Until second grade, I lived in a historic house with horrible TV reception. The only channel that was fuzz-free was PBS. But we were never bored. Instead of watching TV after dinner, we would spend time together as a family playing games. I loved those family game nights, and I think they are one of the reasons why my memories of those years are incredibly happy.
Game Nights are a fun and low-cost way to spend some quality time with your kids. So turn off the TV, put down the Blackberry, and let your cellphone go to voicemail….it’s time to make some happy memories!
I recently had the chance to review “I Spy Private Eye” ($24.99 at www.briarpatch.com or $22 at Amazon). Many children’s games are incredibly boring to adults, but I Spy Private Eye 
To play, you place nine picture blocks into the Jumbler, shake up the blocks and open the lid. You only have 30 seconds to memorize the I SPY pictures on the blocks before they are hidden from view. Then you pick an I SPY picture card and score points by finding the images that match the blocks.
Playing this game is like a workout for your brain. If you don’t want to be completely trounced by your kids, you’ll actually need to concentrate. But you don’t have to take my word for it. I Spy Private Eye won the Fall 2008 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval.
Here is what The National Parenting Center has to say about I Spy Private Eye:
“A nearly perfect marriage of mental challenge and fun, the I Spy series continues to rack up Seal after Seal. This game enhances memorization skills, something we could all use no matter what the age. Private Eye manages to keep the mental gears spinning while providing a great sense of accomplishment for tackling the challenges of each round. The skill of visual memorization are a muscle that needs exercise and, trust us, this one is a workout, and a heck of a lot of fun.”
WIN IT:
Briarpatch Games is giving one lucky Mamanista reader a chance to win this fabulous family game. For a chance to win I SPY Private Eye, check out the other I SPY Games available at Briarpatch, and leave a comment on this post by 11:59pm on September 25, 2008 letting us know which other I SPY Game you’d be interested in trying.
