Ideas for Lockdown – Blog 13: Play Board Games?

Board Games are a part of life’s whose popularity fluctuates each year. As we all have more time on our hands lately, due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, why don’t we use some of that time to play some Board Games? That’s what we’ll be looking at in today’s “Ideas for Lockdown” post!

Hello and Welcome to Sweeney’s Blogs!

Today’s blog is the thirteenth blog in the “Ideas for Lockdown” series and is going to be dedicated to Board Games. Board Games have played a very large part in the lives of many people and are considered as the ultimate reminder to childhood and time with your family and friends. For something that was so loved by so many, the question rises, why aren’t they used as much today?

I have been thinking about this question for a number of days now and have come up with 2 key points.

Is the decline in the usage of Board Games down to the time that it takes to play them?

While every board game is different, and the time taken to play them differs, it can have a big impact on whether people actually use them or not.

People nowadays have so much on their schedules and plans that they often feel as if they do not have the time to sit down and set-up and then play a board game. The sad reality is that our social life and relaxation time is usually left last to be planned out in our lives and when we eventually get to the time where we have a break, a lot of people feel too tired to even try and play a game.

2. Technology

Technology plays a tremendous part in our day to day lives. It exists everywhere – in your car, your house, the office, the shops, everywhere. It is nearly impossible to escape technology, unless you are Amish, of course.

While technology can be a real asset in our lives, it does also take away a few things, and one of those happens to be Board Games in this case. Children and Teenagers nowadays would rather sit on their phone, playing video games or on Social Media compared to what it was like even when I was growing up.

The need for Board Games has almost diminished drastically, as a direct correlation to the rise of technology, would you agree? It would be an interested topic to look further into and is one that I would love to take a deeper look into!

Has mt view on the popularity of Board Games changed?

When I first started writing this blog though, I had a completely different view compared to what I have now. When I started, I thought that the demand for Board Games had dramatically decreased, but apparently it is not the case! It has been recorded that Board Games are gaining in popularity again over the past year, which is great news!

So, why are Board Games a good thing?

They teach us Patience and Strategy?

Board Games can be a very good way of learning how to be patient. I know we have all played a game where we may have lost our heads at something, maybe we got sent to Jail 7 times in a row in Monopoly or we sunk our Penguin whilst mining the Ice Cubes in Penguin Peril, it happens!

Where patience and strategy come into play can be a real help for us though. Going through life patience and strategy can be two key tools to have in our arsenal. If we did not have a strategy for Monopoly and just picked any house, regardless of colour, then do we stand a chance of winning?

If we just placed our pieces anywhere in Connect Four, without even looking and planning the board, do we stand a chance to win? If so, how much lower is that chance compared to if we had patience and planned our next move?

I have heard a lot of people say that Board Games are all luck, and while this may be true in some cases, in the majority there is some aspect of skill, no matter how small it may appear at first.

2. Spending time with Family and Friends

Board Games are a really great way to spend some quality time with both family and friends. You all get a chance to sit down and just relax and play. It is a great way to kick your feet up after a long day and zone out from the troubles of the working world.

If the lockdown has taught us anything, it is never to take things for granted. Make the most of the moments that we have, live the best life that you can. If you have the opportunity to do something, what is stopping you? You never know if something is going to work or not if you do not try at the end of the day!

3. Board Games helps Brain Functionality?

It has been recorded that Board Games can help increase your Brain Functionality. In Board Games, you have to make decisions, plan what you want to do, assess the situation and of course you need to use problem solving! If they help you with Brain Functionality, can it really be a bad thing to take some time out of your day to play one?

4. Improving Memory?

Playing Board Games is said to help improve your memory. By using skills such as problem solving and strategic planning, the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex are expected to benefit from playing board games. So if Board Games can help defend your brain and can help strengthen it against things like Alzheimer’s, why aren’t you playing more of them?

If you do have some extra time on your hands, due to the lockdown, and are not sure what to do with it, why not play a board game? Why not take the time to have a laugh with family and friends, help improve your thought process and simply zone out of the real world for a while! You will not regret it!

That’s all I want to talk about in today’s blog! Thank you all for reading! What do you think? Are you a fan of Board Games? If not, why not? What are you doing to help get through lockdown? Are there any other topics that you would like to see me cover? Let me know and I will see what I can do!

Thanks for reading and i hope you have a great day!