There are days when you want to cozy up in that little nook, with a cup of something hot (my choice – some peppermint tea or hot chocolate!), and read a book. Or you could still stay in that nook – the slightly larger cozy nook of your home – and play board games with the rest of the family to drive away bored (om). For those days, I have some suggestions that my kids always bring out and love to play (and if mom and dad join in, all the better)

From strategy games that we are still learning the tips and tricks of (like Forbidden Island) or classic strategy games like Battleship to geography games (Scrambled States and Do You Know Where You Are?); from games that require focus (like Jenga) to games of luck/throw of the dice (like Sorry); from classic favorites like Monopoly and Uno to word games like Story Cubes and Taboo – this list covers all of them. (And you might notice the absence of Scrabble – well, that is another favorite too!)

1. Forbidden Island
   A strategy game top-rated by Mensa, and pretty popular on Amazon, this game does need you to think ahead and strategize. We are still learning the tricks of the game, each time we play.
2. Qwirkle Board Game – 
   Another strategy game where a little bit of luck is involved too – this can be played by people of all ages – line up tiles matching shapes and/or colors to score higher with smarter matches
3. Scrambled States of America
   How well do you know your states? Find the Sunshine State; the state that shares borders with the maximum # of states; a state that begins with A; questions on cards range from the obvious to the harder and you learn your states definitely in this fun game
4. Story Cubes
   This game can provide hours of fun while engaging your imagination. Perfect to come up with story ideas if you are ever facing a writer’s block. A family favorite that all of us play at all odd hours of the
   day. This game is simply put, genius!
5. Uno 
   Well, you know!
6. Jenga 
   What is the highest tower you have built ever? Be truthful! Are you a Jenga champion? (I am not!)
7. Sorry
   We grew up playing games similar to this in India and another perfect game to pass the rainy-days away
8. Monopoly
   For hours and hours (sometimes over days) of building your business empire, this is it! And hoping we don’t land in that spot with all those houses and hotels built!
9. Taboo
   Have you played this game? This is definitely one that tests your vocabulary and your attention to what you are saying…
10. Battleship
    I played this game for the first time on a computer screen of years ago (with those bright green ships and tanks to help you win your battle)! It was smart then and is smart now.
11. Connect 4
    A family favorite now for years…this might be our 3rd or 4th Connect 4 box..
12. Do You Know Where You Are? World Challenge Edition
    Another geography game that is really a smart one. Bought on a whim, this is one game that I love playing and am glad I bought it.
13. Hedbandz
    This is certainly popular (and while we stood in the lines at Disneyworld this last month, the app version of a similar game – Charades – was played often; and by so many people waiting in line that sometimes we stopped playing our game and watched the others spout their clues!)

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