by Maggie Downs posted in Life

When my son was about 2 and a half, it was clear we needed to add something to his bedtime routine. There was a window of time between dinner and bath time in which he needed to wind down, but I didn?t want to turn on the TV, which always ballooned into a battle when it came time to turn it off and head to upstairs to bed.
Most play got my son too riled up for bedtime. And when I tried introducing a 24-piece jigsaw puzzle, it was just a little too advanced.
It was time to introduce my child to board games.

I came from the kind of family that never played board games or card games together, but I always envied those people. I?ve been dreaming of the day I could be the mom who clears the dinner table just enough to make room for a rousing game of Scrabble or Uno. Besides, games are good for kids.
?For years, they've been known to help children with social interaction, taking turns and learning to follow rules and to win and lose gracefully,? according to this Washington Post article about how board games help reinforce lessons from the classroom.
My child isn?t quite ready for Monopoly yet, but that doesn?t mean he?s too young to play. I quizzed the parents and experts I know, whittled down their list of suggestions, and came up with 10 board games that are accessible, beneficial, and most importantly, fun. (Plus a bonus for older kids too!)
Candy Land
This game is a classic for a reason. Kids love it, and -- shhh! -- they even learn importan...