Games Aren’t Just for Fun

For days, my youngest son, Jeffrey, had been bugging me to pay a board game with him called Solar Quest. It is pretty similar to Monopoly but in space, specifically, our solar system. Instead of hotels and property to buy, you purchase planets and moons and fuel stations. Finally, we were able to sit at the table and engage in a contest that would test our mettle, our cunning, our concentration, and ruthless determination to win at all costs, a quest to rule the solar system.

I will admit that I really didn’t want to play this game at the time. Like Monopoloy, this game has a long play time which usually ended before it was actually completed. I was being selfish. Something I hate myself for. But, I saw how much it meant to my son and told him to set up the game. I could see the excitement in his eyes and how happy he was knowing that he would get to play a game with me. Growing up, rarely did my mom play a game with us, and in my best recollection, I can’t remember a time when my dad did. I don’t think we ever asked him either.

Well, after my son quickly set up the game, his older brother (by 11 months) let it be known that he also would like to play with us. Jeff would have none of it. He just wanted it to be him and his dad. With much fussing, he finally accepted that his older brother Zachary would be playing with us. It did not make him happy in the least but he relented.

We started off in good spirits, navigating the board, buying moons and planets, laughing at my inability to get out of the gravitational pull of Jupiter, Zachary getting stuck on earth for an hour, unable to take off because of low fuel. Intermixed in our game, were moments where one or the other of my sons wanted to quit for various reasons. Each time I convinced them to return to the table to finish, despite the thought that they were losing.

Looking at my watch, I discovered that it was already time for me to make dinner. Neither of my sons wanted to quit at that time because in their words, “things were just getting interesting”. But seeing as how it there was school the next day and they had to take showers, I called an end to the festivities. My son Zachary and I didn’t weren’t too interested in who the victor was, but Jeffrey sure was. He stayed behind with a calculated and added up all our properties, fuel stations, and cash. He tried to convince me that he had beat me by only 5 Federons (space dollars for those of you in Rio Linda). I could see the smile on his face and knew he was not being truthful. He knew the jig was and revealed the true figures. I had come out on top, he was second and then Zachary was third.

Usually when I play games with my kids, I don’t hold back so that they can win. They have win on their own accord. I want them to do their best. Some times this philosophy causes them to want to quit, causes them to fuss or cry that they didn’t win. But they have to know how to lose. It is almost as important as being able to win, which they did also. These aren’t just games, but learning opportunities of lessons that they need to learn in life. Take this Solar Quest game. They have to learn how to monitor their cash, properties and fuel level which can be used in the real world, especially knowing how to keep track of their money and giving back change. Also, planning their next move and how to survive on limited resources. I believe that kids who regularly play games that require the child to use their brain like counting, managing resources, planning, teamwork, striving to win and knowing how to lose and learn from mistakes, give them a distinct advantage in life over kids who don't.

Games aren’t just for fun. They are opportunities, for learning, bonding  for father and son, brother and brother, and...also fun.