Every now and then I catch an advert on the TV advertising their variety of board games under the catch phrase ‘Family Games Night’.

It’s a clever way to advertise. Firstly, it makes you question yourself about whether or not you save a special night in the week just for the family to play games together. No TV! You ask yourself, if you are not doing this then why not? Are we watching too much TV? Probably. So secondly the guilt sets in and you give this idea some more thought.

I keep telling my family that I think it’s a great idea. Have we got around to it yet? Yes and No. We have tried it  in a sporadic kind of fashion not on a set night. Although I would like to have the determination to save a night for it each week. I know that the few times we have had a games night the children love it.

It has also been an eye opener regarding my children’s playing skills. I have discovered that one child is a very bad loser! Therefore, more experience at playing board games or card games together can develop many skills such as : turn taking, losng, understanding rules and team cooperation. It is also a great way to deal with all these new feelings.

Anyway, with this topic in mind, I have made a game using recycled resources:

TIC TAC TOE or NOUGHTS & CROSSES

Step 1 - collect resources

Bottletops - from juice cartons and cleaned

Card - recycled from a Duvet label

Stickers – old out of date computer labels cut in half

Ruler, pencil, pen and scissors.

Step 2 – line the board

• Cut the card into a square shape
• Divide it into 9 squares

Step 3 - make the counters

You can use a variety of colours to make the game more attractive or choose your child's favourite colours!

• Draw ‘O’  shapes and ‘X’ shapes on the stickers
• Cut the stickers out and stick them onto the lids.

Enjoy the game!

For more recycled activities to keep your young ones busy during the school holidays click on the following link: Reduce, reuse, recycle