Finding Games for your Homeschool

As the summer moves on, many homeschoolers are planning their curriculum or finding new materials to strew for the coming year.

It’s pretty obvious that I think board games are a wonderful teaching tool, whether you choose specifically educational games created to teach multiplication skills, US geography, or any other set of skills, or whether you choose to explore any and all board games to enhance a variety of social and thinking skills.

All of the posts here at The Homeschool Classroom that fall into the games category have some wonderful ideas – but where should you start looking for these games?

• big retail stores (like Target or Toys R Us) generally carry a good variety of the basic games as well as a handful of slightly more unusual games.
• you may be lucky enough to have a game store near you. If you think you don’t have a game store in your community, try stopping by a local comic or hobby shop – many now carry at least a small selection of unusual games.
• garage sales and thrift stores are a good source, especially in the summer, for all kinds of games, including many you’ve never heard of. Take a chance on that 25 cent game! Even if you only play it twice or use it for parts, it’s worth it!
• many online stores including Amazon and specialty game stores like Funagain Games are a good way to find more unusual games, including those that are specially marketed with a particular educational slant.
• other online sources include trying eBay auctions, VegSource swap and sale offers, or the to trade and for sale areas of BoardGameGeek. Like with garage sales, it’s harder to control what you can find through these sources but the prices are generally much better.

If you have any other resources for finding board games for your homeschool collection, please share them with us!

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In between board games, PisecoMom homeschools her two kids over at Mind Games.

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