽
Okay, so maybe that's not quite what it's all聽supposed to be about. What happened to goodwill towards men? Heck, what happened to dinner conversation?
The holidays are a great time for a temporary tech intervention, and declaring a family game night on those rare days when while everyone is together can be a fun way to bond with loved ones off the grid.
It's in this spirit that we've gathered this list of ten of our favorite board games and the best deals we found online for each of them. There's something in here for all ages - from games to play with the littlest of the聽elves to the ones you聽keep out of sight聽until after they're all snug in their beds with聽visions sugar plums dancing in their heads.
1.听
If you like Words with Friends, then you'll love its聽original, low-tech inspiration. If you're anything like me, then you were looking for an excuse to brush up on all those fascinating聽Q-without-U words anyway.聽$11.88 at Amazon.
Watch out for Mittens, he totally cheats.
2.听
Real world real estate development never was and never will be anywhere near as satisfying聽as watching all聽hope drain from your聽brother's face聽as you Scrooge him out of his last few dollars after landing聽on your BoardWalk hotel for the third time in a row.聽$7.87 at Amazon.
3.听
The only thing the little ones will like more than playing Candy Land is playing it with a grown up. It pays off later when they choose you, their new favorite, to snuggle up with when it's time to watch A Christmas Story.聽$12.99 at Amazon.
4.听
Nothing teaches the kids the art聽of the聽insincere apology quite so well as聽a few rounds of Sorry. $7.99 at Target. It's a few pennies more than at Amazon, but drops to $7.59 with a REDcard and ships free.
5.听
You loved it as a kid, and so will yours. Chutes and Ladders is much like Candy Land in that enduring a few rounds can earn you some kid-capital to enjoy later.聽$12.16 at Amazon.
Take note world leaders, all war-time decisions should be made with pumpkin pie a la mode, always.
6.听
There are many strategies for winning at Risk, the most famous of which is "Never get involved in聽a land war in Asia." I'm pretty sure聽I got that right.聽$22.49 at Target, or $21.36 with REDcard.
7.听
Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like blowing up your cousin's battle fleet while stuffing聽a fistful of聽cookies聽in your mouth.聽$11.99 at Amazon.
It's all fun and games until your 7 year old nephew beats you in five quick moves. Again.
8.听
Sometimes the classics really are the best. While you definitely聽can get a chess board聽for much less, we like this聽wooden set since it features three classic games in one box.聽$29.95 at Amazon.
9.听
Who killed Mr. Boddy? It was Miss Scarlet in the library with the monkey wrench.聽Who ate the last piece of pie? It was Dad in the walk-in closet聽with聽a red plastic spork.聽$8.33 at Amazon.
If playing Cards Against Humanity is wrong, then I don't want to be right.聽
10.听
It's never discounted, and it's聽definitely not child-friendly, but it was an instant classic from the moment it was first introduced in 2011. Put the kids to bed, hope like that Santa's global surveillance network is out of commission for the night.聽$25.00 at Amazon.
Overall, Amazon is the clear winner when it comes to the lowest prices on classic board games, though Target sneaks in with a couple deals by virtue of the one-two punch of 5% off with REDcard and free holiday shipping. Most of these games are also available at Walmart, and the price is often the same as Amazon. We generally pick Amazon in these match-ups since Prime members get free shipping and the minimum聽spend required to get free shipping for non-members is only $35 compared to Walmart's $50.聽But if you'd rather buy in-store, when there is a price difference, you can take advantage of Walmart's new online price matching policy to get Amazon's price in store.
Do you have a favorite game that you play with your family? Tell us about it in the comments!
