Inspire More Fun: Childhood Board Games

During the recent months of the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantines, I have seen an increase in social media posts of people playing board games. They dug into the back of cupboards to find their old boxes of Monopoly, Clue, Scrabble, Risk, Battleship, Sorry, etc. They realized board games are fun and they're a great way to pass time. You don't need electronics to be entertained. No, you can find joy and entertainment on a tabletop board and with a few companions. 

People rediscovered the fun of playing board games during the pandemic, but I am happy to say I have always known board games are fun. I prefer board games over video games--with or without a pandemic rocking the world. 

Scrabble

Board games bring laughter, increase brain activity, reduce stress, and they can strengthen relationships with family and friends. Sure, some people might be competitive while playing games, but at the end of the day, the most important thing to remember is that you're spending time together in a way that doesn't involve social media or technology. 

You're having fun. It's that simple. 

Classic children's board games, including Mystery Date, The Game of LIFE, Mall Madness, and
The American Girls Game.

So, I'm featuring board games today on National Board Game Day. Board games actually date back to 5000 BC, in which archaeologists discovered 49 small carved painted stones in a burial mound in southeast Turkey. These are the earliest gaming pieces ever found. So, yes, even pre-historic people had game nights! 

From there, early origin dice games were invented by using sticks and carved knucklebones, wood, painted stones, and turtle shells. Dice would eventually be made from more expensive materials, including brass, copper, glass, ivory, and marble. Below is a timeline of the history of board games, including names of games you have probably never heard of. Do you want to play them? 

History of Board Games 

5000 BC - Dice Games 

3000 BC - Mehen: The Game of the Snake (A game of marbles played on a board in the form of a coiled-up snake) 

2650 BC - The Royal Game of Ur (A two-player strategy game where players race to move all seven of their pieces along the board using dice rolls. Players are able to "capture" the opposing player's pieces, making their opponent start all over again. It is a pre-historic version of Backgammon.) 

1300 BC - Ludus Latrunculorum (A two-player strategy game on a checked board based on military-style tactics. It is a pre-historic version of chess.)

500 BC - Hopscotch (Before 500 BC, board games were primarily played by adults. By 500 BC, games were adapted for children, including hopscotch!)

400 BC - GO (An Asian-influenced two-player strategy game in which players place stones on a checked board. Each player's stones were represented by a different color, like checkers. The objective of the game is to surround the largest area of the board while encircling the opponent's pieces, preventing them from playing.) 

200 BC - Snakes and Ladders! (This Indian-inspired game was originally used for adults to teach morals to children. The ladders represented virtues and the snakes represented evil. You did NOT want to land on a square with the head of a snake. This was a pre-historic version of Chutes and Ladders, which is still a very popular game for children.) 

Classic Chutes and Ladders.

500 AD - Hnefatafl (This was the board game for Vikings. A two-player strategy game, the game was based on military tactics, like chess.)

700 AD - Mancala (A two-player strategy "count and capture" game that is still popular today.) 

1120 - Dominoes (A popular tile-based game that is still played today.) 

1600 - Pachisi (A cross and circle game with two teams. One team has red and green pieces and the other team has yellow and black pieces. The objective of the game is for a player to move all four of their pieces around the board counterclockwise before their opponents. Today's version of the game is known as Parcheesi.) 

1880 - Mahjong (Another tile-based game similar to dominoes that took China by storm.) 

1903 - Monopoly (Monopoly was originally known as 'The Landlords Game.' The game became popular during the Great Depression and has been one of the most popular American games ever since.) 

1949 - Clue (Originally called Murder, the popular board game was inspired by various murder mystery scenarios.) 

Classic Monopoly.

1959 - Risk (By the 1950s, there was an increase in strategic war games. The most popular game has been Risk, and there have been many variations of the game over the years.) 

1974 - Dungeons and Dragons (By the 1970s, there was an increase in role-playing games. The most popular game has been Dungeons and Dragons, in which players only need paper, pens, dice, and their imagination to go on adventures.)

1993 - Magic the Gathering (The first board game that had players collect cards to make up the game.) 

1995 - Settlers of Catan (Now just called Catan, the game has players use dice and elements of luck to participate in an interactive game of trading and negotiation in order to build settlements and roads on the island of Catan). 

Classic Clue.

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As you can tell, board games have transformed since they were first invented in 5000 BC. No matter how much they have changed, there is a common goal: having fun with the people you love. 

Playing board games is a wonderful exercise for your brain. The activity stimulates brain areas that are responsible for complex thought and memory formation. The activity keeps your brain sharp, which is particularly important as you age. 

Classic children's board games, including Battleship and Guess Who?

Board games create more happiness and they're enjoyable learning experiences. They make you laugh and they help reduce stress. They bring people closer and build relationships, which was especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. People bonded over the love of a fun board game. Sure, they might be competitive in the moment, but they're happy to be spending time together. Board games are the best way to spend time with a pleasant company. 

I have always loved playing board games, whether it was Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, and other games from my childhood, or games I still play today. They're fun, creative, and every playing experience is different. Every game is different and results in a new winner. 

Classic Candy Land.

We should play more board games--to have fun together, to remember our childhood, to be creative and engaging, and to exercise our brain. We should play board games to bring people together, which we need now more than ever. They can serve as a distraction. For that hour (or more) as you're playing, you forget about everything else going on in the world and you focus on playing and laughing with others. 

I'm always "game" for that. 

-KJL-

Classic Disney Yahtzee and Mastermind.