Life has been pretty heavy the last two years, hasn’t it? When the demands of life can seem overwhelming, there is a perfect antidote to that, and that’s play. Playing together as a family is important for many reasons which is why we’ve teamed up with Jaques of London – 8th generation toy makers who have been delivering family fun since 1795 – to talk more about the benefits of playing together as a family.
About Jaques of London
Jaques is the oldest toys and games company in the world. Passed down from father to son for eight generations, Jaques have been responsible for inventing many well-known games, such as Croquet, Ping Pong, Snakes and Ladders, Ludo, Tiddledy Winks, The Staunton Chess Set, Happy Families, Snap and many more. They have learnt a lot about toys and games since we opened our doors in 1795 and have since expanded their product range extensively, now specialising in wooden toys and games across all ages and needs. Developed by UK teachers, our customers can guarantee that our toys have multiple educational benefits as well as endless hours of fun.
They make impressively high-quality toys which are still excellent value, and packaged beautifully too. They are perfect for those who are wanting to make a move away from plastic toys, and instead enjoy toys that are made with care, quality and attention to detail, which you can very much tell they are.
So without further ado, here we share some reasons why playing together as a family is important.
Building strong relationships
First and foremost, any time spent playing together as a family is beneficial because it serves as quality time together. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it can be all too tempting to spend any spare minute you have ticking off chores and to-dos, but taking out time to play together as a family is a must because it helps to strengthen family bonds, and open up possibilities for communication in a non-formal setting. It can also help to smooth over any bad feelings or resentment that may still be lurking around from past instances.
Bringing joy
Playing together as a family instantly lightens the mood and brings plenty of fun, giggles, jokes and entertainment to the mix. When we play, we release our inner child and get onto a similar level as our kids…which obviously they love! By scheduling a games afternoon, or evening, or simply instigating an ad-hoc family play session, you’ll be opening up the door to plenty of joy and playfulness which helps you step away from the daily grind of life.
Playing is good for everyone’s wellbeing
Playing together as a family is one of the best things you can do for your family and children’s well-being. Playing and spending quality time together creates a deeper sense of belonging and is linked to lower stress levels making it the perfect antidote to a world dominated to busy schedules and screentime. Children of families who play together are also known to have higher levels of self-esteem.
Playing together is child’s play!
A lot of parents tend to find playing with their children a chore or get easily distracted after a few minutes. Remember, playing together as a family shouldn’t be boring or stressful. Find something that you all genuinely enjoy. When you naturally love an activity your energy will feed into that of your kids making it a win-win situation. This brings me on to my next point….
Re-discovering the joy of play
We are big fans of the range from Jaques of London which has so many great family games and opportunities for some good old-fashioned fun. Their Hoopla game (£16.99) has a permanent place on our living room wall so that we can inject some fun with a little play “snack” throughout the day. And for a family game on a wet and windy afternoon their Bingo set complete with caller machine (£19.99) will leave you all feeling young and keen. Tip: see how many ridiculous bingo calls you can make up for extra fun factor!
Why not head over to Jaques of London and stock up on some family games which are perfect for playing together as a family and having a giggle?
Take a look at their range of family games here
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With quarantine I discovered how important spending time with my family was, and just how much I loved it
I completely agree that playing together with your family definitely builds the bond. It creates a sort of togetherness that they’ll always remember and feel connected to.
Oh wow, these toys look really fun! We have a No Screens morning every other Saturday where everyone plays together, and it really brings our family closer together. I will check out that Hoopla game, as it looks perfect.