Be a Player

Everyone likes to play.
As it turns out, there’s a good reason for that. A little levity and a lot of learning goes on in game play: strategy, teamwork, playing fair, the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, and most importantly, the fun to be had as a family.

Do Canadian mothers know this more than most? We think so. That’s why we’ve been enjoying these four new and unique recreational pursuits created by homegrown moms, intended to put things in play at your house.

Tired of trying to get a balanced meal into their mouths? Save the dessert bribes (and your dwindling patience) and pick up Crunch a Colour, The Healthy Eating Game that challenges young players to earn colourful point cards as they eat-and-learn about certain foods and food groups. A reward chart is included to encourage good table manners, as well as trying new foods. When dealing with the lunch and dinner debate over what’s on their plate, Crunch a Colour may be a winning strategy.

“Mom has funny gas like Dad.” Look on the bright side, at least they’re learning words and sentence structure. Gross-Abulary is a game that uses sight words and picture cards, pitting players in a race against a three-minute timer to create the longest sentence. A great way to help those just beginning to read, it’s also challenging for players of any age to try and come up with the longest—and let’s face it, when it comes to kids, the grossest—sentences possible. No question that the entire family will have a total gas with this game (recommended for 6+).