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Written by monthly contributing writer, Natalie Didlake.

Ready to pull out the board games for the cold weather, but tired of Monopoly and Clue? Playing games as a family is a great bonding experience and builds memories for years to come. A collection of games is also very useful for hospitality events in your home. It is an easy way to break the ice, build relationships, while enjoying good laughter together!

There are lots of great board games out there you may not have seen before. Many are European made, just gaining popularity.

We’ve been collecting these games for a few years, so I’ve assembled a list of our favorites. They are all wholesome, engaging, and lots of fun!

(Note: You’ll pay a little more for these games, but I promise you will not get tired of them! We have played these over and over, and they still haven’t gotten old!)

KIDS GAMES

Orchard – This is our favorite kids’ game! Roll a wooden die to collect fruit before the bird eats it! Well-made, sturdy pieces. Great for colors and matching. Our 2-year-old even plays. Best of all, it’s a team game! Players work together instead of competing against each other.

Hisss – Players build colorful snakes by matching colored cards. It’s so fun to wait and see who will draw the last card of a snake! Very simple and easy to play, also short. We can usually play at least 2x in one sitting.

Uno Moo – Great for preschool age and older. Variation on Uno, obviously. Get rid of your farm character pieces by matching either color or animal. Great for learning basic strategy. Very colorful and cute!

Bingo Link – Get a “bingo” by connecting hexagonal spaces across the board. Each hexagon contains a tiny photographed object. If you like the “I Spy” children’s books, you’ll love this game, because it’s made by the same people! Also easy enough for the youngest children to play. Sturdy boards and pieces.

ADULT GAMES

Ticket to Ride – Start with this game if you’d like to try one but aren’t sure where to begin! Simple to play, but challenging. Build train routes across the U.S. from city to city, before someone else does. Would be great for geography fun, probably 8 and up.

Dominion – My all-time favorite! A game using cards, in a medieval setting. Build your deck in order to gain the most points. Cards can be changed each game, making each time you play unique and very exciting!

Some may not want to purchase, as this game has a witch card and a curse card that deducts points for the person who receives one. Alternately, the game could be played without these cards.

Settlers of Catan – This game is becoming more popular, so you may be familiar with it! Takes one or two games played through to catch on, but very fun once you master it. Players barter for sheep, wheat, bricks, and other commodities in order to build the most roads and cities. 3-5 players required.

Big Boggle – My first love (at least in games) is for word games, so I have to list at least one! Boggle is great, but this version has a 5 x 5 grid instead of  4 x 4, so you can make more and longer words. My hubby and I keep in our room and play a round (or 5) before bed sometimes. Don’t forget the dictionary!

Agricola – We think this one is the ultimate board game! Has about a million tiny, wooden pieces, takes 2-3 hours to play, very involved, but soooo fun. Especially for those who love strategy games. Another medieval game, build your farm, buy animals, add children, and feed your family. Can be played with 2, but best with a small group.

Do you have any favorite games to add? We are always looking for a new one!

One of my richest memories growing up in my family was the sweet times of family devotions, or “wisdom search” as we called it. A couple mornings each week, you could expect Mom to wake you up at 6:30am and herd us all together into the living room. With most of the eight of us children it was certainly pulling teeth to get us out of bed, but in the long run it was certainly worth it. Dad would lead us through a chapter in the Bible and we would each take turns reading 5 verses and sharing a comment. “What golden nugget can you share with us? What stood out to you?” Mom or Dad would often ask.

It was a simple time together. Not longer than an hour. Some times our response was minimal, but they would faithfully encourage us to think about the verse and share any thoughts that come to mind. Each time we were digging deeper into the Bible and growing in our love for God’s Word. My parents faithfulness certainly made an impact on my walk with the Lord. Praise God that all eight of us are walking with the Lord. Certainly a testimony to God’s grace.

Ultimately, it can be as simple as reading one Proverb a day, as we did over and over again.The Word is living and active, and sharper than any two edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12)  You can come together in the morning, evening, or around the meal table for your devotions. Whatever works best for you. Now there are numerous wonderful resources available to give you tools for helping hide God’s word into the hearts of your children. Here are a few recommendations that we have used or previewed.

