It should come as no surprise that National Game and Puzzle Week coincides with the Thanksgiving holiday each year. After all, it’s a week intended to foster connections, make memories, and show gratitude for those who mean the most in our lives. The act of dropping what you’re doing to sit across a table from someone to play a board game or put the pieces of a puzzle together does all those things, too. What better way to show gratitude than by giving someone the gift of your time and attention? At Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, we also love the opportunity this week offers to unplug from the TV and other media devices and enjoy some good, old-fashioned family fun. 

Here are just a few more ways Game and Puzzle Week can enhance your Thanksgiving holiday…

1. Games and Puzzles are Sustainable Entertainment – Board games and puzzles are inherently sustainable because they are items families tend to hold onto for years (as long as you don’t lose a puzzle piece or board game piece). With a large stash of games and puzzles that you play often, you’re an environmental steward superstar, without even trying. If you tire of a particular puzzle or game after years of playing, consider donating it to a local charity for families or children. It’s one of the most fun forms of recycling.
2. Games and Puzzles Boost Cognitive Skills – Puzzles are a fantastic tool for teaching little ones spatial awareness, problem-solving, fine motor skills, and critical thinking. If it’s a puzzle they’re completing with others, it also teaches an invaluable lesson in teamwork. As for board games, depending on the game, they will learn strategic thinking (e.g., chess, Risk, and Monopoly), problem-solving (e.g., Clue, Battleship, and Mastermind), vocabulary and spelling skills (e.g., Scrabble and Boggle), and memory enhancement (e.g., The Game of Memory and Trivial Pursuit)
3. Games and Puzzles Teach the Value of Being a Gracious Winner or Loser – Players of all ages can often use a refresher course in this one. There’s truth in the phrase “nobody likes a sore loser.” It all begins with creating a low-stress game-playing environment – amp up the fun factor and tone down the competitive spirit. When you notice someone might not be having fun, take a break and grab a snack before resuming play. Talk openly about the importance of good sportsmanship and cheering for your loved ones and friends when they win. Both winning and losing provide beneficial opportunities to learn how to regulate one’s emotions.
4. Games and Puzzles Offer an Opportunity to Start a New Tradition – From watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade together to going around the table and conveying what you are most grateful for, this holiday is steeped in tradition. In addition to enjoying your favorite Thanksgiving dishes – like turkey, stuffing, and green bean casserole – you can introduce a new dish or tradition to the “table.” One fun game and puzzle-related idea is to break out a new puzzle for the kids to put together while the grownups work their magic in the kitchen, or to gather together to play a new board game between the main meal and dessert.
5. Games and Puzzles Make Excellent Host/Hostess Gifts – If you’re not hosting Thanksgiving in your own home this year, but will be dining at the table of a family member or friend, consider bringing a dish and a host/hostess gift. Bring a holiday-themed puzzle to the festivities or select a newly released board game. That way, you’ll be contributing to the day’s entertainment as well as the meal. Chances are, every time the hosting family puts together the puzzle or plays the game you brought, they’ll remember your thoughtfulness. 

Beyond conveying the value of playing board games and putting together puzzles, we would be remiss if we didn’t share a list of some of the hottest environmentally-focused games – many of which are available for purchase on Amazon:

• Wingspan
• Photosynthesis
• Planet
• Terraforming Mars
• My Little Scythe
• Power Grid
• Oceans
• Ark Nova
• Everdell
• Parks

And don’t forget: If your board game includes battery-operated components, be sure to recycle those batteries instead of tossing them in the trash, where they will wind up in the landfill!

From all of us here at Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, we wish you and yours a blessed and fun-filled Thanksgiving holiday!Source: The 10 Best Environmental Board Games: Fun with a Green Message – Board Whale https://boardwhale.com/?p=103