Thursday, January 27, 2011

Who's Homeschooling Whom?


My buddy, the one who traffics in Naples Real Estate, came over the other night and taught me how to play backgammon - at least the basics.

It was one of these things that came up because, in the course of homeschooling my children I'm continually on the prowl for new games (of skill) for them to enjoy and learn from. We've already been all over a bunch of good ones: Bananagrams, Chess, Boggle,..., and the latest I bought was Qwirkle.

I had never really thought that the 5,000 year old game of backgammon was a *game of skill* - even though I hadn't played it more than once or twice as a child. It struck me as a poker-like game where superior skill manifested itself only *in the long run*. Yawn! For the record, I'm not at all a fan of poker. The game just moves too slowly for me.

But after my night of backgammon instruction, I became sort of intrigued by the game. I'm definitely going to introduce it to my kids. Heck, they've been pleading with me all week to teach them how to play - ever since I bought a $4 board from Toys R'Us.

Oh, how much I've already learned from learning them!

See also - Homeschooling - Collateral Education.

2 comments:

Anne Galivan said...

Check out cribbage. I used to play as a teen with my siblings and cousins on family vacations. Hadn't played for years but then my mom and aunt got me to play the last time I was visiting. I told them it had to have been invented by drunk people (if you follow the traditional play). Anyway, you might enjoy it. It moves pretty quick once you know how to play.

Do you play other card games with them? Gin, hearts? My dad taught my kids and their cousins how to play several card games and you could always find him playing cards with his grandkids at any family function. One of so many things we miss about him.

CaptiousNut said...

I played cribbage growing up. The kids might enjoy it, but it hit a ceiling for me long ago. Too much luck once you've got the game down.

Hearts - I do love. Spades and gin - not nearly as much.

I've been eager to learn bridge for years. I KNOW I'll love it. But I've been saving it.

I'll probably start in a couple years, when it's time for my son to play.

I'm really, really getting into chess now. Will join a local adult club when I get back to the snow.