Photograph Credit: Flickr (Patti Jo Rak)

Christmas Eve is here! Some of the baking has been done, the house is decorated, the toys put together, and gifts wrapped. With family in town, we have been enjoying time playing, giggling, singing, shopping, and enjoying each other.

As you enjoy your family traditions and make new memories together, our Top 10 countdown continues. If you have missed any of the Top Ten posts, you can catch up: #10, #9, #8, and #7.

After playing the Lady Bug Game, Sorry!, and CandyLand with my older two children today, Paul and I were amazed at our daughter’s counting and attention-span improvement.

Playing games has benefited our children in their cognitive, physical, and problem-solving development. With these benefits, it is no wonder that the #6 most-viewed post on Using Time Wisely in 2011 is My Top 5 Preschool Board Games, originally posted on February 25. (Hey, a Top 5 list made our Top 10 list. :-))

My Top 5 Preschool Board Games

By Tracy on February 25, 2011

My husband and I were raised by families who loved to play games. My family’s game nights included our immediate family. We had our favorite games, but we did not seek to invite others. Our family spent the time playing together.

On the other hand, my husband’s family hosted games nights at their home regularly. In fact, I attended a number of game nights at my in-laws’ house before and after our marriage. Holiday celebrations evolve around game playing at their home. So, our kids have learned to appreciate and enjoy games.

Since our children are young, we play preschool games since they do not require reading. At this time, my top 5 preschool games are:

5.            Chutes and Ladders
4.            CandyLand
3.            Parcheesi
2.            The Lady Bug Game
1.            SORRY!

During sessions of play, my son has learned to count, take turns, consider his options, and recently, strategize. Game playing is a tool to teach while giving that child individual attention. My daughter is learning to take turns and to finish the game she starts.

Do you enjoy spending time playing games at your house? What are your favorite preschool games? I’m always interested in new, fun games to play.