4 Board Games You Don't Have
Make family-night at home more fun with all-new games and updated classics
by Phoebe Assenza
Part of the
Noodleboro series of games, CDs, and books that teach kids manners, the
Picnic Basket Manners Game challenges players to rid their outdoor dining "area" of annoying ants by saying "please" and "thank you." The accompanying book tells the story of a girl who refuses to share, eventually isolating herself from her friends, and learning her lesson. The set is complete with a CD full of songs and sketches that teach the same social skills.
Price: $20
For ages: 4 and older
Available at: Amazon.com
Less of a board game than a simple shared activity,
Grandparent Talk guides you and your grandchildren to a great conversation. A stack of cards on a ring features questions like "Where did you hang out when you were a teenager?" and "What was your family tradition when you were young?" There are no points or scoreboards, just unraveling your family history and discovering how much you and your grandchildren have in common makes everyone feel like winners.
Price: $13, free shipping available here
For ages: 4 and older
Available at: Aroundthetablegames.com
If, after all these years, you still haven't found the perfect way to organize your Monopoly money, you'll be happy that this version does away with paper tender. The
Monopoly Electronic Banking uses debit cards instead of cash, and players pay and collect their dues by pushing buttons instead of trading old flimsy bills. The rules of the game haven't changed, so you and your grandchildren will still enjoy long hours pretending to be real estate tycoons.
Price: $35
For ages: 8 and older
Available at: Amazon.com
An updated version of the classic drawing competition,
Electronic Pictionary Man is a dry-erase style game that includes a blank, human-like figure, and two props that can be drawn on with the included markers. An electronic screen under the "man's" foot tells the player which sort of character or action in which to render him, (think "surfer," "umpire" or activities like "hovering" or "grilling.") The electronic timer keeps the adrenaline rushing, and the pop-culture references will keep everyone laughing.
Price: $27
For ages: 14 and older
Available at: Amazon.com
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