My son just got through thrashing me in a wholesgame of backgammon and it got me wondering. We play checkers, Yatzee!, Sorry!, UNO, Scrabble jr and a few other board games, but when his friends come to the house (Taiwanese kids of Taiwanese parents) they seem to be not at all interested in playing board games.
I think they are very good for lots of reasons: critical thinking skills first and foremost, sportmanship, and attention building activities.
I have introduced my students to a few of these games too and they seem to like them.
Why aren’t board games popular in Taiwan?
When I was a kid, in upstate NY, it was freezing cold in the winter and it rained every Sunday…we played board games for hours on end, even when a TV was available.
What gives? I can see that Taiwanese parents might just be unaware of board games…but you folks in the same boat as me, do you play them?
We used to play heaps of card games when we were kids. Dad taught us 500 and we’ve played that pretty competitively from 13 to now. Card games a great. I’ve been watching the world poker tournament on sports plus. Maybe poker mate.
I think board games are a lot mroe popluar in the West, but almost every kid I teach seems to know how to play the easy variant of Chinese Chess, and many know how to play the real game. Then when they get odler you can’t really argue that Mah Jong isn’t a popular game
When introduced to games Taiwnaese seem to love them. My students really get into all sorts of games, and on weekend, Witch House (where we have our game cub) is full fo young Taiwanese trying out all sorts of board games.
I think in Taiwan parents don’t really take the time to spend “quality time” with their kids.
Kids go home they have a pile of homework and then watch TV.
I agree that board games are VERY educative and help the correct devellopement of a child. My son loves all kinds of card games, chinese and western chess and that game with the little white and black thingy.
We are just starting Monopoly, but he doesn’t yet have the idea of saving and buying etc… so that maybe a bot of a high gradient for him.
I haven’t played Scrabble, but looking for a Jr board that I can’t find yet. Anyone knows where to buy one?
I brought two decks of cards in for my 2.5-4 year olds class to do some letter and number recognition, counting, and color and shape matching. I often have a table of 3 or 4 children playing whatever made up game they want…something like Go Fish meets Old Maid meets Concentration. I have just received my second order for Fluxx for a student not in my class who got hooked on the game by one of my fifth graders who I got hooked on it. Last month I had an order for over $4000 worth of board games for my own students after we had our first official board games week in class. And my preschoolers absolutely love Hi-Ho Cherry-O. I think it’s just a matter of exposing them to it. As igorveni said, they just get plopped in front of the TV for their dose of entertainment, but if you want to host a kiddie Games Club with a few board games for your kid’s friends, I’m sure you’ll find that their interest may improve.
