How to keep your kids at the dinner table.
I couldn’t do it. They’d eat and run. And that’s if they ate at all. I tried to keep them at the table with invigorating conversation. Alas, I could only get so far with children under the age of 8.
I struggle to find ways to connect with my kids in ways that are genuine to me. My husband and our boys play video games, basketball and chess, but none of that is up my alley- I promise I have tried.
I tried connecting with Sammy on Pokemon but for the love of all that is holy I just can’t do it.
So what do I like that I could connect with the boys on? Board games, card games, charades…the old school stuff. And since the boys tech is limited to a small amount of time on the weekends, old school games it is.
Ronan and I play Candy Land- and for a game that is strictly based on luck, I cannot figure out how he always wins. Sammy and I like to play Jumanji: turn off most the lights and it feels like you’re in the movie.
I’ve taught them card games from Speed to Solitaire (where we each play our own game but near each other so I can assist them).
We could do this for hours. But at dinner, I couldn’t keep them near us.
While redecorating, I found a beautiful tray and unnecessarily filled it with tiny vases and some sort of giant rosary-looking piece of decor and put it in the middle of our round dining table.
A pack of cards from a Speed match with Ronan was nearby and I threw them on the tray because I have yet to find a proper place to store out playing cards.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, was the beginning of the most fun dinners we have ever had as a family.
3 simple and fun dinner table card games to play with your kids:
- Speed – this is a two person game. Sometimes we pair off or sometimes its just two of us while the others wait to play winner.
- Bull (or I doubt it)- a game of bluff with your littles is hilarious. Take turns going around the table, one at a time, placing one card face down in the middle, starting with Ace. The next person puts down a two. The next a three. But you might not have a three. So you might have to bluff and put something else down. If you think someone is lying, you can call BULL, or bologna, and if you’re right, the offending person takes the entire stack. The aim of the game is to get rid of your cards first. This game is so lively, its become our favorite.
- UNO- we also keep a deck of UNO on the table as well. The game is simple enough for littles to understand but engaging enough for everyone to enjoy.
These are our favorites, but there are dozens to choose from. So keep a few small games nearby and let the laughter flow.
