My Online Monopoly

Are you looking for educational games for kids and the rest of the family? There are many board games and card games that are geared toward family fun and are educational at the same time. All you have to do is conduct a Google search or a search on one of the other search engines and you will find a host of educational games for kids and the rest of the family at reasonable prices.

Who said that learning couldn t be fun? Here are some suggestions of games that may be appealing for your kids as well as the whole family:

1.Game of Knowledge - This game uses knowledge from everyday life so that you can match wits with your family and friends. There are 1500 questions covering six different subjects that can be answered just by thinking about things that you already know. There are two sets of questions so that kids and grown-up can compete equally. This is just one of the educational games for kids and the rest of the family.

2.Tri*Words Game - Are you able to think fast under pressure? This is a very addictive word-making game and is perfect for trips to the beach, vacations or just having a family night at home. It s very easy to play and has everything needed for a family that is on the go and wants to be entertained. You have to make as many words as you can from your color coded tiles.

3.Flinch - This game was first introduced in 1905. It has now come back and is better than ever! In order to win, you must get rid of a total of ten cards that you have in your Stockpile. This is accomplished by playing them in a numerical sequence. Along with Flinch, come rule for five variations of the game. This is truly a beloved card game classic that your family will enjoy playing.

4.Word Rummy Card Game - In this educational game for kids and the rest of the family, words are created by using the letter cards that a person holds in his or her hand. Points are earned for longer words and for using certain letters of the alphabet. However, you have to be careful because your opponent may steal your word by making a new word. Take turns until the draw pile is all gone. Tally up the points, and the winner is the one with the most!

5.Get Hooked - This is a fresh water fishing game that is fun for all ages. Fishermen who are just beginners will learn where and how to catch a lunker fish. Veteran fishermen will try to outwit their opponents in order to get the big trophy fish and thus claim the tournament crown.

6.Veggieheads - This is a fun and creative way for both kids and parents alike to reinforce once again the health hazards of drugs, alcohol and smoking. You will also learn about the human body and how processed and fast foods affect the body in a different way than healthy foods do. Tips are given as to how everyone can develop a healthy lifestyle, practical information about vitamins is given and more.

7.Equate - This is a great math board game for both the family as well as the classroom. Everyone can have fun by creating equations crossword style. One can earn a higher score by using fraction or division tiles or by landing on premium board positions. This is one of the many educational games for kids and the rest of the family that is rich in algebraic logic and that is very adaptable.

8.Name That State Game - This is an exciting geography game that takes you all over the United States. You can learn about capitals, states and landmarks as you make your way around the country. This game contains informative and entertaining postcards from all fifty states.

9.Mummy Rummy - This is a card game that is not like any other. Players sift and dig searching for cards that will complete pictures of treasures of ancient Egypt. There are certain cards that have special power to transform some of the pictures. This is a very exciting game!

10.Bird Watching, Trivia Game - One of the fastest growing hobbies in North America is bird watching. This is the ultimate trivia game for birders who want to test their knowledge about North American birds. Some of the topics that are covered include habitats, field marks, mannerisms, nomenclature, diets and more. There are over 2,000 questions encompassing three levels of difficulty.

There are a multitude of educational games for kids (and the rest of the family) available at reasonable prices. Just do a Google search and you will find plenty of variety to choose from.

Picking up skills can be fun, and games can be educational. Give your kids the best of both worlds, come visit 123KidsGames.com - Educational Kids Games and discover the best, most fun way to grow and learn.

Monopoly is arguably the most popular game of all time. It actually goes back to the 1930s during the height of the great depression. The game was presented to executives at Parker Brothers in 1934 by a Charles Darrow. Believe it or not, the game was rejected by Parker Brothers for what they called 52 design flaws. Darrow could have given up, but he didn’t, which is a good thing. One year later, in 1935, Monopoly finally saw the light of day. It immediately became the best selling game in America. In the 70 plus years since it is estimated that the game has been played by over 500 million people.

The Monopoly board is actually designed after the city of Atlantic City in New Jersey. That design hasn’t changed in all the years since the game has come out. Yes, there have been collectible variations of the game replacing the street names with characters and places from a variety of TV shows and movies, but the original Monopoly game itself has stayed the same all these years.

