Game Closet: Go Away Monster!

There are a lot of "experience it again for the first time" moments that I've had lately as the Mu is turning the corner and headed towards 3 years old.  In addition to him springing a Disney consciousness, and able to talk with me about Peter Pan, Mowgli, Beauty & the Beast, and (personal favorite) Aladdin, he's also able to tell me that he loves Chewbacca and Yoda - though he has no idea who they are or why.

Now board games have become a part of our regular play, and it all started with Gamewright's "Go Away Monster," quite possibly the best early, early-childhood game out there.  

The game is simple (as it should be): up to 4 players, each with their own board pick tiles out of a bag in order to decorate their room; if they draw a tile with a monster on it, they ceremoniously yell "Go Away Monster!" and throw it back in the box (or, if you are playing with a rowdy 2-year old, across the room, into the fireplace, out the window, etc.).  If players draw a tile for an object they already have, they are supposed to share it with another player who doesn't have that object.  The first person to complete their board is the winner.


In practice, and with all games played with a toddler, the rules of "Go Away Monster" end up being more flexible.  Mu likes to lay out all four boards and decorate all of the boards, regardless of the number of players.  He also loves sharing tiles with Lady Rad or myself, regardless of whether he could use the tile himself - a trait for which I couldn't be happier.  In fact, rules or no, the key components he's getting from this game are: taking turns, sharing, and cooperation; and in games or in life, those are pretty key concepts to learn, I'm so happy he's learning them this early.

Games take no longer than 10 minutes and require very little set up or take down.  It's a perfect introduction to boardgaming, along with being a perfect time-passer while waiting for dinner to be ready.  We're already making our way to more complex games, but for the time being "Go Away Monster" is a must-have for little gamers.

In short, I'm raising a little nerd, which I am proud of - but I also promise Future-Teenage Mu that I will teach him how to throw a football and catch a pop-fly.