Why Play Games?

According to Erik Arneson, former vice-president and president of
International BoardGame Association, board games have been an
integral part of human life for thousands of years. From ancient
board games like Chess and Go, which is so popular in Japan even
until now and is considered as the grand daddy of all board games,
to recent classics like Scrabble and Monopoly, modern games like
Tigres and Euphrates, Settlers of Catan and countless more, have
entertained and educated us in numerous ways (About.com).

Here are just some of the reasons why we should consider playing
board games:

1. For the obvious reason; they're fun, they're social, they're
convenient and they're intellectual exercise (Jeff Tidball,
About.com). And because games come with it certain set of rules,everyone playing the game is on a "common ground" regardless of the skill required for a game. In short, games put all the players in an even playing field.

2. According to Greg J. Schloesser of West Bank Gamers, board
games are an excellent forum to gather friends and families. It is
a great tool for interaction. Playing board games is extremely
rewarding one, intellectually, socially and developmentally.

3. It's a perfect vehicle to share a stimulating, challenging
and fun moments with our family and friends. In fact, according to an article by Julie Tiss M.Ed. (Washington Parent Magazine) family
board games has been found out to improve math skills and problem
solving skills of students. As a learning tool, games enable people
to `learn by doing". (Richdad.com).

Many would probably ask, why learn through games when we can learn
by reading a book and learn through our teachers and parents? Yes,there's no denying that learning by the book and learning in class are ways for us to learn but why do you think in school, we are encouraged to join extra-curricular activities and even encouraged by our parents to learn a sport? Why do you think our teachers create games to make teachings more fun and exciting?
Our parents and teachers know for a fact that playing games is part of our
growth as individuals. There are things we cannot just learn by
reading and by listening in class and there are things or skills that
are best learned by DOING. This makes games as a perfect arena that allows us to learn those skills.

According to Robert Kiyosaki, self-made millionaire, New York Times Bestselling Author and Inventor of the board game Cashflow 101, "games are powerful mechanism because they reflect our true behaviour. The way we make decisions and choices, the way we interact and a lot more, shows while we play."

How do we apply this in life? Rosamund and Benjamin
Zanders (Art of Possibility, 2000), points to us the fact that
any accepted model for doing things comes with it an implicit set
of rules and that behaviours are governed by these rules just as
basketball governs the movements of the players in the court. When
we play a game, we agree to certain set of limitations to create a
challenge. Games challenge us to adapt and hone our skills in a
distinctive environment. It is the nature of games to provide
alternative frameworks of engagement, expression and growth. In
fact, just like any other game inventors, we can name our
activities as games, doing this, it breaks its hold on us and puts us in
charge.

Everyday we play different games and if the rules of the game you
play do not light up our life, put it away, and take another one
that you like best and play the new game wholeheartedly.

Marsel Fuertes-Tomambo