Technology has come a long way in the last 10 years, 20 years, 30 years. Computers have become faster, phones are smaller, we can access the Internet wherever we are, it’s changed the face of how we view content, and it’s created the means to help “connect” us to each other more. However, sometimes it’s good to slow down, unplug from the world, and engage in activities many of us adults remember from our childhood.
Getting together on a weekend, gathering around a table, having your favorite snacks out, shutting off the entire world around you, and pulling out a favorite board game. The conversations that could arise from playing together, the bonding, the strategizing as a team to take down your opponents, the laughter, the banter…all of this became a time-honored tradition that was fun and a great bonding experience.
We want to recreate that weekend experience for you and your family, and offer you a space to unplug from the world and experience the joy of traditional board gaming at your library. Join your Mockingbird Branch Library in October as we begin to host Saturday Family Board Games sessions for the community to take advantage of. Running from 11:00AM to 3:00PM each time, we’ll provide a host of games for your family to take advantage of, all you have to do is come in and have a good time as a family unit.
Come to your library to experience the benefits of playing board games as a family including:
- Developing Learning Skills: Playing games from start to finish can help youth develop concentration and problem solving skills while also developing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. This can also help to improve language, memory, and imagination.
- Teaching Life Skills: Board games can help youth to learn cause and effect by understanding that each turn they make will have an outcome on the overall game. It also helps them to learn to interact with others in appropriate ways, helping to develop emotional and social skills.
- Bonding Time for the Family: Gaming as a family helps to reduce screen time and although family members may be playing against each other, they help to bring families closer together. Instead of silence in playing an electronic game, this style of gaming promotes an atmosphere filled with conversation and laughter.
- Childhood Memories: Most importantly, it will build wonderful memories for your family that can last a lifetime.
Don’t take our word for it. Come out to your Mockingbird Branch Library on Saturdays in October and participate in our Family Board Games sessions running from 11:00AM to 3:00PM. For more information about this new program, contact librarian Amanda Sasser at 325-437-7323 or via email at amanda.sasser@abilenetx.gov.