For the toddler/preschool age, we have used and love the Jesus Storybook Bible. We have read it through at least 4-5 times now since my daughter was 2. It is so solidly Biblical and rich as it traces the story of Jesus’ redemption through each chapter. This takes maybe 15 minutes depending upon how many stories you read and discuss. We read it together before our school time each morning. Another good one is Big Picture Story Bible and Family Time Bible (we used this one primarily for the beautiful artwork, the stories are shorter than the Jesus Storybook Bible but it also covers many stories that other picture bibles do not include).

We also integrate this with bible memory verses and character reading. My ABC Bible Verses has verses that correspond to the alphabet along with character building stories. Along with this we are memorizing the catechism questions in Big Truths for Little Kids by Susan Hunt. I’ll ask, “Who made you?” And I love hearing my 2 & 4 year old shout, “God!” or “What are the three persons of God?” and they proudly declare, “The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit.” It’s so much fun.

For the elementary ages, some recommendations include: Long Story Short: Ten Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God by Marty Machowski. This book is fabulous for short devotions together whether you are tight on time or lacking in the area of children being able to focus. The devotions are simply reading a short passage of Scripture followed by discussion questions. Mighty Acts of God (another longer storybook style), Training Hearts, Teaching Minds (devotions based upon the shorter catechism), and Big Truths for for Young Hearts by Bruce Ware (a great introduction into the study of doctrine and theology- probably best for 10-12 year olds) are a few other excellent resources.

A recent new release by Nancy Guthrie, called One Year of Dinner Table Devotions and Discussion Starters, is another I am really excited about. Here’s a snippet about it:

“Whereas most family devotionals focus on Bible stories or on practical moral lessons, Dinner Table Devotions and Discussion Starters focuses on biblical themes, concepts, and words, in ways that are understandable to children without talking down to adults or teens. It will help your family take a step back to look at the big picture of what God is doing in the world and his purposes and plans in creating and redeeming the world. Once you and your family have worked your way through this book, you will have discussed nearly every major attribute of God and a host of profound theological truths, such as justification, redemption, substitution, and sanctification–without all those daunting words. You will have looked into important concepts from the Bible, such as covenant, adoption, judgment, and redemption, as well as spiritual realities, such as hell, angels, resurrection, and glorification. This is not dry theology for theology’s sake, but living theology that makes a huge difference in how we do battle against temptation, deal with disappointment, and determine our futures.” Sample the first 10 chapters here.

From a young age, at least when we were first able to read (5-6 years), my dad would purchase for us our own Bible and encourage us to start our own personal devotions. We would start with The Picture Bible for our own reading before graduating up to a full bible. The Picture Bible was one we all loved and was so well read by each of us it would start falling apart. So we would do a personal devotions time followed by family devotions each day.

I pray you would be encouraged and blessed to press on in planting God’s Word in the hearts of your children! It’s a worthwhile pursuit.

What tools or tips can you share for establishing family devotion time together?

Written by Monthly Contributor, Trina Holden

I’m a journalist. Not of world news or current events, but of something much more interesting and dear to my heart – the story of Gods’ hand in my life and my family.

I’ve kept a personal journal for over 20 years, filling nearly 80 volumes. Before my children spoke their first words, I began a journal for each of them, to record all the cute things they would say and developmental milestones. My motley collection of notebooks — a true eyesore to look at on the bookshelf — is a treasure trove of fond memories and testimonies of a faithful God.

The benefits of keeping a journal have so richly enhanced my life, I long to encourage others to begin or cultivate the habit. But the challenge of keeping a daily log or starting one for each child may be intimidating or overwhelming,  so I propose…

The Family Journal

• What: A sturdy, spiral bound, hard cover book with lines spaced wide enough that a grade-school-er would not be intimidated.
• Authors: Anyone in the family who can write legibly, though younger artists are encouraged to add illustrations.
• Where: Kept in the open, pen sandwiched inside, ready for instant reporting.

The Family Journal Contains:

• Humorous quotes from the children (or parents!)
• Ways the Lord has blessed the family
• Significant family events
• Gratefulness lists
• Requests and answered prayers
• Notes from visiting friends

Benefits of the Family Journal: 

• A place for young writers to showcase their progress
• A record to instruct the children in God’s faithfulness
• Young children can be encouraged in the skill of narration as older family members take dictation
• Best of all, the Family Journal provides a unique way to honor a family member on their birthday. The Librarian or Scribe of the family can spend some time prior to a birthday looking back and bookmarking passages that record personal development, funny quotes, and ways that God has used or blessed the birthday person. These selections can be read aloud at the birthday dinner or over dessert, and the whole family can laugh and celebrate that member of the family as the gift from God that they are.