The object of the game is actually very simple. As you go around the board by rolling the dice, you buy property in an attempt to charge people rent every time they land on your property. The game is over when everyone has run out of money and can no longer pay the owner of the various properties.

Because of the slow build up of the game, Monopoly games can last for hours or even days. The longest Monopoly game on record lasted 70 days. The average game usually lasts about 3 or 4 hours. The reason the game is so slow to build is because of the slow rate at which property values increase.

When buying a property, which is always part of a 2 or 3 property lot, you can’t build value to the property until the entire lot is purchased. Then, once the entire lot is purchased you may only build one house on each lot at a time. In order to build hotels on each lot you need to have four houses accumulated first. Because of this, it takes a very long time to reach the point where you are receiving a substantial rent for your property when somebody lands on it.

Aside from the board layout itself, Monopoly has many other trademarks which have become classic to the game, starting with the original pieces which were made out of die cast metal. The famous, hat, dog, car and other pieces of the game have become as identifiable as the game itself. Aside from the tokens, there are the famous properties such as the railroads and utilities. There’s the cards of chance broken down into Chance and Community Chest cards, each with its various rewards and penalties which have also become a staple of the game itself.

In the history of games itself, there will probably never be another game that has so captured the imagination of a country. And we owe that to a man by the name of Charles Darrow, who refused to accept the word no.

We all owe him a debt that can never be repaid.

Michael RussellYour Independent guide to Games

As our population gets older people are looking for new ways to keep their minds sharp. No one looks forward to a time when their mental faculties weaken. The latest trend is for older people to play video and computer games, as well as other games requiring mental agility. Millions of baby boomers and beyond are spending several hours each week with games designed to maintain manual dexterity and cognitive powers usually associated with people of a much younger age.

The video game manufacturers are rising to the occasion. They are learning how to market to an audience twice the usual age for these products. In the past the older audience expressed a profound dislike for video and computer games. But now that they are seeing the potential benefits to their memory, attention span and problem solving ability the games seem more attractive.

Some are even saying that by playing these games on a regular basis the risk of Alzheimer?s disease may be reduced. This could also be true for those adults with attention deficit disorder or dementia.

If you are considering taking up video games as a way to stave off old age, remember that nutrition and exercise also play a large role in maintaining strong memory and other mental functions. A combination of stimulation from a variety of sources is probably the best bet if you want to keep your mind fine tuned.

Cognitive abilities can also be improved by changing your routine, like brushing your hair with the opposite hand or using your non-dominant hand to do laundry or dishes. Physical exercise for at least twenty minutes each day will also keep the blood flowing to the brain and other organs. Playing cards or board games or playing a musical instrument may also strengthen the connection between the synapses and neurons in the brain.

The best idea is to keep your mind stimulated and continue to find new things to be learning. Conversation with a variety of people will also help to maintain mental acuity. A variety of methods, including video and computer games, may be the key to years of enjoying a healthy body and sharp mind.

Connie Ragen Green is a motivational writer, speaker, and mentor. To find out more visit her at http://greenhouse.typepad.com/law_of_attraction

Dutch author Janwillem Van De Wetering was born in Rotterdam in 1937. His books and collections are well known throughout Europe and around the world. I found this wonderful piece written my him. It reminds me that life can be like the board game, Monopoly. It reminds me of being 8 years old and thinking how mighty a Monopoly win could be. It also reminds me that at 8, I knew it was only a game. But somewhere along the way the game became the rules of survival until I remembered I was nothing, and needed nothing but what I already owned: Freedom and Free Will.

The ability to think and make choices from all the probabilities available, is part of the game of life. There are many boards on the boardwalk of life, and they all lead to the same place. The fun is choosing which boards to follow, and what piece to use. Peace, love and happiness are on Baltic Ave, as well as Park Place, if I think they are. The joy is playing the game not in winning or losing. I have unlimited get out of jail free cards within me, to make my journey special and ever changing. All I need to do is use them. I can play forever and experience all I desire, by believing I can. As Van De Wetering says, I have immeasurable freedom.

