Nostalgic board games
Board games are a timeless source of entertainment that can help bridge generational divides. Today, board game cafes draw a younger crowd, but many Baby Boomers have fond memories of playing the very same games when they were growing up. Now, as grandparents, those Boomers have the opportunity to pass on their love of board games to their grandchildren. That’s why we went looking around board game blogs and websites and in news articles for some of the best board games Boomer grandparents can play with their grandchildren. Build a connection that will last a lifetime with these 10 classics.
Sorry!
Age range: 6+
Players: 2-4
Sorry! came to the UK in 1929. A U.S. patent swiftly followed in 1930. But the game really got popular in the 1960s and ‘70s, with “Games Magazine” listing it as one of the top 100 games of 1980, 1981 and 1982. It even got a video game in 1998.
The game involves moving your pawns around the board and trying to get them to the finish line while avoiding obstacles and other players’ pawns. That simple setup makes it easy to learn and fun to play. Most importantly, it’s great for all ages, so it’s a wonderful game to enjoy with your grandkids.
Candy Land
Age range: 3+
Players: 2-4
During the 1940s, when polio ravaged communities across the US, Eleanor Abbott was one of its many victims. While recovering from the disease, she noticed the lack of entertaining activities for children also recuperating. This inspired her to create new pastimes and games specifically designed for kids like her who were confined to hospital beds.So she designed Candy Land in 1948. The game went on to become a well-loved classic where players move their pieces through a colorful and fantastic candy landscape. Reaching the goal is pretty simple, but you’ll face some hurdles along the way. Overall, however, the game is easy to learn and great for children, so you can definitely enjoy it with your grandkids. Many children simply enjoy the bright, lively visuals of the game, not even realizing they’re getting a subtle lesson in things like counting along the way.
Risk
Age range: 10+
Players: 2-6
Risk is best for those with grandkids who are a little older, at least 10. That’s because it’s a long and complicated game. You can literally spend hours on this 1957 board game. During that time, you’ll battle to conquer territories and take down your opponents’ armies to become the ruler of the world.
The allure of that ultimate power made the game popular in the ‘60s and ‘70s, but it still has many fans today. It helps teach strategic thinking, negotiation skills, and critical reasoning. And it’s a great bonding activity since you’ll have to set aside a whole afternoon or evening to get through this one.
Clue
Age range: 8+
Players: 3-6
Gather up all the grandkids. Clue, also known as Cluedo, can accommodate up to six players, and it’s really fun with more people. You’ll go around solving a chilling murder mystery by collecting clues and trying to determine the culprit, weapon and location of the crime. It’s had a ton of spin-offs since being published in 1949, including a movie.
You and your grandkids will need to use your noggins to solve the mystery here. It therefore promotes critical thinking, deductive reasoning, and problem-solving skills. It’s one of the most classic detective games of all time, and that has helped it stand the test of time.
The Game of Life
Age range: 8+
Players: 2-4
It’s about to get real. The Game of Life asks players to make some of the real life choices we all face eventually, things like whether to have kids, what kind of house to buy, and which career path to take. Of course, it’s a lot more light-hearted in board game form, but these choices have kept people riveted since all the way back in 1860. The modern version you’re probably thinking of came around in 1960.
While playing through the game with your grandkids, you’ll be helping them learn about financial literacy, decision-making and the consequences of tough life choices. The game has a lot more to teach than just who wins and who loses, and that’s sustained its popularity through the decades.
Connect Four
Age range: 6+
Players: 2
Published in 1974, Connect Four is a simple game that’s great for young and old alike. You and your grandkids will compete to place chips into the gameboard, attempting to connect four like colors. Of course, that’s easier said than done, as your opponent will be trying to make their own connection while blocking yours, which often results in a tic-tac-toe-like back and forth.
This back-and-forth helps kids develop critical thinking and spatial reasoning skills. And it’s a nice, short game, taking only a few minutes to play. So you can get in a round with all the grandkids just about any time.
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Yahtzee
Age range: 8+
Players: 2+
Yahtzee was first marketed under that name in 1956. It builds off of earlier similar games such as Yacht, Poker Dice and Generala, as well as the Scandinavian game Yatzy. You can see where the name of the beloved classic came from. The game we all know and love involves rolling five dice and using them to score points. You have to choose which category your dice will score for in each round, which adds an element of strategy.
While playing with your grandkids, you’ll help them improve their math skills and teach them a bit about probability. There’s a lot of luck in the game, but they’ll still have to make strategic choices if they want to win.
Jenga
Age range: 6+
Players: 2+
Jenga truly spans all age ranges. You can play it with your kids or find it in a bar as a fun game to play while drinking. This 1983 classic has never gone out of style. You’ll attempt to remove blocks from a delicate tower, all while hoping not to knock over that tower. Easier said than done, as the tower becomes more and more delicate with every block that’s removed. That results in a game that is very simple and that you can easily play with your grandchildren, but which also encourages skills like teamwork, hand-eye coordination and dexterity.
Operation
Age range: 6+
Players: 1-6
Make sure you have some batteries on hand for this one. Operation, published in 1965, has remained popular through the decades. It involves delicately removing pieces from a figure on an operation table. Touching the sides of the “incisions” made in the figure even slightly sets off a buzzer and incurs a penalty.
This one isn’t great for super, super young kids, but if your grandkids are at least six, they’ll have a blast trying to free the various wacky maladies from the cartoon figure on the table. Obviously, the game involves a lot of hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity, but it also teaches patience, as rushing through the “operation” often results in failure.
Mousetrap
Age range: 6+
Players: 2-4
Make sure your grandkids are old enough not to eat the many little pieces in this one. Mousetrap involves building a mousetrap on top of the game board. Published in 1963, the game starts with you and your grandchild working together to build the impressive mousetrap, then turning on each other to try to escape that very trap.
It’s great for encouraging creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Your grandkids will have a great time building and then escaping the Rube Goldberg-style mousetrap alongside you. The game also encourages teamwork since you have to work together to get the mousetrap set up initially. It’s great for two to four players.
