Monopoly Craze

  When I was 9 years old, I lived in Bolivia, South America, on a missionary base where my parents were serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators. I had a few female friends close in age, and I distinctly remember our long Monopoly games in my bedroom.  It was SO fun.

  When our eldest children were the same age, I never played Monopoly with them. Because ya know, Monopoly tends to be a LONG game.  And I never have time for long games.

 BUT, Kevin and I cleverly provided a host of siblings and if memory serves me, Naomi and Lydia played some Monopoly back when they were that age.

  Now, they are teens, and they can really run things efficiently and well, and we're experiencing a healthy and fun Monopoly craze.  The older 6 kids have played at one time or another.

  Monopoly is actually a pretty good fit for a group of siblings who are a range of ages.  There is a ton of luck involved in the dice rolls, so if a younger child has a good day, she can indeed win against her older and wiser siblings.

 But isn't all dumb luck.  Our kids have played a fair amount of War as well, which is 100% luck. They enjoy it, as I did when I was a child, but it is totally mindless.  Monopoly does involve strategic planning, not to mention working with numbers.

 So yeah, fun game, and even a bit educational.  I'm enjoying this season of life where the kids can play games together.