“You are eight years old. It is Sunday evening. You have been granted an extra hour before bed. The family is playing Monopoly. You have been told that you are big enough to join them. You lose. You are losing continuously. Your stomach cramps with fear. Nearly all your possessions are gone. The money pile in front of you is almost gone. Your brothers are snatching all the houses from your streets. The last street is being sold. You have to give in. You have lost. And suddenly you know that it is only a game. You jump up with joy and you knock the big lamp over. It falls on the floor and drags the teapot with it. The others are angry with you, but you laugh when you go upstairs. You know you are nothing and know you have nothing. And you know that not-to-be and not-to-have give immeasurable freedom.”

JanWillem Van De Wetering

Hal Manogue is a poet and author of Short Sleeves A Book For Friends. Insightful thoughts for the 21st century. Hal's 2006 collection and 2007 collection are available in bookstores and online. Visit Hal's website: http://www.shortsleeves.net or blog: http://halmanogue.blogspot.com/ for more information about his work and life. Download a copy of the new E-Book,”Unite To Write” a collection of articles written by writers around the globe, that will inspire and fill you with useful information. It's value is priceless. It's Hal's gift to you.

The disadvantages of the internet in general and online gaming in particular are known to everyone. However, when it comes to development and improvement of thinking abilities, it turns out that playing online games has many benefits.

We all know that playing computer and online games is fun. Therefore, we cannot take our eyes off our PC screens even if the phone is ringing, our favorite TV show is about to begin or our dinner is burned on the stove.

All of us have already heard bad things about this amusing pastime. We all know that online games are addictive they can cause you and your children to spend valuable time in front of the computer on the expense of work, school and family obligations. Playing video and internet games on a regular basis can isolate you from human companionships, distort your sense of reality, shorten your sight, damage your back and basically mess up your life.

Let's put it this way: if you or someone you know is doing nothing but playing online games, it is something to worry about. However, most online gamers tend to adopt a less radical approach towards their habit. Then, when talking about milder cases of addiction, online gaming is less harmful habit than watching Dr. Phil, for example.

Actually, the habit of playing online games has many advantages that the habit watching bad TV is lacking. Recent research has shown that playing puzzle and word games decreases the risk of Alzheimer disease while watching daytime television increases the risk.

Many other researches have proved the positive effect of playing online games on the youngsters' mind. Word, puzzle and trivia games enriches the children's speech classic computer games such as Tetris benefits the kids' ability to focus, analyze shapes, think and plan ahead board games like backgammon and chess can help in the area of thinking skill and so on.

While watching TV is completely passive, you are required to do nothing but stare, overhear and open bags of chips, playing computer games, still not an Olympic sport, require you more often to recall that grey substance inside your head.

Additionally, playing online games is less solitary act than most people think. First, many types of games, including shooting games, sports games, backgammon, billiard and chess, are two or multi player games in which players can compete against each other. Additionally, most gaming sites add several features that encourage interaction between gamers including forums, chats, multiplayer games and tournaments, etc.

The bottom line is that online gaming, if taken in a reasonable dosage, is the opposite of harmful. Thanks to many of the online games advantages and their contribution to thinking skill development, parents can allow their children to play them, and play them themselves.

Saul Rivers is a new media expert who covers the online gaming industry and related topics. Rivers contributes articles to various skill gaming websites including online billiard, chess and backgammon sites such as http://www.play65.com for example.

How many of you find that travel or riding to or from an event, school or camp accounts for some of the quality time you have with your children? Instead of spending that time in silence or frustrated because you are listening to the same child-music CD for the 18th time that day, try a fun car game. These games often lead to laughter and memorable moments. These are also great when trying to keep children entertained in lines, waiting rooms, etc.

Here are a few that I have learned over the years, heard about from friends, or created with my daughter.

Guessing Games
Car Colors: Choose a time limit such as 10 minutes or 30 minutes - depending on the length of the drive. Have each rider make a guess about how many cars of a certain color will be spotted during that time. The closest guesser wins. You can also do this in “sprint fashion” by using 3 -minute intervals as your time limit. Whoever is closest gets a point for that time segment. The first one to 5 points wins.

Odd or Even: Each player makes a guess at how many of the next 20 license plates will end with an even number. The one who is closest wins. It helps to have a little tally chart to keep score. You can lengthen the game by increasing the number of license plates.