Hints for Filling Your Family Journal:

• encourage participation from youngest to oldest
• have family recording time, perhaps directly after a meal — everyone can narrate a memory, with one person appointed as scribe
• Don’t put it away — leave it open and available
• Let it double as a guest book!
• Take it in the car
• Bring it on vacation!
• Encourage extended family to contribute to special pages for birthdays
• Don’t be a perfectionist. No one should be graded on punctuation or grammar — the only requirement should be legibility.
• Choose a spiral bound book — they’re much easier to write in than one with traditional binding.

Bonus Idea: A Family Journal makes a great gift! Gift wrap a quality journal for a family Christmas or housewarming gift, with a nice pen and a copy of this article so they’ll know what to do with it!

Thrifty Tip: Find journals for $2-$5 at dollar stores and discount retail stores.

Without our family journal, I’d never remember precious things like…

“Me wanna be a pirate when me grow up. But me miss you, so me only go on pirate ship on Wednesdays.”
- Jesse, age 4

Don’t let the adorable things your kids say or the miracles God has worked in your life be forgotten – preserve them so you can rejoice over them in the future!

Photo Credit

Written by monthly contributing writer, Trina Holden

It all started with a  mowhawk. Maybe I was finally tuning into my inner rebel. Maybe I wanted to prove to my son that how he wore his hair would never affect our relationship. After all, hair doesn’t really matter that much, does it? Whatever the reason, instead of buzzing all his hair short for summer, I left a strip on the top long, and showed him how we would mowhawk it next time we went out. It was cute and fun, and — I thought — entirely harmless.

Then came a conversation with my wise father-in-law over a family campfire later that month. I did a really brave (or stupid) thing, and asked him what he thought of how we were doing as parents to his grandchildren. I was not surprised when he mentioned the mowhawk. I tried to brush it off, to explain that it really wasn’t that big a deal. Jesse hadn‘t seemed to care much — it was pretty much a non event. But then Dad said something that opened my eyes to what I had been blind to. It wasn’t the mowhawk, or just the mowhawk that was the problem. He had observed that I had a tendency to put too much emphasis on physical appearance, and that giving my son a special hair cut at age 4 could be significantly affecting his blueprint in regards to his outward appearance.

What on earth is a Blueprint? We all have one –  it’s the mindset that shapes our thoughts and actions for all of life. Blueprints are set at a young age, often by a child’s first impressions on an issue. Many believe 5 years is the end of the first phase of childhood, and that life-long blueprinting has been cemented by this time. Biblical evidence backs up this theory. Moses was weaned at age 5 and left his home and his people, but he never forgot who he was. Samuel was also 5 when his mother left him in the care of Eli. She must have done well in training him in those first 5 years — he certainly didn’t become the Godly leader he was by following Eli‘s example. Our blueprint affects our choices about money, health, entertainment, relationships, self, God, and more.

After my conversation with my father-in-law I was suddenly sobered by the idea that the season of blueprinting my son was drawing to a close - he would be five at the end of the summer. We hadn’t  even started school yet, but he had absorbed so much. What did he already believe about life? His future decisions would be based on which impressions and examples he had received in these first years? And what was I subconsciously impressing on his little sister and younger brother? Now that I was aware of the process, what could I be doing to give them a more Godly, balanced blueprint? I quickly became aware of so many areas in which I needed to become more intentional.

• Self-worth     Does my child get accepted and receive fellowship when he does good, and degraded or shunned when he fails? This can create a driven perfectionist who believes their worth is in their accomplishments. I need to affirm verbally and with actions that he is loved unconditionally.
• Body Image     Am I putting too much emphasis on the physical appearance? I love to dress my kids and keep their hair tidy, but I need to be cautious of how much fanfare I create over their appearance. Overemphasizing beauty or looks can confuse the message that their heart is what matters most.
• Technology     Does my child see that the internet is a tool, or that it takes priority over relationship with him?  My generation knows that we can live without the internet and cell phones, because we did until the last two decades. But he won’t have a vision for the proper role of technology in his media-saturated world unless I exemplify balance.
• God     Does my child know that God is alive, personal, and loves him? Not unless I am living authentically before him – exemplifying and explaining prayer, repentance, humility, and the sanctifying power of the gospel will he have a blueprint that will guide him to a personal relationship with Christ.

