Holidays are the perfect time to indulge in board games! Whether you go for one of the classic board games or one of the newer boards on the block, it’s amazing what benefits a simple game can bring. From sharper cognition to the stress relief that comes from having a good laugh, an hour of Scrabble is more valuable than you might think!
While playing a board game, screens are switched off - and that can only be a good thing!
What’s more, board games teach all sorts of valuable life skills, providing a safe environment for practicing effective communication, cooperation, strategising, and conflict management skills. You won’t even know it’s happening!
Here at Bawah, we are big fans of board games. So, you should easily find a staff member who’s keen to crush you at chess, jostle with you at Jenga or slam you at Scrabble!
"Chess is the gymnasium of the mind.”
- Blaise Pascal
The oldest known board game, and with the longest-ever chess game having lasted 20 hours! - the perfect time to play is when you’re on holiday. Curl up in a cosy corner of the Grouper Bar and launch your offensive!
“Life is like a board game.” - Anon.
Did you know that Scrabble was originally named Criss Cross because it was based on the crossword puzzle? Today, Scrabble is one of the top-selling board games of all time, and possibly one of the most accessible for all ages. Ideal to enjoy over sunset cocktails in the Jules Verne Bar.
"The game board is your battlefield.” Stratego
Think armies and battlefields, fortresses and bombs for this classic, strategy-based board game. Definitely one for the Wallace Library - make use of the big board table and enjoy the air-conditioned comfort!
“Brings people together.”
Could you be the first to shout out “Rummikub!”? This might just be the perfect family holiday board game. Designed for two to four players, it’s described as a mixture of the card game rummy and tile-based games like dominoes and mahjong. First invented in communist-occupied Romania in the 1930s and 40s, Rummikub has sold over 50 million units since it was released in the US in the 1970s! Grab a swing in The Boat House and get ready to have some fun!
“You never really know someone until you play
UNO with them...”
UNO is a really fun, multi-player card game for all ages, played with a specially printed pack. To win, you must be the first to get rid of all the cards in your hand. Everyone starts with just seven cards, and players take turns drawing cards from the deck. Watch out for the “pick-up-four-cards card”. And whatever you do, don’t forget to say “UNO” when you place your second-to-last card!
“A party game for horrible people”
Cards Against Humanity is an adult party game in which players complete fill-in-the-blank statements using words or phrases typically deemed offensive, risqué, or politically incorrect printed on playing cards. It can be hilarious fun for grownups with a tongue-in-cheek approach and a resolution not to take offence - attributes that aren’t especially widespread at this time in our history! (You have been warned.)
"The anagram game that will drive you bananas!"
If you’re a Wordle fan, you will love this game. In the hectic race against friends or family to be the first to use all of your letters, beware of the fast ones who will shout “Peel” when they have used up all of their tiles, forcing you to take another tile from the “bunch”.
Here’s a list of all the games available at Bawah for our guests’ enjoyment.
So, wallow in the cool comfort of our Wallace Library with a cunning game of Stratego. Pull up a chair in the Grouper Bar for a sunset Scrabble challenge, or indulge in cocktails and Jenga in the Jules Verne Bar. We promise you’ll have fun - with no screens or devices in sight!