relaxing games for kids (before bed)

suejb2

Not a game , have you got any of the detailed colouring books that are popular. I may not complete a picture each evening but over a few days. They distract me from the busy day and I learn to switch off

MortgageVirgin

What about the dots and boxes game? Draw a grid of dots and take it in turns to draw one line to connect two dots. The aim is to make boxes. Here's an online version you can play against a computer, if you're unfamiliar. http://www.math.ucla.edu/~tom/Games/dots&boxes.html When I play, I put my initials in the boxes I made, so we can see who won at the end.

Also, what about something crafty? Hama beads? Knitting? K'nex? Lego?

patchwork_cat

Carcassonne, Pandemic, I think a jigsaw would be good or quiet logic puzzles and other crosswords or similar.

clw1

A friend has started playing blackjack with her 8 year old (aka 21 or pontoon) - they play for buttons and she said it has been a big help for his mental addition.

iammumtoone

clw1 wrote: »

A friend has started playing blackjack with her 8 year old (aka 21 or pontoon) - they play for buttons and she said it has been a big help for his mental addition.

I loved playing pontoon when I was a kid. I had forgotten about that. We used to play rummy as well.

judyjetson

Backgammon would be a good one for him to learn , or Scrabble. Somebody mentioned the dots and boxes games - I used to play that as a child with my parents, ditto hangman. None of those were particularly over-exciting or ever kept me awake.

Teach him to play solitaire - there's all sorts of variations, so he has something he can play on his own as well.

I was going to suggest rummy as well - I remember my mum and dad teaching me that, which was great fun.

Just had some more thoughts - Mastermind - can you still even get it? Othello, Reversi or Go might appeal - all games that can be enjoyed no mater what age you are.

Sicard

clw1 wrote: »

A friend has started playing blackjack with her 8 year old (aka 21 or pontoon) - they play for buttons and she said it has been a big help for his mental addition.

As long as it doesn't turn the kid into a gambling addict.

moomoomama27

fizz wrote: »

Obviously my suggestions weren't what you you wanted , but as a mom who has gone through this and survived , I thought you might appreciate it.

fizz.x

Survived what?

I am also an 'experienced' mum, and my eldest is grown up and moved out, and we always played games before bed, normally card games, but sometimes board games. Her favourites were Uno, snakes and ladders and traditional card games. We then moved on to crossword and word searches when she was a little older, to strategy games or Sudoku. She had no problem sleeping, and would settle down just fine and get a good nights sleep. It was a lovely time to spend some 1:1 time. We would read a few chapters of a HP book just before bed together!

Don't worry OP. I think it's commendable yu aren't letting gadgets or the TV entertain him!

paddyrg

Another option - how about it being reading/colouring time?

Primrose

How about the Alternative Word Game? No equipment needed.

You kick off with any word, i.e Yellow
He has to come up with a word starting with the last letter or your word, i.e. W....for Wander
So you then have to come up with a word starting with the last letter, i.e.
"R. Rock....
So he kicks off with a word starting with K.....

And so on. As well as fun it's way of testing the range of his vocabulary and possibly helping him to learn new words that he doesn't know, if you explain them as you go along.