Identifying Eco-Friendly Board Games for Your Family

Family game night has somewhat lost its magic and has since been replaced with tablets, smartphones and video game consoles. However, family game night is something to look forward to for both parents and children alike because it allows quality time together to bond and have fun with one another. Also, who doesn’t like a little healthy competition?

In a technologically-driven world that’s constantly on the go, it can be challenging for families to find time to spend together. Don’t let your family be the one that sits in the same room together but plays Candy Crush Saga in silence with other online opponents. Reinstate family game night, and reap the benefits.

There are many good reasons to play board games with your family. Board games promote human interaction, mental development and improve relationship skills. They also have a positive effect on your motor skills, school performance and problem-solving skills. In fact, research at the University of Florida has concluded that children who practice strategizing and problem-solving with their parents end up with better memory techniques, and therefore, become more successful problem-solvers.

Eco-Friendly Board Game Ideas

You’ve probably read and heard lots about the green initiative that impacts everything from what you eat to the clothing you wear to the way your home is designed. It doesn’t stop there. You can also become a part of this initiative when you participate in family game night. Identify eco-friendly games that promote a healthy environment as well as teach you and your children about the planet and what can be done to protect it. The other added benefit is, of course, the priceless family time you’ll get out of it.

So unplug from your devices, tune into the now and play these fun eco-friendly board games with your family:

1. eeBoo Games

eeBoo’s motto is to reduce, reuse and recycle. This small family-owned company loves the planet and shows it through their games and education initiatives that promote worldwide preservation. The company also donates $2 of each sale of their Biodiversity puzzle to the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation.

eeBoo’s games are made from simple recycled materials that have no toxic inks and always exceed safety standards. Among their most popular is Gathering a Garden, which will teach your children about gardening. Create a complete garden by collecting items like herbs, flowers, vegetables and more. This may even inspire you to create a real garden, which will teach the kids where food comes from and how to be healthy. This will also reduce the cost of groceries, which will in turn reduce package waste.

Other games from eeBoo include Robot Explorers, where players race around the solar system and pick up specimens from different planets. Slips and Ladders is a green version of the classic Chutes and Ladders — no plastic pieces included.

2. Family Pastimes Games

A Beautiful Place is a fun co-operative ecology game for children that gives players the opportunity to restore the beauty of the world. Learn about environmental concepts, presented in a simple way — like dark pollution clouds and more. Earth Game is another one that teaches players how to manage resources and problem-solve. Games are eco-friendly because they are made of recycled pasteboard and paper, and there are no toxic inks.

3. Late for the Sky Games

Late for the Sky is dedicated to earth-friendly games that use 100 percent recycled paper and only soy-based inks. There are several versions of Monopoly, including Zoo-opoly where you can teach your kids about zoo animals.

Earthopoly is a great spin on Monopoly that celebrates the planet as players try to become earth champions. Teach your children about the Earth and important things like clean air, better water usage, recycling and more. Instead of collecting property, buy carbon credits that can be exchanged for clean air.

Take what you and your family learn from Earthopoly and incorporate it into your daily lives. The preservation of water is a great example. Install low-flow shower heads and toilets and keep the sink off when brushing your teeth to preserve water right at home.

4. Bioviva Games

These earth-friendly games are created by environmental scientists who want to promote an understanding of life on earth. Games are printed on recyclable materials and use eco-friendly ink.

With Bioviva games, teach your kids about the animal world, improve their visual memory and develop their readiness skills, among other things. The Nature Challenge board game specifically helps players learn about common endangered species all over the world.

You can also play Bioviva — yes, the namesake game — and travel around the world while you answer questions about science and nature, in hopes of collecting eco points. The game’s huge catalogue of questions includes over 800 different ones, so you never have to worry about playing the same game twice.

Identifying Eco-Friendly Board Games

Going green and helping the planet is for everyone. You can start small by slowly incorporating greener initiatives into your family’s lifestyle. Swapping out board games that use too much plastic, paper and toxic inks is a great way to start because you can easily transition to eco-friendly options, without losing the fun.

Don’t let going green become a daunting task. Become greener as a family to make the transition easier.