Dear Richard,

I couldn’t agree more! Well, I could agree more. I would even say people in the industry are practically public servants! The benefits of game play to the family, society and education are obvious to a lot of people – but not nearly enough. Even large corporations spend thousands of dollars conducting “Corporate Team Building” exercises by playing games. They know.

Games in our household was a staple. I was taught to play Pinochle when I was old enough to hold the cards. I too, have fond memories of sitting around the kitchen table with family and friends playing a variety of games. Go To The Head of the Class, and many more. We played Trivial Pursuit in teams because we felt two heads were better than one in that challenging game! It made my cousin feel good when I declared, “I want Patrick on my team.” It felt good to put the “pie” in the circle.

In my single days, (many years ago) how my new “boyfriend” played a game was very revealing. Was he a sore loser? Did he try to cheat? Did he gloat if he won? Did he try to break the rules? Did he argue over small details? How competitive is he? Did he know anything at all? LOL. If he didn’t even like games or refused to play I wondered what was wrong with him – must be some psychological problem there. : ) As Plato has been quoted, “You can learn more about a person in an hour of play than a year of conversation.”

Remember when we could ride our bikes without a helmet? Ride in the back of the pickup on a warm summer day? Remember when you actually had to “try out” for the team and had to accept the disappointment if you didn’t make the cut? The life lessons board games provide, as you mentioned, Richard, is so true! Sometimes, you lose, and sometimes you don’t make the cut.

You have great ideas for our future generations. I would like to see schools send their students with an hour of game play “homework”. The value of turning off the t.v, Xbox or Wii and bringing families together and laugh while learning is tremendous! Who coined the phrase, “The families that play together, stay together?”

I applaud your efforts Richard! I applaud Mary Couzin’s efforts to create a tipping point for game play in America with her consumer show Chi-tag. Also, her success in the “Games for Guests” in hotels and the “Art of Play” events in the Chicago area. Kudos to GenCon and Origins as well. Way to go! Also, Maureen Reed’s “Operation Play to Learn”. There are many others! Speak up!

Let’s create a movement - a revolution of sorts! I can think of a thousand reasons why everyone should play games and not one reason why not to. (For instance, I now know how to spell aardvark and that New Orleans is west of the Mississippi). Let’s start a list of reasons and pass it on to others to add to the list. Let the game revolution begin….

Reason#1 My granddaughter never turns down the offer to play a game.


Darlene Calhoun

Mr. Gottlieb (and Ms Calhoun):
Having been following this blog and agreeing with everything Mr. Gottlieb has said and now with Ms Calhoun's comments, I now find myself in the position of having to come up with Reason #2 for Family Play. In these days and times, a parent must always look for opportunities to open up any kind of dialog with their children. Playing games together provides this opportunity.

Respectfully submitted;
Frank

#3. Because a card game is "easy living" around the table. Whether its tension and distance in the family or an awkward gathering of strangers... a good old fashioned card game is the best ice breaker I know!

#4 Because board games bring people together. From old friends to new friends and children to grandparents. Everyone loves to gather around a good playing game!

#5 Because people are getting more isolated with fewer close friends and family according to a recent Duke Study. This means people have fewer places to turn in times of disaster like Hurricane Katrina which impacts society as a whole as well as people in trouble. Board games are a wonderful way for people to form new bonds and strengthen the old to reverse this trend. Mary Couzin

#6 Because people take life just a little too seriously and games can help people approach life with a bit more fun.

I love board games. There was a game I saw on American inventor last season. I have been trying to order the game called the Scramblers 10 from their website at scramblers10.com without any luck. Is there anyone out there who can help me source this game?

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