Today, I’d like to talk about the dangers of gameschooling. I’ve been meaning to chat about this for some time now because I see it happen all the time with friends and family and also in online gameschool communities.

I know you may not want to hear about this, but it needs to be said. Gameschooling can be downright dangerous. Let me explain how…

The Dangers of Gameschooling: Tips on How to Play Safe

It’s time to talk about the dangers of gameschooling in your homeschool…

I see it all the time and believe me I get it, but this is something we need to chat about.

It goes something like this…

1. A parent learns about gameschooling and realizes how much fun their family could be having while bonding over educational games. 
2. That parent looks at his or her current game situation and wants to add just a few more games to the closet.
3. The parent figures out some budget gameschooling tricks.
4. The game collection grows… and grows… and grows…

The question is: Is the family’s play increasing in tandem with the growing game stack (and gameschool expenses), or has the gameschooling stalled?

I truly, wholeheartedly, believe that homeschooling can be almost all fun and games. I’m a huge proponent of play-based education and gameschooling, but I’ll be the first to tell you that you don’t need an overflowing game closet to play more. In fact, all you need are a few basics – we’re talking an old deck of cards- and a desire to play more! 

11 Tips to Combat the “Dangers” of Gameschooling

Here are my best tips and tricks for battling the dangers of gameschooling so that your family can relax and play more in the year ahead. When you’ve finished reading, I’d love for you to leave a comment and share your family’s favorite tips and tricks!

1. Consider a Gameschool Inventory For Your Homeschool Records

One of the easiest ways to play more is to know what you have! I created this super-simple Gameschool Inventory to help you assess your current gameschool collection:

Simply list the games you own in the column on the left and then list academic subjects or social/interpersonal skills that the games cover on the top columns.

Then, for each game, you check off the skills covered. For example, if I were to write “Election Night!” in the left column, I would check off the following skills: addition, multiplication, geography, and civics. If I wanted to add social/interpersonal skills, I might add something like “teamwork” or “cooperation” to the top column.

This Gameschool Inventory serves several purposes:

• It allows you to see what games are actually in your closet.
• The inventory helps you to recognize all the skills that your game collection already covers.
• If your child is struggling with a particular skill, you can easily find games that help with that area in a fun and non-threatening way.
• You can refer to the inventory when you are considering a purchase. Do you really need another math game? Look at the math column and you may get a reality check!

Psst! Have you joined Never Board Learning?

At Never Board Learning, we believe homeschooling can be *almost* all fun and games. Learn more here!

Do you know what goes well with the Gameschool Inventory? A Gameschool Log!

This Gameschool Log is a super-simple way to record your play for a year-end homeschool portfolio. Fill in the date, list the games, and check off the academic subjects and cognitive and/or social skills you covered during your play. This log can be added to your homeschool portfolio!

(Psst! Do you see the date on that log above? Two days after Christmas! Needless to say, it was a day with zero plans and just look at all the academic subjects we covered! I let the kids choose and I played with them. The learning was just a bonus!)

I’ve paired the Gameschool Inventory and Gameschool Log as a freebie for you. Click here to grab your copies. 

2. Stop waiting for a rainy day and purge what you don’t play

I know it’s hard. You are trying to build your game closet and the last thing you want to do is to get rid of the games you own but…

… if you don’t play it, you should purge it!

Yes, you’ll feel better if you go all Marie Kondo on your game closet. It will be painful and overwhelming at first, but you will thank yourself later. 

Bonus? You’ll likely see your play skyrocket! Purging always has that effect!

Today, I am giving you permission to:

• Games you loathe
• The games you never, ever play
• Games that make your children fight nonstop
• Games you have outgrown

That last one is tricky for me. I recently gave two boxes of games to my friends. I was happy to give them to kids who will play them but I won’t lie: it was emotional letting go of those games and all of the memories associated with them.

Here’s the thing: you still have the memories. And now you have space in your game closet!

4. Play what is already in your game closet.

I said it earlier in this article, but you do not need to have a huge game collection to be a gameschooler. You need only a couple of basics, like a deck of cards, and a desire to play.

If you head to the Bicycle website or use the Bicycle app, you can find oodles of rules for every card game under the sun. That should keep you busy for months and you need not spend a dime!

