I like many others this close to Christmas will be writing a holiday piece. What can one saw about games on the holidays except, "Enjoy playing them with your friends and family." At the Christmas parties, in those few days between Christmas and New Years', Before Christmas, and after new years, you have many options. One of those options (And I'll be partially guilty of it) is to sit in a corner and read a good book, or isolate yourself and play Nintendo, or Sony. But instead of being alone, which unfortunately many people are, pull out some old favorites and gather a group of people together to share some holiday cheer.
Monopoly, Sorry, Pachisi, Chutes and Ladders, CandyLand, Mousetrap, and more games dot the shelf of the toy store isle. These games are good for small family gatherings and perhaps larger family gatherings if you like to work in teams. Take 'going back a few spaces' and 'paying out for a hotel on Boardwalk' lightly. It's not the winning of any of these games that are important this season. It's being together.
Trivial Pursuit, Scattergories, Balderdash, and other games that work for any number of players are good for parties so invite neighbors over for a game or two and a glass of iced tea, kool-aid, or egg-nog (for the daring). This is a good time to bring a game or two to a church gathering. The kids might need something to entertain themselves while everyone else stands around and talk about christmas trees, gas prices, and whether or not the new president really got the office or should it have been someone else.
The old standby that fits in a pocket and works alone or with a group is a deck of cards. Simple solitaire games abound if you're waiting for friends to show up for Bridge, SetBack, or Poker (using holiday M&Ms of course for the cash.) And when the other players arrive, settle in for a night of laughs, serious contemplation, and frequent bathroom breaks from all the soda you'll be drinking. Good games for 4 or more players are Hearts, Spades, and Euchre. If it's only a four person game, play it two-up two-down style. Pairs operate playing against each other, and the winning team always stays at the table.
If you don't think you are very good at games, if you are the one that always seems to lose, then here's one more option. This is something that I and my father did every Christmas while I was growing up. We put together a jigsaw puzzle. Whether it was a 500 piece puzzle or a 1000 piece, round or square, difficult or easy. We'd stand around the table, with our Pepsi up on a distant shelf circling the table like buzzards diving for the feast. We'd find a piece and carefully put it in place, a silent smile challenging the other one to match the accomplishment. The pieces were laid out and occasionally mom would poke her head in to make sure we weren't fighting over the last piece and to slyly stick one in the correct place that either one of us wouldn't have guessed. And while this may not be a game, it's family time. And spending time with family, giving that time to those you love, is part of what makes the season so grand.
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