Welcome to The Everything® Games Book! Here you will find a wide selection of the most popular games that your entire family can enjoy together. Not only will you find new and exciting games to play, but you'll have a complete set of easy-to-follow rules and regulations right at your fingertips.
Whether you are planning a party or just spending Sundays at home, The Everything® Games Book provides many activities that your family will love. Each game is rated for age appropriateness: 5+ for ages five and up; 8+ for ages eight and up; 12+ for ages 12 and up; Adult for adults.
The book is divided into 20 distinct chapters, which makes finding the right activity simple. For instance, the first two chapters include the most classic board games of all time. The next six chapters explain the best card games from around the world. You'll find card games for every member of the family, from simple children's games, including Go Fish and Crazy Eights, to the very complicated whist and euchre. Whether you want to play alone or with a large group, cards games are easily adaptable to suit every circumstance, and are sure to provide hours of competitive enjoyment.
You'll also find a chapter that focuses on tile and dice games, featuring Bunco, dice, dominoes, Yahtzee!, and the perennial Chinese favorite, mahjong. While these games do require specific equipment, once you understand how the games work, you'll easily see that it's worth a small investment.Those games that have moved from the rec room to the bar, and now back again, are highlighted in a chapter of their own. More and more people are adding dartboards and pool tables to their homes, creating new excitement around these activities. This book provides the complete rules for each of these pastimes and several others, without the technical jargon that makes them even more confusing. The games presented do require some understanding of the basics of each of these sports; the information in this chapter is not intended to teach you how to throw a dart or hold the cue. However, once you've mastered those basics, you'll be able to play any of the games listed here.
The Everything® Games Book also offers a complete set of outdoor activities, ranging from sports such as croquet and volleyball to children's relay races and hopscotch. The wide assortment includes games for every level of physical coordination. But more important, these outdoor games will motivate you to take family time out into the fresh air. Some of the games require specific equipment, while others require little more than a standard rubber ball, or nothing at all.
The indoor games are the classic games that you grew up with and surely want to pass down to the younger generation. And to keep the kids busy, this book features chapters devoted to children's party games, road-trip games, and playground games. Most of these games require little preparation, and can be adapted to either outdoor or indoor settings.
One chapter presents a small collection of brain teasers for quieter moments during the day. Many of these games are perfect for long drives, or just spending time together before bedtime. Whenever you can squeeze one of these games in, you'll be glad that you did.
It is my hope that The Everything® Games Book will help create quality family time, fostering special moments that your loved ones will treasure forever. And if not, at least you'll know how to beat the pants off of them!