Games to Play When Bored

Board Games for Bored Kids

Probably the words that are most dreaded by every mom alive are "I'm bored." The temptation is high to give your kids some awful chore so they'll never complain about being bored. Next time, try giving them a board game instead.

Strategy games and other games that involve thinking are the best games to play when bored. Anything that gets your creativity going or forces you to think is a great way to break a spell of boredom.

Some good games to try for kids include:

• Kid versions of grown-up games: Everything from Monopoly to Trivial Pursuit to Scrabble has a kids' version these days. And a lot of them are themed to go with the television shows your children are already watching. Try a Spongebob Squarepants version of Life, a Spider-man Sorry! game or Disney-themed Trivial Pursuit.
• Games that involve television: It's sad to say, but some kids will get more interested in a game if it also involves use of the television. The board game Scene It? tests knowledge of television trivia, and there are versions for kids of all ages, including one devoted to Nickelodeon.
• Games that involve movement: Even a little bit of moving around, like what you might do playing Hungry, Hungry Hippos, is better than nothing on a rainy or too-hot day. But there are other games that involve a little more movement, such as Cranium Caddo, a board game that involves acting, sculpting, drawing, solving puzzles and more.
• Thinking games: From dominoes to trivia games, there are tons of board games that will get your kids thinking. Again you can look for themed games to get your kids more excited, such as dominoes with the Disney princesses on them. For older kids try knowledge-based games such as Go to the Head of the Class, BrainQuest or the Head Full of Numbers math game.

Games to Play When Bored: Adult Edition

If it's the grown ups who are looking for games to play when bored, many of the options are the same, just made more complicated for adults.

Trivial Pursuit in all its permutations (from decade-based games to one devoted to books) is always a classic and fun choice, as are Monopoly and Scrabble. There's even an adult version of Cranium, which is fun for people who like to act silly in front of their friends, but is less entertaining for those who just feel silly.

Checkers and chess are great for small groups of adults, or if you have multiple boards you can spend an evening playing a chess or checkers tournament. Or maybe your friends would enjoy learning how to play Parcheesi or backgammon.

There are all sorts of games designed to pit people, often spouses, against each other, such as Battle of the Sexes, Argue, Boxers or Briefs and Dirty Minds.

You'll find no end of trivia games, from a board game version of 20 questions to trivia on all sorts of television shows and movies, to a home version of "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?" Trivia games are a lot of fun because they help you figure out who in your circle of friends really does know it all.

Mystery games are another fun choice for grownups. We all know the classic board game Clue, but there are also CSI games and murder mystery party games if you have a long time and a lot of friends who want to play along.

Another good choice on genre for games to play when you are bored is the strategy game. From Risk to Axis and Allies, Battleship to Settlers of Catan, these games force you to use your brain, outdo your friends and spend a lot of time thinking about something other than being bored.