The title is probably making you flash back to someone flipping over a game board in a fit of rage because they thought someone cheated. It is true, playing board games with small children is taking your life into your hands. There could be melt downs, epic tantrums and sore losers. Then you have the behavior of the children to the mix :). Ok, just kidding. Well, a little bit. Because there are certain behaviors you have to be aware of when it comes to children and playing board games with them. Not being able to lose without crying, complaining because they have to give up a turn or bragging to their other classmates about winning. This is the perfect storm. Which is why I am a big fan of Mother Goose Time board games. Most of them are co-operative games. Which takes the win/lose melt downs out of the equation. But it still helps them learn how to take turns, works on counting, colors and letters. This month the game was about Friendship Keys. They needed to gather all the keys they had to go to the park together at the end of the game. This required patience, something most small children do not have. But it worked! They loved the game and they learned something very important in the process. How to be kind. You do not hear that very often when you speak of board games. It is very true in this case though. The children were paired in a way that someone who was experienced with playing board games was paired with a new friend who was not use to it. This led to the more experienced player helping the other child count and look for the key they needed. They were not mean about helping their friend. They were in fact very sweet. They wanted to make sure their friend got to the end of the game. It went beyond just helping their friend. They also cheered for their friend as they got another key, comforted a friend who did not roll the die so that they could get the key they were looking for. The game made them attempt to act out the keys they were trying to find. Which were, all some aspect of being a kind and caring friend to those around you.
I enjoyed watching the children make friends and have fun. These games have taught us valuable lessons and I hope that they keep coming with the Mother Goose Time Curriculum. Live long and Keep Teaching! Ms. Tessie |