Hi Jane - I can picture you with hair up - hahaha
I was never very good with hair, when my kids were little - I was more into games especially the sort that need active participation - one of my favorites was Elefun - basically a blower shaped like an elephant, and lots of colourful butterflies puffed up out of the trunk and we all had to run around catching them - well the kids did! I also remember lots of variations on fishing games - you know with magnets or velcro, and the kids have rods and have to pick up fish. We had stacks of board games - even things like Ludo were really good to do - I liked the fact that it taught them counting skills as well as the basic rules of taking turns etc. I distinclty remember a lovely book of board games with pop up pictures and stand-up counters shaped like princess or astronauts - the kids really enjoyed that for what seemed like years! we gradually progressed onto Junior monopoly and even now my son (aged 20) likes to play Monopoly and Rummikub when he comes home from uni.
Oh yes and I introduced card games very early on - I always carried a pack of cards around, so if we got stuck waiting for a train or flight then we could always play - and now my eldest still enjoy playing cards with their friends (I'm probably not cool enough to join in!!). A game of cards can involve as many as you want - there's 6 of us, so it was always useful if we could all play the same game together. My basic thinking was that any game has to have some "adult appeal" - if it bored me then it didn't get played very often, but the really imaginative and colourful board games were fun for us all, especially if the rules were a bit complicated and then I had to act as "banker" and make sure it was played fairly by all!
This has been fun thinking back - but not all children are the same - one of my daughters has never really enjoyed board games and always gets bored and wanders back to her netbook or gameboy. It's a shame as those electronic devices are not as sociable as real, live, active games - but that is her personality and I've learnt not to argue.
Have lots of fun with your little one Jane - she'll grow up so quickly!
Cheers - Sylvia xxx
Be kinder than is necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle
