What Games do You Play?

We're about to close what looks like the last snow day from Snowmegeddon 2010. Sure, some of you teachers still have tomorrow but we all know that it has stopped snowing and Pittsburgh is moving on. Hopefully everyone has had time to relax and enjoy doing what they love the most: reading, watching movies/trashy TV, writing, crafts or doing what needed to be done: laundry, cleaning, studying, shoveling.

Last night The Boy took a break from his grad school reading and writing and played a game of Banannagrams with me. I'm a fan of board games and am usually trying to find a way to sneak one into my week. However board games do not quite make as many appearances in my daily life as I'd like and tonight I tried *unsuccessfully* tried to rope my Mom into playing a game of Bookopoly with me. Hence my sadness and undying love (it is Valentine's Day after all) have materialized in this Top 5 List. Leave your faves in the comments. And anyone whoever has a board game night, let me know.

In no-particular order (because I can never just pick an ultimate):

1. Scrabble

The classic of classic board games. It's perfect for a romantic night with your significant other, a casual game with your parents or for a party. I have fond memories of the 5th grade Scrabble competition Mrs. Fiori put on and I secretly covet The Official Scrabble Dictionary. I don't consider myself a naturally competitive person, but this is one game that I hate to lose.

2. Apples to Apples

The new modern favorite! Best played with a few glasses of wine/pints of beer and a really funny/smart/goofy group. The only down-side about this game is playing it with people who only take it very seriously...but thankfully they are few and far between.

3. Battleship

My love for this game started in the 4th grade on those days that we were forced by Mother Nature to have indoor recess. Everyone in my Catholic grade school class always wanted to play Connect Four and I never really got to play a game of Battleship. So I asked for it for Christmas and go to play it to my hearts content at home. I was a geek even back then.

4. Pit

I had never even heard of this stock-market trading game until last Christmas when I went to Ohio to meet The Boy's family. It gets loud and crazy as soon as the game begins and I itch to play it with a group of friends. The Boy bought me my own version of the game (after a year of searching) for Christmas this year. But it remains unopened as it's been a very hectic and rough few weeks since the holidays. And playing it with my family could mean trouble anyway.

5. Candyland

The best of nostalgic games. I played this game so much that it's cardboard box became too damaged and I had to cart the pieces around in plastic baggies. I would play it right now, even without preschoolers. And I really, truly, deeply want to put on a life-size version at the library some day.

Board Games!