Every year, Board Game Geek hosts a board game challenge. It’s called the 10 x 10 Challenge. This year’s challenge was just released and you can read about it and join in the fun here. The goal is to play ten games ten times in 2020. 

Think about that for a second. Ten games (and you can use a deck of cards) ten times. That’s 100 games with your family! Can you imagine what an impact that would have on your homeschool atmosphere?!?

Is 100 too overwhelming for you? I have two other options for you here:

• How to Use this Gameschool Bingo Challenge to Skyrocket Your Play
• 365 Days of Play: Gameschooling Prompts to Last the Whole Year!

5. If you find yourself all heart-eyed over a new-to-you game, try it before you buy it…

Just because everyone is loving Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza doesn’t mean your littles will enjoy it. I’m serious! I gushed about how the game would be a perfect stocking stuffer and many families came back to tell me that they loved it and just as many came back to report that it caused relentless siblings squabbles.

Every family is unique and what works for one gameschool family will not necessarily work for another.

The best way to avoid gameschool closet regret is to try it before you buy it.

Here are some ideas:

• Many game stores have samples available.
• Nowadays, there are oodles of game cafes where you can try new-to-you games.
• Many libraries are now loaning games. If yours doesn’t, ask if they’d consider it.
• Check with friends to see if they have a copy.

6. Sleep on it…

Start a new gameschool rule that you will only purchase a new game after trying it out and sleeping on it for a set amount of days or weeks.

7. … or, better yet- consider a moratorium on gameschool purchases.

Yup, I said it. Tell yourself you won’t spend another dime on games for x-many months, or until you’ve played every unplayed game on your game shelf.

Delete the Amazon app from your phone and change your password on your computer to something hard-to-remember and hide it in your sock drawer. Then, resolve to play what you already own. 

8. Only buy what you love…

When it comes to gameschooling, be picky! You only want the best for your family, right? Be highly selective about what you add to your closet. Research the games that work best for your family and then wait for incredible deals. Don’t buy it because it’s on sale and your neighbor loves it. Buy it because you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that it’s a game you will play over and over and over again.

9. … or, better yet, only buy what you love and what you know you will play.

This might seem like an obvious one, but it bears repeating. Let’s face it- some games are not only an investment in dollars but also an investment in:

• time
• space
• set-up
• clean-up

If you can’t imagine yourself playing Power Grid regularly, don’t buy it right now. 

10. Just because it’s a good deal, doesn’t mean it’s for your game closet.

I’ll keep this one short and sweet: Do not spend money to save money. 

Yes, you might be able to buy a huge honkin’ stack of used games at Goodwill, but are they on your “we would all love it and play it all the time” list? Or is it just an amazing bargain that you’d like to snap a photo of and share with friends?

11. If trying to keep game collection manageable, limit Junior versions and expansions.

This might be a bit controversial, but I think you can save an insane amount of moolah by opting out when it comes to junior versions and expansion packs.

Almost any game can be easily modified so that younger players can participate. Use house rules to create your very own junior version.

Similarly, you can create your own expansion packs and by doing so, your kids will be working on a host of skills, from art to writing and more!

It’s a new year, gameschoolers. Let’s resolve to play more!

Be honest with what you have and what you need.

Be picky about what you add to your closet.

Above all, play more!

Want to make the most of your gameschool collection? Try this!

If you’ve been following our site for any length of time, you already know about Lazy Unit Studies. The beauty of Lazy Unit Studies is that they allow for you to embrace rabbit holes and surrender to delight-driven learning while helping your children grow into joyful, lifelong learners. 

To read more about Lazy Unit Studies and how to make them work in your homeschool, here are some resources:

• Lazy Unit Study 101 {eBook with Printables}
• Lazy Unit Study 101: A Self-Paced Course for Homeschool Families

Budget gameschooling tips to help you battle the dangers of gameschooling:

• Gameschooling on a Budget: How to Play More without Breaking the Bank!

More gameschool resources for you:

• Gameschooling: The Ultimate Resource Page
• Free Gameschool Resources to Fuel Learning, and Boost Connection
• 5 Absolutely Irresistible Games Kids Will Love
• Gameschooling by Age: How to Homeschool with Fantastic Educational Games

Now, it’s your turn. Do you think over-purchasing is one of the dangers of gameschooling? How do you avoid it? Do you have a story to share about a game you thought you’d love that you regret purchasing? Share here!