What’s your favourite Christmas Game?

What would Christmas be without a good game to stop everyone falling asleep in front of Oliver Twist until it’s time for Turkey sandwiches at 9 o’clock? Though the kids might protest that board games are boring, they’ll soon get into it, and will often be the most competitive.

Scrabble is as old as the hills, and amongst those with large vocabularies can get very exciting. The game consists of a board with squares that dictate whether the value of a letter will be doubled or trebled. Players have seven letters with which to make words with the highest value. The official rules have now been changed so that names are allowed, making it easier for younger children to play.

Trivial Pursuit will test your family’s general knowledge – make sure that you buy an up to date version though, as it’s not fair to make children answer questions about pop music in the ‘80s. Players have to answer questions about a variety of topics – handle with care, as this game can get heated.

Any CSI fans in the family? Cluedo will suit them down to the ground, as the game involves identifying whodunit and howdunit. One person chooses a character to kill, and a murder weapon to kill them with, and the rest of the players have to work it out. This game can get quite involved, and those who play often develop note taking strategies that make them hard to fool. There are quite a few spinoff games and books available for those who really get into it.

It’s no surprise that Britain’s favourite Christmas game is Monopoly. Traditional boards can be a little bit dreary though, so if children are going to play then a themed board like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings might be a better option. The game is essentially based around acquiring real estate, and it can’t be a bad idea to teach your children that owning most of London is a good thing, can it? Then they can keep you in the manner to which you will become accustomed. Interesting fact: British spies used monopoly board to smuggle supplies into POW camps in order to help prisoners escape during the Second World War.

Or, if you have a multi-player games system, or can plug your computer into your TV, why not play Monopoly Slotson Galabingo.com/free along with all their other board game slots? This could be something for the rest of the family to do whilst the last two geniuses stare at the Scrabble board.