You wake up in the morning, and there it is. Snow. You know that school will be canceled before you get the call. Snow days can quickly devolve into a screenfest for the kids (and you), but they don’t have to. Instead, make snow day a family game day.
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Stay-at-home-mom Nicole Brady says that having a robust stock of games is key to staying sane during snow days. “We have an extensive game library,” says Brady, who is a publisher at SahmReviews.com, a site offering advice for stay-at-home parents. “So, for snow days we are armed with multiple games to choose from in different genres, so it doesn’t get boring.”
1. Stephen Joseph Memory Game Set
Price: $9.90 at StephenJosephGifts.com
Players: Two or more
Ages: 2 and up
This brightly colored game, which is available in pink and blue, helps improve memory skills for kids and adults. It’s easy to play and features cards with cute animals. Players match the animals from memory, and the player with the most matches wins.
2. Fuzzy Fliers Coco the Barking Babbling Dog
Price: $24.99 at FuzzyFlyers.com
Players: One or more
Ages: all
This interactive dog plays two different games: “Dance Party,” where you dance on his command, and “Bark Attack,” where you race to pick him up once he’s rolled. He has intelligent sensors that respond to movement and lots of zany sayings. There’s also Chirpie the Bird, who has his own games and sayings.
3. Peaceable Kingdom The Memory Palace Cooperative Game for Kids
Price: $15.99 at Amazon
Players: Two to four
Ages: 5 and up
Players weave stories — the more complex the better — based on different game tokens. Opponents must recount the tales, so paying attention is a must. The game includes plenty of Palace Tiles, Animal Tokens and Memory Monster Tokens to make every round interesting.
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Price: $14.99 at Target
Players: One to eight
Ages: 7 and up
The party edition of this spelling game will keep kids occupied. Party Power tiles really mix things up, allowing you to wreak havoc on the players of your choice by doing things like stealing their letters or making them run around the table. Tiles are packaged in a fabric banana with a zipper, making it a great travel game as well.
5. Googly Eyes
Price: $16.99 at Wal-Mart
Players: Four to 16
>Ages: 7 and up
This super silly take on drawing games brings things to a whole new level with vision-altering glasses and other crazy pitfalls. There are more than 150 challenges and three levels for hours of entertainment.
6. Peaceable Kingdom You Guessed It
Price: $9.99 at Peaceable Kingdom
Players: Two to six
Age: 7 and up
This twist on the classic 20 Questions game includes 100 multicategory cards. You choose the word, and players get 20 questions to guess it. Can be played collaboratively or competitively.
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Price: $9.99 at Toys R Us
Players: Two to four
Ages: 8 and up
This modern version of an old favorite was created in partnership with Buzzfeed, where readers voted on their favorite destinations around the globe. Players aim to visit and buy as many locations as possible to fill their passports with stamps.
8. Timeline Science and Discoveries Educational Card Game
Price: $9.79 at Target
Players: Two to eight
Ages: 8 and up
In this educational game, players are asked to arrange scientific milestones and inventions in chronological order, from the development of agriculture to the discovery of the first Tyrannosaurus skeleton. The game is compact and includes 110 cards. There are six other games in the series, including Music and Cinema and Events.
9. Trivial Pursuit Family Edition Game
Price: $14.92
Players: Two or more
Ages: 8 and up
Adult fans of Trivial Pursuit may find it difficult to play it with their school-age children. In this new family-friendly version, players can choose “Cards For Kids” or “Cards for Adults” in six categories, with 1,200 questions in all. Individual or team play is available for family fun.
10. Spot It Party
Price: $19.59 at Wal-Mart
Players: Two or more
Ages: 10 and up
Players match symbols from their own card to a central card. The symbols vary in size from card to card, so you really have to be on your game to win. This enhanced version of the original Spot It has cardholders and a Hand Mascot, which are incorporated at times into six new mini-games, like Dynamite and Double Frenzy.
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10 Budget-Friendly Games for a Snow Day originally appeared on usnews.com
