About

I have always loved board games. As a child I would play the classics with my siblings such as Monopoly, Boggle and Trivial Pursuit.  These were games that were common to find in a classroom along with Scrabble.  As I got older, I would play Risk and Monopoly from time to time but that was it.  I hadn’t ventured towards less common games since I felt they would be too complex and some games require you to show your acumen that I was embarrassed to display.  Instead, I was satisfied playing video games.

It wasn’t until I was a young adult and hanging out with some friends when someone proposed to play 7 Wonders.  As soon as we were done the first round, I was hooked.  It was a fairly complex game but I was finding myself enjoying it.  Especially the social aspect of being able to share this experience with good company.  The loose setting of playing a board game allows for free conversation to happen during set ups and cleanups.  This down time isn’t present with many other activities.

There are a huge variety of games that explore countless themes.  These themes are the hooks while the game mechanics are the meat of a board game.  Kickstarter has also created a sort of renaissance for board games, there is a staunch audience who love these games and ensure that they are funded.

My passion for board games coincided with being in Teachers College.  I would often think of how to relate games to my practice.  I feel that it can add a variety to classroom and keep students engaged.  It also gives them an opportunity to have fun without being in front of a screen.