Spy: You are probably familiar with this one. One player announces something that they see and the other players try to guess what it is by asking questions. The only trick when doing this while driving is that it has to be something that won't go out of view - like the sky, the road, etc. Someone announces that they “spy” something and gives a clue. Example: I spy something blue. The players then take turns guessing until some one gets it. Whoever guesses correctly starts the next spy-turn.

20 Questions:One person thinks of a famous person, place or thing. Everyone else is allowed to ask the player 20 questions which can only be answered 'yes' or 'no.' Whoever guesses correctly becomes the next person to think of something. (We play this without a limit on the number of questions.)

Observation Games
The Alphabet Game: I am sure you know this one! Each player sequentially works through the alphabet looking for something that starts with a specific letter. For example: A might be apple tree or a word on a sign. Once a player finds an A word, they move onto B. (Have fun with Q, X and Z!) The first rider to work through the alphabet wins. Variation: Use only letters found on billboards, or letters on license plates.

The Animal Game:If you are in more rural areas where cars aren't abundant, try the animal game. Keep on the lookout for animals and when you see one be the first to make the animal sound. For example if you saw a cow you would say “moooo.” The first person to make the animal sound wins a point. Play to a designated number of points. You can make this game a bit more complicated for older kids by adding a designated number of points depending on the commonality of the animal - i.e. cows are 1 point, pigs are 2 points, etc.

Find it First:Choose an item such as Volkswagen bugs, farms, people taking walks, silos, etc. Then choose a number like 5 or 20 depending on the length of your drive. See who can find the designated number of the chosen item first.

Music Games
Hum-Along: One rider hums a song and the other passengers try to guess. The person who guesses goes next. The first one to guess 3 right wins.

Radio Game 1:Hit the “scan” button on your radio until it stops on a song. The first person to guess the artist wins.

Radio Game 2:This isn't so much a game but a way not to fight over music! The first person to take a turn goes through the dial until they find a song they like. You then listen to that song until completed. Then the next rider does the same, etc., etc. The only rule is that if you go all the way through the dial without finding a song you like then you need to listen to the last song you land on or lose a turn.

Radio Game 3:While the radio is off, each rider chooses a word. Turn the radio on. The winner is the person whose word is spoken or sung first.

Creative Thinking Games
Story-Telling:One passenger starts a story with a single sentence. Then the next person adds a sentence. Continue until you build a complete story.

The Question Game: Take turns asking open and thoughtful questions and allowing each person time to answer. Examples:

If you were on a deserted island and could only take 3 things, what would you take and why?

Who are your mentors/heroes and why?

If you won the lottery what you do with it?

If you could have lunch with a famous person, who would you pick and why?

Note: If you really get into this game, you can purchase small books called “The Book of Questions” at most bookstores that give you a ton of subjects to choose from!

Word Games
Word Sequence: Choose a topic such as animals, places, television shows, people, fruit, etc. Name something in your category. If you choose animals you might say “panda.” The next player has to name an animal that starts with the last letter of your animal. In this example, their animal would have to start with the letter “A” such as “alligator.” Play continues until someone can't think of a word. They are then eliminated. When you have only 1 person left, they are the winner. You cannot use any animal name twice. (If you are playing with real young children, let them have the handicap of being able to use the same word twice).

The Round Game: My daughter made up this one and we have had great fun with it. Even my best friend who is single and childless enjoys this game over dinner with us. We choose a topic such as vegetables, board games, television shows, cities, types of cereal, flowers, movies, etc. Then we name something within that category. For example for cereal the first player might say “Cheerios.” Then the next player names a cereal. Play continues until someone can't think of an item, then they are “out.” Play continues until there is only one person left. For young children, let them have three “passes” as a handicap.

The Rhyming Game:Someone picks a word to start with, such as “ball.” The next player has to come up with a word that rhymes. Play continues until someone cannot think of a rhyming word. As always, give younger players a hint or two. You make the game more difficult for older kids by having each player recite the previous list of words before adding their own.

Tongue Twisters:Choose a person that you all know, example, “Sara.” Then start with a phrase about that person that uses only the first letter of her name such as “Sara says strawberries…” take turns adding “S” words with as few “connectors” as possible (a connector is a word that doesn't start with S) to see how silly of a tongue twister you can create!

