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BOARD GAMES: WHY THEY ARE MAKING A COMEBACK

My 1986 summer holiday was spent, much to my delight, playing innumerable rounds of Ludo, Carom, and chess with my grandmother prior to her death. She was fiercely competitive and much to our dismay played by her own set of rules. At caroms this translated into the dreaded “back shot.” Pieces to be slotted on the rebound became victims of her direct attack. At this, my 9 year old sister would loose her cool, get upset, and stomp out feeling cheated. Rules are not just important but also inflexible to an 8 or 9 year old, partly because they are proud of their ability to understand and follow them. The accompanying moral outrage at a sibling bending the rules is no show.
Looking back now, the joyful hours at the board games prepared us for the world of adults. They taught us, to play by the rules, instilled confidence when we won, accept defeat graciously, be magnanimous to a learner and were an early lesson in competitiveness, patience and diplomacy. But the time spend with Grandma was all- important. We listened to her while we played, stories of relatives we never met, grandfather we never saw, their wedding that cost only a hundred rupees and the first days of independent India. Now to think how easily we could have missed all that if not for the sessions at the board game.
The combination of entertainment and educational value of the board games was not unfamiliar to the ancients. Among the artifacts found in the three thousand year old tomb of pharaoh Tut was a game board, dice and playing pieces. Greeks, Romans and Indians played games such as backgammon, checkers, dominos, and chess for thousands of years. Today they face a stiff competition from the computer games industry which last year surpassed Hollywood in terms of revenue. Are we witnessing the beginning of the end for once popular past-time? Will they survive the sophisticated video games where children can easily step into a persona and become their favorite WWF heroes experiencing the thrill and violence in virtual reality?

In fact we might just be witnessing a counter trend as educational institutes find more appeal than ever in board games. With a rise in bullying behaviors nationwide (related, some observers speculate, to the increase of violent themes in children's media and toys), teachers and school management are turning to board games as vehicles for children to practice collaboration and team-building, says George principal of a prestigious school in Kerala. Worldwide, as sales of 20 billion, toy industry dropped by 3% last year, the sales of board games rose by 15% according to the NPD funworld which records the toy industry retail.

Board games have ‘interactive advantage’ over the computer and video games. Unlike the computer game, the board is placed in middle of the group. Communication flows as players face each other. And this interaction results in new associations and friendships. For the holiday season, board games are not just great gifts but also icebreakers. ''They transcend generations and social groups. They're great if family members haven't seen each other in a long time," says Eric Poses, president of All Things Equal Inc., which distributes ''Loaded Questions," a board game geared for teens and older. Board games can also bring members of different generations together. Favorite memories and tales are inevitably shared, helping to pass along rich family history to the next generation

Of all the benefits board games offer to young children, from fostering fine motor skills to teaching shapes, colors, and turn-taking, it's the mastery of an age-appropriate challenge that prepares them for the real world, not the act of winning or losing says Kathy Roberts co-founder of ‘Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Entertainment’ which publishes an annual toy list at truceteacher.org. “You know why children want to play the same game over and over?" she asks. ''It's because repetition gives them mastery, mastery gives them confidence, and confidence gives them the boost to take on the next challenge." Elementary-age children become better able to handle winning and losing, but even then, says Roberts, it's the idea of the challenge that moves them forward. Games like Chess or Checkers or even Solitaire are appealing at these ages because children like to push themselves to a personal best, she says. Many board games can be played with that as a goal, instead of winning. And the players who finish first eventually get around to helping others. Lest we forget, board games also generate good feelings. ''The shared experience of having fun together can create a sense of satisfaction and good will that bubbles over into the next activity," says Roberts.

Playing games with children not only helps them learn, but it can help parents learn a lot about their kids. Parents can assess skill development-such as color, shape and letter recognition-as well as social development like competitiveness, patience, and diplomacy. Along with interacting with their children and grandchildren, there is a further need for the adults to be playing the board games. The June, 2005 edition of a popular magazine reported “people suffering from minor memory problems can be helped by cognitive drills or a few simple practices” and stated “puzzles and games are a useful way to keep the mind agile and the memory strong.”

The recently conducted survey reveals an alarming trend eighty-four percent of all teenagers in cities play video games, and they usually play them for an hour on average. Amazingly, ninety percent of teenagers claim that their parents do not check the appropriate age-level rating before allowing them to rent or buy a game. Unfortunately, eighty-nine percent of teenagers say that their parents have never regulated the time they spend playing the video games. It is easy to see the influence that video games have on our youth with problem ranging from ‘computer addiction’ and becoming ‘desensitized’ to immoral activities. It is time for the board games to appear in a new avatar such as the game ‘Trivial Pursuit.’ a run away hit in 80’s and now enjoying soaring popularity in states after 9/11. Games like ‘Trivial pursuit’ and ‘Candy Land’ are popular across age group because not only are they entertaining but also test knowledge and make one think.

High time we dusted the old boards brought out the pieces and had whale of a time with the family.

Nitin C