What I Did Today

So, as I may have mentioned, Connor loves board games.  He also just had a birthday, and he got several new ones.  We've been playing them ever since he got them, of course, but today I'm pretty sure that we did nothing other than play board games.  We never left the house, never turned on the tv.  We played board games from dawn until dusk.  (This is only a slight exaggeration, if you feel like you must call me out on it.)

Stratego may be Connor's new most favorite thing in the world.  I mean, when he wasn't playing with me, he was teaching his two year-old brother.  Or playing it online.  And he took it with him to the park for the fireworks and he took it with him to Aunt Kathy's party.  Both times, he taught others how to play for the sake of having someone to play with him at all possible times.  Today, he and I played about two dozen times, and the wins were divided pretty evenly.  He puts so much thought into the game each time he sets it up, and he always does it differently.  

This game is fun because it has a real slingshot that flings Angry Birds at blocks that you set up.  It's basically Lex's favorite game:  build a tower and knock it down.  Connor and Lex can play this one by themselves.

I know that this is Kevin's favorite.  You draw a card and roll a dice to determine what you are going to build.  Then, using the Lego blocks in the box, you have to create something and the other players guess what it is.  This game is endlessly changeable, and it sparks creativity in everyone playing.  The whole family loves this game.

At times, though, Kevin and I have wondered if it would be more fun if there were more bricks in the box to use when building things.  We have so many around the house that we could add.  But, at this point, we are still enjoying the game as it came packaged.  Having a small number of bricks means that there isn't an overwhelming number to dig through.  Also, sometimes you really have to stretch creatively if there isn't something there you want.  We talked about it, and decided that if we ever stopped having fun as it is, we would simply add or change the bricks in the box at that time.

This one is my new favorite.  You either play as the thieves or the police.  The police try to capture all 4 thieves.  The thieves try to steal 10 stacks of money from the city buildings.  The first team to succeed wins!  Connor and I play over and over and over, and our wins are about even.  He wins as often as I do, and we switch who plays as the thieves and police.  The police and thieves are pretty evenly matched, as well.  This is a great game!