Risk

Our playgroup used Wednesday for an "educational" activity this week. The boys were not interested in making and talking about their own altars for The Day of the Dead, or listening to a book about it, or learning the Mexican Hat Dance, or eating Mexican food with their playgroup friends. They want playgroup to be playgroup. So instead we stayed home and learned how to play Risk.

I was never really a fan when I was a kid, but I'm so loving it now.

There are amazing things to be learned from this game. All those little pieces on the board are roman numerals. We learned them very quickly. Multiplying, or skip counting, depending on whose turn it is, is also essential. We talked about how geography has changed over the years, and what happens to people when someone else takes over their country. And most importantly we learned about sportsmanship. That one has been an ongoing lesson...

We spent at least five hours playing on Wednesday, and left the game on the table for four days before we agreed to call it a draw. I'm thinking about cutting the legs down on one of the tables in the basement to use as a coffee table in the living room. It will take up a lot of room, but will give us a place to leave stuff like this. So far no one else likes the idea except me. One of those tables is leaving the basement either way.