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Gifts Holiday Kindergarten Age Learning Parenting Toys and Games

12 of The Best Board Games for Kids: Meaningful Gift Ideas

I don’t know about you, but I start my Christmas shopping in August. With five kids, it’s essential to begin early and to make sure all my gift plans are in place. My kids love games, so I have been researching the best games for kids.

While I know some of the games they would enjoy, there are so many games out there that I have never heard of. I like to buy games for kids that help develop their skills, and all of the games in this post are ones that do just that.

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Best Games for Kids

1. Race to the Treasure

I love this game because instead of playing against one another, the kids work together to beat an ogre to a treasure. While playing Race to the Treasure, kids will learn strategy, math concepts, making decisions as a team, and cooperation.

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2. 5 Second Rule Jr.

This is a family-friendly version of the 5 Second Rule adult game. When playing 5 Second Rule Jr., kids will read a card and give an answer within 5 seconds. Since it involves quick thinking, funny answers are bound to happen.

With good laughs and light-hearted fun, this game is perfect for family bonding time. If the child can’t quite read yet, playing on teams is fun, too.

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3. Pie Face Showdown

Pie Face is such a fun game, even if it is a little messy. The original game involved players passing the whipped cream covered hand around the table and turning the crank, hoping to not get hit in the face with whipped cream.

Pie Face Showdown is an upgraded version of the original. This one requires two players to both have their faces in front of a whipped cream covered hand. The players have to push their buttons faster to make the whipped cream hit their opponent.

4. Guess Who?

Guess Who is a classic, and it’s one of my favorites. Each player has a card with a person on it, and their opponent has to figure out which character the other one has. The first to figure out their opponent’s character wins the game.

The way you eliminate characters is by asking descriptive questions. These questions can be “Is your person wearing a hat?”, “Does your person have a mustache?”, or anything else that can help eliminate characters and lead you to your opponent’s character.

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5. Buggaloop

This game features a Hexbug that crawls underneath the “backyard” (the game board). It can climb vertically, horizontally, turn corners, and go through loops and tubes. You have to try and get your game piece all the way across the board before the Hexbug appears and takes you out.

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6. Uno

This simple classic card game is perfect for kids because it teaches so many things at once. Color and number matching, taking turns, and paying attention are all skills they can develop while playing.

I play this game often with my 3 and 4-year-old, as well. The only change I make is that we can see each other’s cards so that I can help as needed.

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7. Rush Hour Jr.

To play this game, kids will shift vehicles out of the way to clear a path to the exit. There are 40 levels, allowing for endless fun and brain stimulation. Rush Hour Jr. can help improve logical and spatial reasoning, planning skills, and problem-solving.

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8. Operation

Another classic, the game of Operation has stood the test of time. Kids love this game, no matter which era they were born in.

It helps develop fine motor skills as kids use tweezers to remove ailments from the patient’s body. If the child misses and hits the side of the opening, the game buzzes, and the patient’s nose lights up. The player who can remove the most ailments wins.

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9. Ravensburger Labyrinth

I am so excited to get this game for my son for Christmas. The game changes each time you play it because the tiles move. This ensure that the child won’t get bored with it, since it’s pretty much a different game each time.

They will move their piece around the board, working their way to a treasure. On each turn, the child will also have the chance to change the path of the maze. It’s the perfect game to teach strategy.

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10. No Stress Chess

This game offers a chance to teach kids how to play chess with little frustration on their part. It comes with a deck of cards that teach the rules of the game and strategies that should be used.

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11. Skillmatics Educational Game: Brain Games

This is a game that is fun for the whole family, as the age range is from 6-99 years. It teaches thinking and reasoning, plus logic and problem-solving skills. As the game is played, the boards can be wiped off and done again.

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12. SpringFlower Sight Word Game

My son isn’t a huge fan of working on his sight words the traditional way. I’m always looking for new activities to help him learn them. When I found this game, I was so excited. I only wish I had come across it sooner!

The kids will use the fly swatters to smack the appropriate sight word when it is called out. It’ll help them recognize the word more quickly, and it’ll be fun, helping to commit it to memory.

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Final Thoughts on 12 of The Best Games for Kids

With as much as my kids love games, I always want to choose the ones that they will love. The best games for kids are the ones that offer a learning opportunity or help develop skills.

