Fraser McHarg: Home alone with the kids

So here I am with two weeks to go of being a single dad.  So has it been boardgames city since Melissa embarked on her pre-Essen tour?

Given that we only had a few days before school started again, not really.

There’s usually not a lot of time left after getting home, getting dinner and getting things ready for the next day and before bedtime.

There are a few things that we have played recently though…

With the girls aged five and ten, there aren’t really many games that all three of us can play together.  Marrakesh is probably the most successful one to date, but for some reason we haven’t played that for a while.  I will have to suggest it this weekend.

The two main things I have been playing with Daughter the Younger recently are New Mastermind and Catch the Match.  Old age must be impacting her, as I am sure she was quicker at finding the matches in Catch the Match when she was three.

She was the one who brought out New Mastermind.  I am not sure if she had even played it before, perhaps she may have played it with Daughter the Elder or maybe at school.  Anyway she knew how to play, she is currently a bit too helpful though “You have one colour in the right place and it is the blue one”.

Her reading skills are progressing in leaps and bounds so I expect there to be a lot more games open to her in the next six months or so.  I have found that she already has a knack at learning rules by osmosis.  When playing Mystery Rummy: Jekyll and Hyde with Daughter the Elder recently she reminded me to flip the Jekyll/Hide card after I had played a potion card!

Daughter the Elder will often request Settlers of Catan, but without three it is not worth playing.  Interestingly enough she will also normally request Agricola but hasn’t thought of requesting it two player (yet - perhaps we shall see if she is a reader of this column).

Other games that are often requested and played include Stock Market Game, Spy Alley and any of the Mystery Rummy games that we have.  As a side note she told me off for taking Mystery Rummy: Al Capone to work and has requested that I bring it home.

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