Zen and the Art of Playing Board Games
Written by: Sunia Jurrius, SimplyFun's Senior Visual Designer
“The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there” – Robert M. Persig
Imagine, spending seven years relentlessly playing educational family board games. Strategy games, vocabulary games, life & thinking games, word games, math & stem games, social science games, and everything in between. I have come to realize that cooperative family games nurture inner personal skills and provide a richer more purposeful experience to our existence. For instance, when my daughter and I play the game Whirly’s World, we also have an opportunity to converse about how things grow in a garden, soil, tools, flowers, plants, giant African land snails, watering techniques, and anything else the mind wants to explore.
We are not only exploring the concept of gardening and giant African land snails but also learning early addition, odd and even numbers, following fun directions, while moving around a dynamic game board filled with endless surprises and collecting Whirly tokens. The African land snail swirls you around a spiral game board while you try to avoid the garden hose slides that can set you back four spaces!
Another favorite game is Prickly Path, a spatial reasoning game for ages eight and up. It takes place in the desert when the cacti are in bloom. The coyote must jump over the cacti as each player has to grow groups of succulents, aloe, and barrel cacti. This strategy game directionally weaves the coyote back and forth over the desert as the players grow larger groups of blossoming colorful cacti.
My daughter and I love adding some silly cosplay to the game by pulling out our coyote costume tails, pinning them to our pants, and howling while we play. We explore the desert through this game, and it serves as such a wonderful reminder of all the different ecological habitats that exist on this planet.
Modern life values rationality, data, and analytics. However, in pursuit of our technological advancement, we must not forget about the human element, the subjective experience that gives meaning and purpose to our lives. Sometimes pausing, questioning, reflecting, connecting, and playing in a world of quick fixes and instant gratification is the key to the truth of inner happiness and quality of life.
Sunia's Family Board Game Favorites:
Whirly's World
2-6 players • 15-30 min • 6 & up
Garden Addition Game
Join Whirly, the Snail, on an additional math garden adventure! Players roll the dice and use counting to add their scores, collect Whirly tokens, and explore even and odd numbers along the garden trail. Math your way through the winding garden to be the first to reach the center and win! An adorably fun addition math game for children ages 6 and up.
Prickly Path
2-4 players • 20 min • 8 & up
Desert Cacti Strategy Game
Help the coyote navigate the blooming desert in this plant game where players use strategy to create clusters of matching cacti! Use spatial reasoning to plan and strategize your moves to plant and expand your cacti clusters for points. Roll both dice and decide which dice number will lead you to the best path. Leap over expanding cactus groups and rock boulders to stay on the path. The player with the most points, wins!
SlideAscope
1-5 players • 20 min • 8 & up
Pattern Matching Tile Game
Get ready for a tile-matching thrill! Strategically place tiles to match sides and create cascading combos. Watch as tiles slide and unlock new matching opportunities. Outsmart your opponents and score high to win in this game of spatial reasoning and critical thinking!
Fossil Sweep
2-5 players • 20 min • 8 & up
Critical Thinking Fossil Matching Game
Step into the fascinating world of fossils! Use strategy and decision-making to match fossil layers and uncover ancient treasures before they’re lost to time. Play your cards wisely to clear your hand and score points—just watch out for the “Sweep” card that ends the round. The player with the fewest points wins the fossil hunt!
Front Runner
2-6 players • 30 min • 8 & up
Algebra Horse Race Game
Ready to gallop ahead with algebra? Solve advanced equations and factor your way through three challenge levels to boost your horse to the Front Runner. Get your math game on and race to victory!
Pack It
2-5 players • 30 min • 8 & up
Predicting and Planning Hiking Game
Gear up for adventure! Use your prediction, planning, and strategy skills to pack your backpack, safeguard supplies, and stay on the hiking trail. Can you outsmart the obstacles and reach your destination?
Slow Down and Connect with Games.
Board games help us live in the present moment, reduce screen time, laugh, learn, and develop important social skills like empathy and sportsmanship. Ready to connect with your family in a meaningful way?
Check out our other family board gaming blogs below and get ready to learn and grow together!