What are some of the games your kids love? Do you have any games for kids that you want to buy as a Christmas gift this year? Leave me a comment and let me know! I’d love to hear about it.

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Posts Related to the Best Games for Kids

Categories
Adulting Parenting

8 of the Best Podcasts for Parents

Podcasts are my new favorite thing. I can listen to them no matter what I’m doing, and I take full advantage of that. In the car, while I’m cleaning, and even as I sit here and type this blog post (Crime Junkie, anyone?). The best part is, there are literally hundreds of podcasts for parents.

These podcasts for parents can help with any type of parenting style you may have, and you can find something for any situation you may be going through. It may take some time to find the ones that fit your life perfectly, but I’ve put together a list that you can use to start your search.

My favorite parenting podcasts show the real side of parenting. The hosts don’t sugar coat anything and they discuss any and all topics. They truly make me feel like I’m not alone in this crazy world of parenting, and they make me feel like my kids may be …. normal. Crazy thought, right?

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Best Parenting Podcasts

1. The Mom Hour

This podcast is hosted by two moms named Meagan and Sarah. They discuss all topics pertaining to parenting, and they do so in a light-hearted way.

What makes this podcast great is that the moms are experienced. Between the two of them, they have kids in all age ranges, meaning they’ve been through it all already and are still going through it all with the rest of us.

They discuss many parenting topics, but they also have two “More Than Mom” episodes each month that are about non-parenting topics.

2. Coffee and Crumbs

Listening to this podcast is like sitting down with a couple of best friends to chat about life. The hosts are three friends named Indiana, Ashlee and April. This is a good podcast to listen to while you’re doing other things like cleaning, driving, walking or putting on makeup.

It’s hard to go into detail about this podcast because all I can come up with is that they just get it. They get how hard parenting can be and they fully understand that parents are not perfect, nor are we supposed to be.

Their personal parenting stories make me laugh, cringe, and shake my head because I’ve done the same things. Other times I’m like, “I’m so glad that didn’t happen to me!! OMG!”. But seriously, there hasn’t been an episode that I’ve listened to that I haven’t liked.

3. One Bad Mother

Hosts Biz and Theresa get real about parenting, so be prepared for a little swearing. They’re totally relaxed during the podcast and they invite guests to discuss parenting issues.

If you’ve ever felt alone, these ladies will make you feel like every other mother has been in the same situation. They truly make you feel like we’re all in the same boat, and there is absolutely no judgement.

4. What Fresh Hell

Two funny moms named Margaret and Amy host this hilarious parenting podcast. Their tagline is “Laughing in the Face of Motherhood”, which is all that you will do while you listen to their show.

The two moms are completely different from one another, which gives different perspectives on the parenting issues that they discuss. They also invite experts on the show to weigh in on crucial topics.

One of the best parts of this podcast is that they aren’t afraid to call each other out when they disagree. The experts they invite on the show don’t always agree with them, either, which just makes it so real. I don’t know about you, but I love listening to two moms who aren’t perfect and aren’t afraid to show it.

5. The Parent Experiment

These moms discuss everything pertaining to marriage, parenting, and living the life. One of my favorite episodes is one where one of the hosts buys a new washer and dryer and yells at the delivery men when they make a huge mistake. It seriously reminded me of myself.

6. The Longest Shortest Time Podcasts for Parents

This is the perfect podcast to help other parents feel like they aren’t alone. The host, Hillary, talks about parenting kids of all ages, from babies all the way to adults.

She brings on guests who tell their own parenting stories. They discuss topics like adoption, not wanting to have kids, and so many other serious topics.

There are also light-hearted and humous moments throughout the podcast, making it the perfect mix of all parenting feelings.

7. Little Sprigs Podcasts for Parents

This parenting podcast discusses how to parent without using bribes or punishments. The host also talks about how to raise confident kids, taking care of yourself, and intentional parenting. She also brings on parenting experts and authors.

8. Mom and Dad Are Fighting

This is a hilarious podcast by hosts Allison and Dan, who are both parents. Between their funny comments, to their honest discussion about parenting issues, this podcast is perfect for real parents who face parenting issues daily.

Fans can even call into the show to ask parenting questions, getting answers from some of their favorite parents. You can also look forward to guest hosts who weigh in on parenting and current events.