Memory Games
My father/mother owns a grocery store:One player begins the round by stating, “My father owns a grocery store, and in it he sells (something that begins with the letter A e.g., ant traps).” The next player states, “My father owns a grocery store, and in it he sells ants traps and (something that begins with the letter B e.g., bananas). “Play continues with each player having to recite the current list and then add something that begins with the next sequential letter of the alphabet. For young players, offer them “3 strikes” where you will help them if they forget the list. Adults–sorry, no handicap for you!

Variation: You can vary this game to match your interests or those of a child. Example:

My mother owns a clothing store and in it she sells ____________

My brother owns a music store and in it he sells -______________

My sister works as a producer and she has produced __________ (insert television show)

My father owns a bookstore and in it he sells _________________

Just Plain Silly Games
Laugh A Lot: Choose a player to keep a straight face. The rest of the players choose a silly answer for the player to use such as “My shoe.” Then players take turns asking questions such as,

What do you brush your hair with?

What is your favorite snack?

Who is your hero?

Where is your favorite vacation destination? The player keeping the straight face has to answer with “My shoe,” while trying to keep a straight face. If they laugh then play passes to someone else and a new phrase is established.

Math Games
Add-it-up: Call out the numbers on the license plate and see who can add up the numbers the quickest. For example D572-43X - players would have to calculate 5+7+2+4+3. Whoever answers correctly gets a point. The one who reaches 5 points first is the winner. (No calculators allowed.)

Games that Require a Bit of Preparation
Travel Bingo:Make a bingo board with color names in the squares. Print out several on your home computer. As you drive, players place an X when they see a car of the specific color. You can add to the excitement by letting each car only be used by the first person to “call it.” Try 4 corners, blackout (filing up the whole card) making an X on the card, etc.

Variation: Make a “mixed” car board and include different types of items on the card such as:

Fire truck

Stop light

Grocery store

National Historic Monument

Lake or Pond

Farm

Police Car

Billboard

Speed Talking: (You will need either a timer or watch with a second hand)Choose a topic and then talk for 60 seconds straight without repeating yourself or pausing. One point is awarded if you accomplish the goal. Take turns playing to a designated number of points depending on the length of your drive. If someone makes it 30 seconds, award them ? a point.

Game for a Tired Driver
Statue:On a long trip and need some quiet time? Play a round of statue. The person who can stay still and quiet the longest wins!

Print a copy of this article and store it in your glove compartment! Whenever kids are bored or restless in the car, you?ll be equipped with fun ideas to turn long road trips into magical memories!

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Who hasn't had a hell of time playing scrabbles as a child? How many of us haven't enjoyed a healthy bout of Carom Board, Ludo or Monopoly?? Board games have been such an important and happy part of our childhood. Our parents, grandparents, cousins and neighbours would all join in. In fact, I remember that once my teacher caught 4 of us friends playing monopoly at the back of the class. We would have done anything to be able to play board games in those days.

Now the current generation has almost forgotten their charm. In the era of play stations and Nintendo Wii, board games have somehow been relegated to the back burner. To recapture the lost magic, board games are available in their online avatar. Classic games such as Solitaire already are the most popular leisure games all over the computer world. Solitaire is feared so much so that corporate America thinks that it is responsible for the wastage of maximum time of it's employees.

Now online versions of monopoly, several types of solitaire and Tripeaks are available. The charm of online boards games is many-fold because they capture not only the nostalgic essence but also use modern day technologies to gel with the current generation. Mahjong adventures, Checkmate and Monopoly are some of the most popular board games being played online. Not to mention simple Dice and its various versions.

If you were a board game enthusiast and miss the charm of the old days, you can play the modern day online version. If nothing, it will make you feel young again at heart.

Know more about online games

Adam Jaylin is the online shopping expert at UK Online Market and is an authority on online boards games. For more information please visit UK Online Market for latest compare games

In the eighties and nineties board games like Clue, Sorry, and Monopoly were all the rage. Every home had dozens of board games, some for adults and some for children. Adults would pull out board games when entertaining others and kids would pull out board games when having friends over. Also, you were very likely to see at least a few television commercials for board games everyday.

