Board & Card Games Recommendation for #stayhome Days (English)

Hello, I’m Mamington, a working mom of three.

Ever since COVID-19 came around, we spend a lot more time at home than we used to. Improving the quality of time that we spend at home with children has been a big challenge. iPads and video games are entertaining and to some extent unavoidable, but I still feel uncomfortable for children to soak their brains in electronic devices at a young age. Investing in card games and board games to play as a family was one mitigant to get the children away from electronic devices. These games stimulate different parts of the brain, they encourage bonding with family, and they are a great way to teach children negotiation skills as well as boost their happiness-meter and self-esteem.

Below are a list of our top 5 favorites. Some are only available in Japanese, but some are available in multiple languages as well!

5. Takara Tomy – Jinsei Game: This game was invented in the 1960s and resembles Monopoly, but has more elements of “life” such as jobs, money, marriages, insurance policies and stock trading. It is super fun but it does take 1-1.5 hours to play 1 round, so I recommend this game for a snow day when you have plenty of time to sit around.

4. Hobby Japan – Dobble Kids: Fast paced party game where players must find a common mark between two cards and declare them. Great for all ages.

3. Hopper Entertainment – Recipe: Card game where players must find 6 types of ingredient cards to complete a dish. It teaches about ingredients that go into different types of foods and there elements that teaches how to observe other players’ strategies.

2. Sugorokuya Nanjamonja: Random monster cards are flipped named. When they reappear, players must quickly remember and yell out the name of the monster. This game always results in big laughs.

1. Bandai Demon Slayer Playing Card: Demon Slayer (the anime) continue to occupy the entire family’s attention (including parents as well as the youngest) . This game has 5 different ways to play including memory matching and karuta. Lots of pictures and lines from the Demon Slayer movie makes us feel nostalgic and excited.