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Final Thoughts on Best Podcasts for Parents

There are so many podcasts for parents and they each are a little different in style, so you have plenty to choose from. Do you already have a favorite parenting podcast? If so, tell me about it in the comments! If you don’t have a favorite, which one on the list do you want to listen to first?

A slightly unrelated question… I’m also interested in podcasts that aren’t related to parenting at all, do you have any that you recommend?

Categories
Gifts Holiday Home

5 Simple Tips To Get Away With Re-gifting

Before anyone gets offended, this post about re-gifting is *mostly* a joke. You know you’ve done it, though. 😉

We all get little gifts that we may never use… and what do we do with them? Do you store them in a closet for years and forget all about them, or do you re-gift them to someone who may actually get a use out of it?

Re-gifting can be tricky, and you’re taking a chance of someone being offended by your actions. If you do it right, though, no one will ever know, right?!

Before you re-gift something, here are a few tips you should follow.

Tips for re-gifting

Tips For Re-gifting

1. Make sure you don’t re-gift the gift to the person who originally gave it to you.

I know people who have “re-gifting closets” or a “re-gifting shelf” where they store all items they want to re-gift until an occasion comes up that requires a gift. This could be a great idea… until it’s not.

What if you stored a gift in the “re-gifting closet” and then a couple months pass and you need a house-warming gift? You suddenly remember that baking set you got for Christmas a couple months before and you rush to get it and wrap it up. You arrive at the house-warming party, set the gift down, and set about mingling. Fast forward to when it is time to open gifts.

The host of the party begins to open your gift, only to realize that you gifted her (or him) the same present that they had given you for Christmas. When this happens, you will both be embarrassed… the host because you obviously didn’t like the gift they got you, and you are embarrassed because you accidentally re-gifted a gift to the person who originally gave you the gift!!

This could be a problem if you give the gift and another guest at the party recognizes it as the one they gave you, as well.

You have to be careful if you are ballsy enough to re-gift. Maybe tape a piece of paper to the gift that says who gave it to you so that you can prevent a similar situation from happening.

2. Remember to remove the original gift tag.

If there is a gift tag on the bag or the package that the gift is in, make sure you remove it. Nothing will make it a more obvious re-gift than leaving a gift tag right on the gift that says the gift was FOR you, from someone else.

3. Don’t let your kids know you are re-gifting.

Not only do they have big mouths and may possibly blab to the new recipient that the gift was actually given by someone else, they may also pick up bad habits. If they see you re-gifting something you received, they may think it’s okay to not show appreciation. They may also tell the original gift-giver that you didn’t like your gift and gave it to someone else.

4. Don’t give the gift to someone who personally knows the original gift-giver.

Could you imagine one of your good friends giving you a gift and then seeing it in another friend’s home? I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard to make the connection. This could happen with family members, as well.

5. Just keep it.

This is the easiest option. It may collect dust in your closet, but at least your conscience is clear. Plus, there is no chance of the original gift giver or the new gift receiver finding out about the re-gift. You will also be setting a good example for your kiddos.

If you have a best friend, sibling, or even child who would appreciate the gift, just give it to them. Don’t wrap it and claim it as a gift you thought of and picked out on your own. Let them know that you thought of them when you opened it and that you think they would get more use out of it than you would.

Final Thoughts on Re-gifting

Re-gifting can be a tricky situation. While you’d hate to have a gift taking up closet space, you could spare the feelings of all involved by either re-gifting carefully and thoughtfully, or you could just choose to keep the gift.

This is an opportunity to set a good example for your kids, as well. You can say thank you, show appreciation, and then keep the gift that was chosen for you. This may teach your kids to be appreciative and polite.

Another option: You could just give (not as a gift) the item to someone close to you. Make it clear that you received it from someone else but don’t think you’ll use it very much.

We have all re-gifted something at one point in our lives, though, so if you choose to do so this holiday season, remember to follow these tips. Everyone will be spared the hurt/embarrassment associated with re-gifting, and your kids won’t be given the wrong idea.

Have you ever re-gifted something you received? What was it and how did it work out for you?

If you haven’t re-gifted, can you give tips on what to do with the gift instead if you will not be personally using it? Leave a comment!

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