
If Covid19 has taught us one thing, it’s that we’re never too old, or too young, for board games. In light of this, the Canterbury Toy Library have jumped on board and have an amazing selection of your favourite games that can be loaned, learned and taught in the comfort of your own home. Borrowing can take place weekly or fortnightly, with a simple visit to the welcoming nostalgia filled toy library. Games on offer range in difficulty, equipment required and instruction level. So there’s always something that will suit you and your child! Here’s some of our top board game tips so your family can start enjoying them today!
Family time
Board games have evolved over the years encouraging healthy competition and positive social interaction. Taking part in games as a family can provide opportunities to come together and spend quality time learning a new skill or playing with the parents! Making an effort to set aside family time during the week where games can be learnt and played enables a sense of structure and consistency for children. It also becomes a time children will look forward to and gain many vital social skills from.
Fairness
Board games are important in demonstrating how to play with fairness. With turn taking being a very big focus in board game play, children will learn about sharing and being patient while they wait for their turn. Playing fairly involves everyone having a common and shared understanding of the game rules so this is a must before the game begins. Encourage your child to repeat some of the key rules back to you to ensure they are clear.

Listening
Children need to use lots of listening skills and visual learning plays a big role in board games as often children learn best from play or modeled actions. Modeling or having a practice run through of the game can give your child an opportunity to ask clarifying questions before game play officially begins.
Resilience
We all love winning, however, playing board games teaches us how to be really good losers. Missing a turn, sliding down a snake or rolling a zero can be disheartening, yet our children can quickly grow in resilience and will soon learn to let go and carry on with the game. Losing is a part of life and it is really helpful to model this life skill for children in a safe, game based setting. An understanding of resilience is important for children to take with them into primary school.
Teamwork
Games require not only competition but cooperation. Teamwork will see children working together or against one another in order to win the game. It is important for children to see how working as a team can help them more in some styles of games than others. Teamwork is an integral skill that will equip your child for collaboration in a schooling or sporting environment.

Canterbury Toy Library are very grateful recipients of an $8,777 grant kindly made possible by the City of Boroondara and the Rotary Club of Balwyn. This grant will help to expand our range of toys and games for children aged 3-8+ as they grow into the early primary years.
It’s now up to you to get your head in the game by browsing and borrowing at the Canterbury Toy Library next Saturday morning!
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