Is There a Perfect Place to Play?

Paul L. from Oklahoma writes…

Hello, Father Geek!

Glad to see a site dedicate to us fathers, geeks, and the life we live. Huzzah!

I keep seeing the same table in your photos. Is this your family kitchen table you are always mentioning? If so, do you always play your games there? In your opinion, where is the best place to teach and play games with your children?

Thanks for considering to post my question on your website!

Paul

My pleasure, Paul, and thanks for taking the time to write in. I always enjoy getting emails from my readers.  Now, to your questions!

Yes, indeed, that is my kitchen table and is where I currently play games with my boys, but not because it’s the “best place”. Certainly, the family kitchen table is a great location to play games because it’s one of those few places in your home that your entire family might frequently gather. And while I would like to wax poetically about how the “kitchen table” is really a metaphor for family togetherness and quality time, that is simply not my reasons for playing there.

I play at the kitchen table for the following three reasons:

1. It’s convenient
   The table is big enough to fit my family and is almost certainly big enough to fit any games I play with my boys.
2. It’s familiar
   Everyone already has their space at the table, and the boys feel comfortable and relaxed. You couldn’t ask for a better location and environment to teach and play games.
3. My youngest son is a crawling monster
   At 1 year old, my youngest son crawls everywhere. If anything is on the floor, it’s only a matter of time before it’s in his mouth. Some games have small choking pieces and it simply isn’t a good idea to put a delicious meeple or pawn within reaching distance of a precocious baby. Gulp. Gag. Uh-oh.

In all seriousness, I wouldn’t make light of where you play games. You should do your best to find a place where there is enough space for the game and the players, the playing area is well lit, and the general surroundings are comfortable. You should also avoid high traffic areas or noisy places. People coming and going, and a lot of noise can be distracting and make it hard to concentrate.

But the best place? Easy. Anywhere you and your kids can have fun and laugh.