The greening power of game night.
There are so many aspects to sustainability, from small, personal actions such as vowing to not use plastic straws (single use straw FAQs), to larger and more prominent approaches such as building a LEED rated building (info on LEED). Another piece not often discussed is the community side of greening. There are so many activities and events that can support a strong fabric of interdependence, resilience and creativity.
So with that broad, world changing tone, here I am to talk about…game night. Yes, game night.
Friends joining us to play Pandemic: a collaborative game in which all players work together to save the world.
Our family of three enjoys Wednesday game night nearly every week, and several full-day or weekend gametimes usually during holidays or long weekends. We play Settlers of Catan in many of its formations (the final argument that won me over, thank goodness, to having a child was having a guaranteed third to play Settlers!). We play Uno and Parcheesi, Carcassonne, Empire Builder, Pandemic…basically any game and many of them. I’m not a fan of Monopoly (collective, gasp, I know) or Risk, but I’ll even play those occasionally.
Empire Builder – Erik is seriously focused.
Why do I say that game night is a sustainable choice? It has kept us from parking our butts in front of the TV. It has introduced us to the neighborhood as in the summer we tend to play out on the front porch and we chat with those walking by. It has helped us to laugh, to tease, to listen, to learn how to get over losing and to win with a little grace, though we each tend to have our good days and bad days with those last two skills. It has made our family stronger and more connected. I suspect this connection will not only last through Erik’s teenage years but will also give us the groundwork and the time/place to talk through some of the tough issues that are sure to come up as he enters public high school.
Parcheesi – an old and seemingly simple game, with some interesting strategy. Erik is, at this point, losing.
I may have mentioned before that I try to assess sustainability by asking #whatifeveryonedidit, and this certainly helps me to understand the greening power of game night. What if every family or apartment full of co-renters unplugged for one night and played a game? What if we all played games that challenged our spelling or math or logic skills, or our trading and communication or even our silliness? What if we spent one evening a week (or even a month) just hanging out with friends of all ages, without focusing on pick-ups, what we are wearing or spending money out for food, drink and entertainment? I mention “all ages” because we love playing with Erik’s friends and with our friends with kids. The perspectives are so cool, and the ability to joke and banter with different ages, appropriately, is often as challenging as the game. What if we all remembered how to talk with people of varying ages? Wow. What a world that would be.
Grab a game or two and make a night of it. Make a habit of it. You’ll never regret it, and you’ll also be a little bit greener.
Jodi
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