{image by go moore on flickr}

In the everything old is new again category comes the resurgence of board games. Not that they really went away but new figures show sales of board games have increased by nearly five per cent in the past 12 months, while sales of electronic toys fell by more than twice that amount.

It has been well documented that in a sign of the global financial crisis, we are nesting and staying in. If you look around, retro and vintage are making a comeback, craft is cool and people are decorating more with handmade then off-the-shelf.

I for one love technology, gadgets and electronics. And I encourage it in my chlidren, because it is the way of the future. But it is reassuring to know that even in this age of technology, parents are teaching their children that a good game and having fun doesn’t always involve a TV screen or a power socket.

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Many families with young children have begun embracing what was a tradition in their parents’ and grandparents’ homes ~  family game night.

Hemmed in by financial pressures, many parents are cutting spending on take-away, movies, holidays and lavish toys, but are spending more money on board games they can play with their children at home.

Toy stores that normally stock a handful of copies of several brands of board games have been selling out, re-ordering and selling out again.

And that’s not just during the Christmas holidays, when such games are usually most popular.

Some sales are for travel-sized board games and card games for road trips to the beach, but many are traditional board games such as Monopoly and family games for young children, such as Hungry Hungry Hippos.

“During recessions, people stay home more and are less active and I think they’re looking for more family-oriented things to do,” said toy shop owner, Angel Stahl.

“We tend to slow down when things get tight, and I think a lot of people are trying to find ways to re-connect with their families, to sit down and talk, because everyone is so busy.”

Other parents said they sit down to family game night not because they need to save money, but because they are trying to show their children that life exists beyond video games, computers and text messages.

Others want to teach kids how to be patient and demonstrate good sportsmanship.

Many plan game nights simply because their kids think it’s fun.

I am thankful we have a pile of board games that get pulled out regularly. We also have a Wii that gets some good use. Growing up I loved a good game of Monopoly ~ my Dad and I even had a championship over a series of weekends. We had a great Aussie game called Squatter (Monopoly for farmers). I am spurred on to get my children the junior Monopoly after seeing it in action and seeing how deceptively simple it was.

And there are a ton of board games out there I have never heard of. So it might be time to dust off the old board games and have some good old-fashioned fun.

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So maybe it’s time to slow down and have a games night ~ either with family or friends.

Here’s a few ideas to get started:

Kaboose has some tips on a games night with the small ones here

GeekDad has a round-up of board games on Wired here

If you want to go all out and have a games night with friends, get some ideas and tips from Diva Girl here. They also have a link for this set of printable Scrabble tiles you could use for invitations or decorations. Monopoly, Cluedo or a murder-mystery game are all good sources of inspiration for invitations and party themes.

And for the winners of your games night, make them a winner’s ribbon with help from Twig and Thistle here.

If you have any ideas or tips, or great games, share them in the comments below.