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"King me!" "Checkmate!" "Connect Four!" Do any of those expressions of enthusiasm sound familiar? If so, you already know that words are bound to fly when you break out Milton Bradley’s classic board games. Now, a selection of your beloved favorites won’t be played at your kitchen table, but on your PC. Save games already in progress against a wide variety of artificial intelligence opponents, each with characteristics that can be tough to beat. School the competition, and you’ll ultimately make it to the master level. New to the board game gauntlet? Onscreen tutorials conducted by Ace, your animated host, explain each game in detail, so you’ll be as versed as the experts in very little time. Choose any one of the 10 animated characters to play as, and then select your level of play. The high scores board keeps tab on your progress, games won and lost and your high score. Strap into the multiplayer hot seat and compete against up to four players or opponents over the Internet. It’s truly fun for the whole family. Check it out now!

Presents under the tree absolutely must include fun board games for Christmas.  There are short games, long games, games for little ones, games for grown-ups, and games for everybody in between.  Whether it’s the new Twilight game or an old stand-by like Monopoly, with so many fun board games to choose from, your only problem will be which one to play first!

People with special needs often love board games.  Sure, there is the fun of competition, and it’s always good to learn new things.  Games offer the chance to practice new skill sets, to develop the ability to synthesize concepts, to work toward a particular goal, and to enhance social skills.  That last one alone is worth the price of a game or two.

My son is the director of a therapeutic riding center for special needs clients.  Many of us miss out on the warmth and love offered by folks with special needs because we are uncomfortable with people who are different.  We don’t know what to say or how to act.  The shortcoming is ours, not theirs.  We take for granted that the physical differences we see are indicators of a different heart.  If there is a different heart, it is often bigger and more open than our own.

We could all take the chance to get to know someone outside our comfort zone.  Maybe a point of connection could be an afternoon of game play.  How about Bingo or Dominoes?  Think big and bright.  Pick a couple of board games for special needs children or adults and volunteer some time at a local day camp or group home.  You’ll be the one who gets the most from the effort.

 Board Games for ADULTS???  Okay, "for Adults" doesn’t have to mean "for Adults," if you know what I mean. 

Seriously, most of us just want to have some good conversation, good company, and good clean fun when we socialize.  What better way to enjoy the company of friends than with a peaceable evening spent playing a game or two.  Put on a pot of coffee, heat up some banana bread or a coffee cake, and pull out a crowd-pleasing board game.

 Fun board games for teens just sounds like you’re trying too hard.  Really.  But you’re not.  Young people are just people.  They have friends.  They like to do things with the people they like.  They get tired of trying to say the right thing, wear the right clothes, hang with the right crowd.  Heck, they get tired of just trying to figure out what all of that is.  They need some easy-going time with no big consequences — just a chance to slow down a bit now and then.  Offer them a board game party.

Risk, Yahtzee, Pictionary, Scattergories, Trivial Pursuit — all of these lend themselves to team play.  Trivial Pursuit comes in a number of variations, so if they’re big Lord of the Rings fans, go with that one.

They will, however, play with a different intensity than their parents.  "Soorrryyy" could take on a whole new meaning at your house.  Player pieces may well be slapped around the board with more energy than one might expect.  The Game of Life could be assigned choices not listed in the rules.  Scene It will cause them to monopolize the television while Monopoly will give them time to take over the refrigerator.  Who cares?  They’re home, at your house, laughing like crazy and having more fun than they ever thought.  No keggers, no missing parents, no car trouble — just friends and food and fun.  Even teens have fun with board games.

 We don’t always think about board games for preschoolers when we think about their play.  Little ones run and jump and fall and get up and do it again.  We sometimes limit their calm time to television — cartoons and children’s movies are quite good.  Still, we miss out on some important training for small ones, as well as missing time spent together in an atmosphere of calm.  More and more, children are losing the art of polite conversation and civilized interaction with adults.  One solution?  Bring out the games!

Pre-school board games help children to develop skills they will need in reading.  They learn to match colors, count, recognize letters and their sounds, think sequentially, win graciously and lose gracefully.  These are pretty important concepts.  Candyland and Chutes and Ladders will wear you out, because your youngster will want to play again and again.  There are all kinds of dominos (I know — not strictly a board game) that allow children to match cartoon characters rather than dots.  There are games that let them match picture cards arranged on a grid and games that require fine motor skills.  You’ll find that all of them are great fun for your four-year old.

Take the plunge.  Board games with your pre-schooler.  How much fun can you cram into one day?

 The foundation of board games:  children’s board games.  I’m talking heart of childhood, elementary school, make a game out of everything age group.  They make their own board games.  They play board games at school when the weather is bad.  They play board games all summer long in the floor, usually in the doorway to the kitchen.  They just play.  So what do they play?

Old stand-bys are still loved.  Checkers and Chess are easily obtained and only take two people.  Monopoly can take an entire afternoon and even then may not end with a clear winner.  There’s a Monopoly Jr. now that is perfect for beginning readers and only takes about thirty minutes to play.

Sorry and Trouble, with it’s great Pop-O-Matic dice tumbler, remain crowd favorites.  The Game of Life has become pretty convoluted, but kids still like to play it.  Mouse Trap is fun to build and has the added value of a half hour of trapping mice once the game is done.  Upper grade levels have a great time with Clue and Colonel Mustard and the Library — with the candlestick.  Then there are cartoon-based games (think Spongebob) and Junior versions of Trivial Pursuit and Cranium.  And Chinese Checkers and Parcheesi and Operation and Tri-Bond and Mancala and Aggravation and Backgammon and Scrabble and — oh, you get the idea.  The list of children’s board games is as long as your imagination.