Rather than feeling overwhelmed and fearful at the significant impact my every action can have on my son’s future, I’m excited and humbled by the opportunity to give him a strong foundation in things that are eternally significant. It drives me to go before God regularly to make sure I’m getting my own blueprint re-aligned with God’s view of me. May we be as intentional with what our children absorb outside the classroom as we are with the concrete lessons of reading and writing.

Photo Credit
Written by monthly contributor, Natalie Didlake

As my children grow older, I am continually tempted to think training and raising them grows more complicated. Every day seems to hold at least one situation that I have no idea how to handle. I regularly feel like that high school teacher we all had: the sweet, quiet one who got spit balls on the back of the neck and whose verbal warnings got drowned out by an out-of-control class. It can be downright overwhelming and confusing.

I am tempted to sigh in frustration when we have unresolved issues, telling myself it’s gotten out of hand. I want to give in to feeling hopeless, or ignore the problem entirely. Yeah right. Deep down, I know that if I surrender to my parenting problems, they will not go away. My kids will be incomplete, and so will I.

So what can I do when I have no clue how to handle my kids? I know I’m the authority. I want to do my job. But I have no idea what exactly that entails.

Recently, I’ve been having many victories over my hopeless attitude, and also gaining lots of insights into how to handle my kids better!

The tools I’ve been using are so simple, I can’t believe I ever by-passed them and choose frustration instead! Here’s a summary:

1. Identify my “give-up” attitude toward raising my kids. Vow to mentally tackle the issue at hand, ASAP. No more brushing it under the rug.
2. Pray. Confess your reliance upon God as the source of the answers. I believe He wants me to raise my kids in the Lord, since he says so in Ephesians 6:4. Therefore, I also believe he will give me exactly what I need, if I ask. (James 1:5)
3. Think hard, trying to narrow down the specific issue at hand. Not trying to reason through it myself, but allowing scripture to sort through what my kids need to trained in, and what to let go. Oftentimes the hardest part!

A few months ago, our third child joined the other two as a full-blown talker. All three of them talking, talking, talking, all day long!

I had a general sense there was far too much talking here. But I couldn’t very well say, “Don’t talk so much!” or “Be nice in what you say!” or “Can’t I just have 5 minutes of peace and quiet!!!” Nope. Not great parenting.

I decided to just pray and ask the Lord to show me how to teach them about their speech patterns. I began seeing more specific issues that I needed to tackle one at a time. Things like interrupting (being rude, I Cor. 13); arguing (Phil. 2:14); and using harsh tones (Pr. 15:1).

These were the easy ones. Some we are working through, and others I haven’t identified yet. But one stands out in my mind as a moment the Lord spoke crystal clear, through a scripture.

My children suddenly had begun coming to me about every 2 minutes, saying things like, “Mommy, R. hit me.” “Mommy, S. won’t share.” “Mommy, L. ate my snack.” I believed they were telling the truth. And I knew it was my job to serve justice. But really? Complaining about each other all day long? I knew it wasn’t the tone I wanted in our home, but could think of no concrete way to explain it to my toddlers.

Then I remembered what I read that morning, what Jesus told his disciples:

Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. John 5:45

Accusing…that was it! My children were accusing each other. It’s so clear that Jesus is about helping, defending, and rescuing, not accusing. No wonder it bothered me so much! I researched and found out that Satan is called the “accuser of our brothers…who accuses them day and night before our God.” (Rev. 12:10)

I was so thrilled to see a solution emerge right from God’s mouth, his very word. I sat down my kids and explained to them the contrast between Jesus and Satan, and how they speak about people. Their eyes went wide when I told them Satan is an accuser who spends all day accusing us before God!

How incredible, for God to speak so directly to me and my children, as I struggle to train them!

How has God spoken to you through his word in your child-rearing? Please share!