These days many things have shifted to technology. You rarely see commercials for board games anymore. You rarely hear of new board games coming out. Video games, cell phone games, and computer games have taken over the gaming industry. When you go to stores you still see a good selection of board games for sale but it is easy to see where they are headed. A lot of the manufacturers of those games already produce computer game versions of their classic games.

If you are a big fan of those classic board games you better take the necessary steps to purchase them while you can because they will be extinct in a few years just like 8 tracks, cassette tapes, and VHS tapes. With the popularity of advances in technology once they are gone they won?t be coming back.

Andre Bias is the owner of http://www.kidfriendlyentertainment.com, an online source for top notch DVD?s for children 10 years old and younger.

Experiencing expotential growth and refinement, hand in hand with the popularity and prevalence of Internet and computers all over the world - free online games present themselves as a happening industry, which is tempting, exciting and addictive at the user end.

The free online games are either flash or shockwave based, to allow instant play access to a user online. The user can also choose to download the games at his / her discretion, to suit his / her convenience and preference. These free games are equally enjoyable online at a click?s instance, as they are after being downloaded on the hard disk of a user?s system.

The industry, offering free flash and shockwave online games on multitude of websites, has evolved to an extent that the variety and themes of the games are almost exhaustive. The superior quality of bright and colorful graphics, in combination with matching sound effects, renders the game mind-boggling and thrilling.

A first time visitor feels so enthralled to witness the wide expanse of these games, closing in at many of his/ her choicest of themes. So much so that he/ she cannot resist going through an absorbing experience of trying at least one of the games, and an eventual promise to return back many more times, in the faithful pursuit of passion for interactive entertainment.

Most of the people find these free of cost online flash and shockwave games so engrossing that they deliberately end up locking themselves within the lazy confines of their home or internet caf? to play these games without disturbance for hours together, eyes glued to their computer screens and hands undetachable from the keyboard/ mouse.

What's more, the widespread appeal of these games touches all age groups, right from the budding toddlers to the well-groomed adults. Many players tend to spend days and nights hooked-on to these flash and shockwave games, as these avail an unparallel opportunity to play all the regular parlor games plus some new ones, sitting at home, costing only the Internet connection and electricity bill.

The wide variety of free online flash and shockwave games available on net may be broadly classified into action and adventure games, arcade games, board games, card games, casino games, puzzle games, word games, strategy games, sports games, detective theme based games, shooting games et al.

Though shooting games can be clubbed with action and adventure games, their distinct popularity commands them specific mention. Further, while all types of online games have their own share of patrons and fans, the most popular are the board games, which are basically online versions of certain traditional board games, including Chess, Literati, Dominoes and Monopoly. What is more, a surfeit of websites specializes in casino-based games to constitute a separate commercial entity, popularly termed as the 'Online Casino Industry'.

These games have a magical influence on the players, as the realistic graphics and sound stimuli absorb the players in their own world, be it a Hollywood show or a casino in Las Vegas or a deck of the sunken Titanic. Most of these online games boast of being multi-player games that add a taste of virtual competition to the entire ambiance of the game in question. The competition element renders the playing experience much more exciting and enjoyable.

The online flash and shockwave games are also believed to be beneficial for the players, as these enhance competitive spirit, sportsmanship and inculcate some indispensable qualities, like ability to work hard, patience and perseverance. Certain games also improve the reflexes of the player. Strategy games help in developing thinking.

Jonathan White has been involved in free online flash & shockwave games & funny pictures for over 4 years. He owns SimplySearch4it

How about some more fun summer activities, for that self confident parent to plan and do this summer, to have more fun and bonding experiences and build a self confident child or children.

Here are some more fun suggestions or ideas for the self confident parent to do this summer with their child or children:

1) Plan a game night or game time. Pull out your old board games.

One of my sons loves to play the game of bunco. (It is a fun game and one of my favorites. It is an easy dice game. There is no skill required except rolling of 3 dice at a time.) We have played with just with the two of us and sometimes three.

My girlfriend plans a yearly game night for her girlfriends and their sons. She provides the pizza and soft drinks and we provide the desserts and munchies. We have a great time! We have even had grade level bunco game nights.

