I've been bitten by the board game bug. Not just board games but card games too. They're come a long way since I was a kid playing the card game 500, Monopoly (aka monotony) and Game of Life (the last two are known as roll and move games). These games can get pretty frustrating, as there's not a lot of skill involved, it's mostly luck. Modern games on the other hand are full of tactics, strategy and are lots of fun.

I love discovering new things and having new experiences and board games do both in one handy box! Even better you can collect them, share them and play them again and again. The games I go for are the ones with gorgeous art work and beautiful components. I also have a thing for a box with a great insert that organises all the bits and pieces properly.

Just like books (another passion of mine), board games have authors and publishers. I've already got some favourite publishers (Z-Man, iello, anything by Gamewright is great for under 10s and blue orange) and designers (Uwe Rosenberg - Patchwork, Bohnanza, Agricola).

Board games can seem expensive ($80rrp for the family edition of Agricola) but when you think about the cost of taking the family to the movies for a couple of hours it's well worth the investment as you can play a great game again and again. You can also get second hand copies or buy them cheaper when they're on sale. I like to buy them for birthday and Christmas presents.

I've also joined a brilliant toy library in Kew which has a ton of fantastic board games. It's a great way to check out a game you've been wanting to play before buying it. Some of the games I've bought have been great, others not so much. At the moment we've borrowed Wingspan, Little Town, Sushi Go Party and Legendary Forests from the toy library.

Every month or so we meet up with another family and play games together. Our record was ten in one day. It was particularly wet that day so all the kids were keen to be indoors playing games. It's my favourite way to learn a new game - have someone else teach it to me! 

Right now I've got Everdell to learn and play. Just looking at the box with its forest scene makes me happy.