“There is no life experience that replaces the connection and significant created by eating together at the table. Whether young or old, when a person experiences trauma, temptation, or embarrassment, being invited to the table makes them feel valued and restores their sense of significance.” – Devi Titus, The Table Experience

“Come and get it!” was often the call resounding through our home at the dinner hour. I have many a precious memory from our family dinner table as a child to a young adult. It was often a challenge to gather all eight children plus mom and dad around the table. Family togetherness at dinner was a thing my mother preserved. It may have been only 3-4 nights each week, but they were special sacred times together, especially our weekly family night every Friday evening.

Sometimes it may have been buffet style, at other times it was a more formal pass the plate around the table, or a picnic out on the back deck or lawn, or simply take and bake pizza, but in every case the preservation of love and relationships were cherished. Many times it was simply served on paper plates, but that mattered little, as we were together. Food has such a powerful way of bringing us together. Turn off the distractions, the technology, and build your health as well. It is an opportunity to slow down and focus on what is most important – our relationships. It is one way to preserve and protect the family.

Preserving Laughter & Relationship

Conversation and fellowship over the meal provides wonderful opportunities for family bonding and planning. The ability to share our lives with one another face to face not only strengthens our own identity but also fosters security, love, and affection. Use the time to ask each other about their day, to laugh at our mistakes, and encourage one another. Plan family trips, church activities, ways to serve others, or any other upcoming events. Eating together can have such power in building a strong family unity that will make a difference in this day and age.

Preserving Thankfulness

Why not make the table a place to cultivate thanksgiving? Go around and ask each family member what they are thankful for, or something that they are thankful for that transpired that day. This is a simple way to share the events of the day and conclude it in a spirit of joy and thanksgiving, which not only encourages one another, but draws the attention back to acknowledging the Source of our lives.

Preserving Prayer

The dinner table is a powerful opportunity to come together and pray on behalf of others. Set up a world map next to your table with missionaries or other people on your heart as a reminder for prayer. Designate a night each week with a prayer theme. Perhaps pray for neighbors on Mondays, your nation on Tuesdays, etc.

Preserving Hospitality to Your Own

Preserving the dinner table is an opportunity to demonstrate hospitality to those dearest to us. Put a little thought into your table setting. Make it special with candles, cloth napkins, cloth place-mats, a simple bouquet of flowers, or something meaningful to your family. Serve a favorite meal. Or designate one night a week as a special celebratory family night. We love having homemade pizza every Friday night followed by some fun family outing, games, or movie night. Be creative. It need not be every meal, but making an extra effort on occasion can really bless your family. They need to know that we love and care for them just as we would others.

Preserving Working Together

Meal preparations were often a family affair at our home. Mom would have an assigned helper for the meal or my sisters and I would take an evening meal once a week to prepare on our own. More often then not, there were multiple of us in the kitchen cooking together. This not only helped build our nutrition and cooking skills but also assisted in building our relationships as we prepared meals side by side. With younger children in tow, it’s fun to include them in meal preparations as well. From simple dicing with a safe knife, to setting the table, it is easy to find a job for eager hands to complete. For more ideas and inspiration, read Cultivating Learning in Everyday Activities- in the Kitchen.

That being said, it doesn’t have to be dinner time for these goals to be accomplished. Strive for one other meal during the day to which you could sit down face to face with each other. Or if one member is not available, don’t throw in the towel altogether. You can still cultivate peace and relationship even if one or two are absent.

It’s beneficial for the body and soul.

“Every soul has its unique nuances. Each of us is uniquely formed in our mother’s wombs…However, there is one thing we all share – the need to connect. To dine with someone is to connect with that person. The table experience with your spouse, family, friends, and colleagues – and even your enemies – has the potential to begin bonding human hearts in a new way, a deep way that brings spiritual connection, a bonding that life’s circumstances should not break. During meals hurting hearts heal, sad hearts are made glad, depressed hearts get new vision, and divided hearts come to peace.” – Devi Titus, The Table Experience

Further Resources:

Dinner Table Conversation Starters
The Surprising Power of Family Meals: How Eating Together Makes Us Smarter, Stronger, Healthier & Happier by Miriam Weinstein
The Table Experience: Discover What Develops Deeper, More Meaningful Relationships by Devi Titus

How do you maintain a regular time of eating together as a family? Any hints you might share?