The 5 Best Board Games You Might Not Have Heard Of

Below I have listed the top 5 board games which would make great gifts this 2010 Christmas, and all of them provide an interesting twist on the plain old board games everyone has played a hundred thousand times. They all combine basic elements of strategy and luck to create unique gaming experiences each time you play. Everyone from teens to adults should try these out - in time I believe their uniqueness will make these bestsellers.

Carcassonne

This game is easy to learn, fast paced and relatively cheap. It basically involves taking turns placing landscape tiles to build the old French town of Carcassonne in whatever manner the players choose. From there, you gain points for completing roads and castles, farming fields, and manning cloisters. Again the gameplay is simple and the replay value is high.

Alhambra

Alhambra is a card and tile game, in which you purchace different pieces for your individual palace (or Alhambra) with the currency cards you acquire throughout the game. The twist is that there are 4 different currencies, each only able to buy from one market. This game is also simple to learn and not too taxing on the beginner gamer.

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is a fantastic strategy game. It is quite complex and difficult to master, but the variety of pieces ensures that you will never play the same game twice. Each player tries to build up their own Puerto Rican colony, through crop plantation and production as well as through buildings and factories that improve the economy. Once you get the hang of this game the replay value is massive.

Agricola

Agricola, like Puerto Rico, is a very complex strategy game that involves many different resources and cards to give the player nearly infinite unique gaming experience. Players spend their lives with the professionals, resources and improvement of the game to create a successful family than workers. Although very difficult to understand for the first time, Agricola is immense fun and engaging the second for the thousandth time

Settlers of Catan

The Grand Daddy of strategy games in this list includes Catan is a risk, such as style, where players try to create the most powerful empire of Catanthrough settlements, cities, road building and resource accumulation. Perfect for those transitional board gamers who are trying to get away from Monopoly and Clue, Catan remains simple and accessible yet engaging and addictive. I know people who, after playing Catan, became hooked on an online version of the game and played hours each day.

All of these games provide solid entertainment for about an hour and a half each time they are played. They are a nice alternative to watching hours and hours of TV or trying to stay awake through another game of Snakes and Ladders.

Use Games to Teach Spanish to Any Age!

There is an old saying that says 'you can't teach an old dog a new trick,' but this saying isn't necessarily true. Anyone can learn something new no matter how old they are if you find the right motivation and use the right tools. Everyone loves to play games and you can capitalize on this to teach Spanish to any age.

Spanish is already one of the easiest languages to learn in the world and is the second most popular spoken. Use creativity, patience, and persistence to learn Spanish. There are many ways available to learn a new language both online and off. The best method is to make a game out of it. Young and old alike love to play games and these games can keep your mind active.

The most popular game involves flashcards. On one side is a Spanish word and on the other is the English word. Another game is a version of concentration. A grid appears on the screen and you have to pick two tiles and hope they match. Except in this version, one tile is the Spanish word and the other is the English word. Sometimes it is the Spanish word and a picture. You have to match them or you don't get credit for it. You can play against your friends or other online people for prizes and rewards.

Another game involves playing hangman but you have to guess the letters in Spanish. There are crossword puzzle games, Scrabble-like games, word searches, and many others that are Available for learning Spanish while making fun of. Some sites offer a Spanish word of the day. Although this is not a game, it's still a great way to learn new words in Spanish and in your vocabulary. Try to find a way to find the word of the day in your daily use, and will remain the longest word.

Some of these techniques or games like dumb enough for adults, but the harsh reality is that they work and work well. You canlearn almost anything if you make a game of it and Spanish is no different. Use the games with your children or even your co-workers because it is never too late to learn a new language. Everyone wants to have some fun and games can really help you to learn Spanish no matter how old you are!