Board games catering to shorter attention spans
Categories: Kids 5-7, Fun & activities, Toys & games
Ellie loves board games and so do I. We have a closet full of them and Ellie often pulls one out after dinner. We have spent many evenings racing through Candy Land, trying to get a winner before bedtime. Often, we make up our own rules in order to speed things up. Even if we have plenty of time to play, Ellie usually loses interest before the game is over. It seems that board game makers are finally getting the message that an hour spent playing Candy Land is about 40 minutes too long. They have begun introducing new games, and shorter versions of old favorites, that take only about 20 minutes to play. For example, Hasbro's Game of Life has been re-tooled to let players determine how long the game will last before they start playing. It's called The Game of Life: Twists and Turns Edition and uses a Visa card instead of cash and keeps score with a "LifePod". They have also created "Express" versions of Monopoly, Scrabble and Sorry.
I might consider purchasing one of the faster versions at some point, but for now, our made-up rules accomplish the same thing. We call them "Ellie's Rules" and not only do they speed things up, they make it easier for her to win. I don't always let her win, but a six year old losing a game of Candy Land right before bedtime is not my idea of a good time.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Nicola 3-30-2007 @ 3:32PM
I have to disagree with the whole premise of shorter board games. Yes, as adults, they can get dull. Fast. But these games are not for adults. They are for children. When we were young, we could easily sit for hours and play Monopoly, The Game of Life, you name it. We had the ability to concentrate and enjoy these games. They are simple, repetitive, and easy to understand. And, for kids, they are fun.
If kids today are unable to sit through a traditional board game, rather than catering to this new generation who are deprived of an attention-span longer than the typical McDonalds advert, we might better question the things that we are doing differently, the things that we are doing wrong.
We provide no service to our children in simply accepting their inability to concentrate on a task, a fun task at that, a game, and providing them with an abridged version that will better suit their multi-media lifestyle. What about school? Books? Future jobs?
To accomplish a task, one must put some thought, effort, and focus into its completion. The same goes for a board game, though on a very simple level. Shorter board games is just another step in the direction that we seem to be leading our children, in my opinion, the wrong direction. I am sorry to see it in progress.
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Heather 4-02-2007 @ 12:05AM
That is really pathetic.
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SKL 4-02-2007 @ 1:24AM
I'm all for activities that encourage an increased attention span. But do kids have time for this any more, with today's trends toward longer school days / bus rides, more homework, and more extracurricular activities? I think the dumbed-down board game trend is just a reflection of the overall trend to prevent kids from having significant stretches of down time.
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