When one of my sons were in third grade, a friend of mine planned a co-ed bunco night. We had 6 girls and 6 boys. She provided pizza,drinks ,and some inexpensive prizes. Each child brought 4 quarters and a snack to share. At the end of the evening, each child pulled out a number which corresponded to a prize, so everyone was a winner.

If you don’t want to provide prizes for each child, when my other son was in 3rd grade, another friend, had a third grade boy’s’ bunco night. She provided appetizers and each child brought 4 quarters and the munchies and desserts. At the end of the evening, for prizes, we divide money up with winners in the following categories: most wins, most buncos, most mini buncos, and most losses. The kids had a great time.

My girlfriend has even had a birthday party with a game night theme, for her son’s birthday one year. They played all sorts of boardgames, rotating from table to table for a certain amount of time and then would switch. They also played bunco as a group. The kids had a blast.

Another game that my son likes to play is Monopoly Junior. It is much quicker than the original Monopoly game. The Monopoly Jr. game on CD-rom is one of our favorites. For instance, when you land on the pay $2 to watch the fireworks, you actually get to watch a mini-fireworks show. This is great for teaching a child to be confident counting money and learning how much change to give back. It also teaches them about real estate investment.

2) Lounge around in pajamas, comfy clothes, or sweats all morning or for the day and just hang out.

Just spending time together is great for the self confident parent to create great memories and make your child feel special and loved. While lounging around, you can make breakfast or lunch together, just hang out to talk, or read books together. You can make a hot chocolate bar. You make hot chocolate and put it in a thermos or just make it, one cup at a time. Set aside a lazy susan or little bowls with different things to put in your hot chocolate. You can have bowls containing mini chocolate chips, different colored sprinkles, chocolate sprinkles, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, etc. Everyone gets to personalize their cup of hot chocolate. You can make s’mores, helping each child melt their marshmallow on the stove. You can teach your child to bake cookies and make the cookies yourself and let them decorate them.

3) Rent a movie and have pizza, popcorn, and/or snacks.

You can just have a family movie night or have your child or children invite a couple of friends to come and watch a movie and serve popcorn and snacks or pizza, popcorn, and snacks.

For the pizza, you can have pizza delivered, bake frozen pizzas, or even make your own. When we were young, I remember having a make your own pizza party. We would spread one half of an english muffin with pizza sauce . We would then top it with our favorite toppings, for instance different kinds of cheeses, pepperonis, mushrooms, olives, etc. We would then bake them, and then get to eat our own creations. You can also use a regular pizza crust or ready made crusts, like Bobolis, and have everyone put toppings on the pizza and can eat the slice that they put their favorite toppings on. It is a lot of fun.

4) Replace one meal with a free for all.

Everyone gets to pick either their favorite entree, soup, or dessert. Or you can have a themed meal with everyone picking their favorite dish in that theme. A friend of mine used to have an ABC theme for breakfast, as a special treat for her kids. She would make things that started with A, then B, then C, etc. It sounded so much fun and what a great idea. Another thing that is fun to do is to play restaurant. My son will make up the menu, usually easy things that he can make, for instance, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, toast and butter, cereal and milk, and turkey sandwiches. He writes up a menu and then loves to take our order. When he brings our meal, though, he expects a tip. It is a blast!

5) Take turns planning fun activities to do.

You could go around, starting from the youngest, and each take turns planning activities to do together. For instance, maybe one of your child’s favorite activities is to watch a cartoon or jump rope. The whole family would watch a cartoon or play jump rope. Everyone would participate. Then the next person would pick an activity, for instance, my son would choose playing a game of “Horse” with a basketball. You should set a certain amount of time, ahead of time, for each activity.

Have fun trying out these fun activities or make up your own ideas from this list. You will create great family or summer memories while you build happy, fulfilling, and self confident children. You will also come away as a self confident parent. Have fun and enjoy!

Lena Tucker is the founder of http://www.successinlifeandmoney.com . An avid blogger, Lena is helping to change the lives of others through her articles and blogs about living a successful life, having true self confidence, successful parenting, and all things money related. Transform your life now through her amazing insights at http://www.successinlifeandmoney.com for self improvement tips.