Star Wars Monopoly - Can This Much Fun Be Educational Too?

By Alanna Delta

Star Wars Monopoly as you might expect is another twist on the classic monopoly game. There are a number of editions available from Clone Wars to the Saga edition, which is based on all 6 movies. We all remember the fun we had as kids playing board games with a little competition and a lot of laughs around the table. Adding a Star Wars dimension to this classic game, is great for fans, young and old.

In this day and age, most families spend more time juggling the demands of modern life and less time together as a family unit. People run around between home, work and school and try to fit in essential tasks like getting the groceries and doing the laundry in between all the madness. We find that we spend more time running past our family members, barking out information or orders, and less time actually talking. Do you remember the last time your family had a good laugh together? Sometimes we need to refocus and often it is something simple and obvious that can provide just the trigger we need. Could that trigger be a game of monopoly?

First of all the game itself. It is as I say a spin on the original version of Monopoly and it maintains the same rules that bring out our inner property tycoons and yes, we can still end up in jail. It does however replace Board Walk and Park Place are with more interesting locations such as Coruscant's Monument Square and the Imperial Palace. Instead of choosing a top hat as your marker, you get to be your favorite Star Wars character and you will be buying settlements and cities instead of houses and apartments. For real fans, there is also an additional optional set of Star Wars related rules, just to keep everyone on their toes, if they want to add an extra dimension.

Modern lifestyles often leave us feeling like we are running on a treadmill that just doesn't have a stop button. While it is often necessary to keep going just to ensure that your family has all the basics it needs to get by, it means that we unintentionally neglect to spend some actual quality time together. When there is time, there are often rows about home work and school grades to contend with.

Monopoly is a great way to get your kids to think about money and maths in a way that is practical and educational but without them feeling like it is a real pain. Kids get excited about working out if they can afford a property, counting out their money and even and getting to understand a little about value. Sometimes younger children will need a little help with the math but as long as you don't make the mistake of introducing a calculator at the table, they will learn quickly and become more independent in their play.

Another issue that is prevalent amongst families these days, is that siblings in their fight for the attention of their parents, will often cause trouble and sometimes even behave aggressively towards each other just to get noticed.

Sitting down together with a board game to focus on, will mean that you have set aside some quality family time but also it gives you the opportunity to engage your child in shared play. Even the kids have to follow the rules and take their turn. If you do have a child that is misbehaving, you will need to exclude them from the game so that their behavior does not spoil things for everybody. You will probably find that as they realise that they are missing the fun that they will toe the line so that they can join in.

I am not suggesting that Star Wars Monopoly or any board game can solve all modern family difficulties or that a child struggling with math will be transformed into Wall Street's next tycoon after a few games. However, using a board game, such as Monopoly, as the focus of some quality family time, away from the drudgery of everyday life can have many benefits if you use it the right way. Taking your kids to a galaxy far away from everyday life for an hour or two might just be what everybody needs. - 621

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Want to find out more about Star Wars Monopoly, then visit this site on how to choose the best monopoly board game for your family.

What Are The Edge Of Going For An Alabaster Chess Set Over Its Rivals?

By Walt Peterson

Buying a chess set these days can be a bit confusing because of the many selections. The pieces and board sizes vary, as well as the materials used. Each one of them is definitely unique. However, if you want to have one that's both elegant and time-honored, pick an alabaster chess set. It's a popular choice for many these days, from newbies to serious players.

Alabaster, or gypsum, is a type of stone used in the world of sculpturing throughout history. They've been used for carving statues, religious icons, altarpieces, ornaments and many others. In fact, you can see lots of them in museums. These days, architects and interior decorators alike incorporate this stone into their craft. Chess sets crafted from alabaster, when not used in play, can be an excellent decor for your living space or workspace.

So many other things are made of alabaster these days, usually decorative items. As chess pieces, the stone is cut into small portions, then carved by hand. Since the material is very delicate and prone to bruising, the whole process has to be done carefully. They are often set in sandbags, as fine chisels and fine-grit sandpaper is used. Some veining naturally occurs, like in marble, and often the stone comes in shades of white, yellow and pink.

However, because it's porous, the stone can be easily dyed. It's not unlikely for you to find chess pieces out of this material in blue, red, green, black brown, etc. The pieces may come in various designs - from contemporary to traditional. But many people like the Staunton style. It's the standard and most commonly-applied design worldwide.

Because of the delicateness of the material, it evidently comes with a steeper price tag. Just imagine the painstaking process each piece has to go through. And that's all 32 of them! But fret not, as the pieces come in a wide array of sizes. The smaller they are, the more affordable they get. Pieces as small as 3 inches are available, with more affordable price tags.

Of course chess pieces out of alabaster go well with a board out of the same fine material. While you can buy just the pieces, most of the time you come across with sets. Buying chess sets ensures that the board you get is suited for the size of the pieces. Alabaster boards come in a variety of colors. Some come in pure alabaster, while others may come with wooden frames around them.

Obviously, there are other materials from which chess sets are made. Some come in metal or wood. Some come in marble or plastic. Any one of them comes with its own advantage and disadvantage. When choosing which material is best, there are certain factors to consider. For instance, the age of the players, their expertise levels, and others.

There's no denying that an alabaster chess set gives you your money's value. They are remarkably exquisite, classical, and can accentuate either your living space or workspace. Getting a board with an integrated storage is often advisable, as they're out of a delicate material. In particular, if you got children or pets at home with you. - 621

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See a great selection of Alabaster chess sets or choose a Fantasy Chess set today! When you see these collectible chess sets, the beautiful and artistic creations will take your game to a whole new level!

Let's Learn How To Enjoy Checkers Chess

By Walt Peterson

Have you ever played Checkers Chess? If you have not and you like board games, you should give it a try. There are old fashioned games, brand new games, all sorts of game out there, but arguably the two most popular board games of all time are Checkers and Chess.

When you bring Checkers together with Chess you get Checkers Chess. In order to know more about the game, you should know about Checkers and Chess individually.

Checkers is very simple. There are red and black two sided pieces that are set on opposite sides of a red and black checkered board. The pieces on the board all start on the black spaces in rows. One player uses black checkers and the other uses red ones.

The purpose of Checkers is to jump your opponents pieces until they have none left remaining on the board. Your pieces can move from black square to black square, one square at a time, unless you are jumping an opponents piece. Your pieces can not move backward, only forward. Once a piece have made it to the other side of the board, however, it can be moved in any diagonal direction on the board. Also, you can jump more than one piece in a move if the opportunity arises.

Chess is a lot more involved than Checkers. While the idea is the same, it takes much more strategy and time to play. In order to win you do not have to take all of the other players pieces, even though that would help. You actually need to checkmate the other players king, putting it in a position where it could not escape certain defeat.

The pawn, being the most simple of all pieces, is also crucial to winning. Pawns can only move one space forward unless they are being moved one space diagonally to take a piece. They can also move two spaces on their first move. Pawns can be used for strategic placement and trap setting. Pawns can also be switched for an extra piece of your choice if they reach the other end of the board, making them invaluable.

The castle is a piece that can be moved as far as you want in any straight line. If you do not move the castle closest to the king you can switch that castle and the king in case you are stuck in a tight spot.

Knights are possibly the most strategically used pieces on the board. They move in an L shape, two squares in any straight direction followed by one square in any other straight direction and visa versa. These pieces are perfect for setting traps.

Bishops can be used to move diagonally as far as they like.

Queens are extremely coveted pieces. They can move as far as you like in any direction you want. Because you only get one, the queen is generally used as a defensive piece, only attacking when victory is in sight. The king can only move one space in any direction, but it is still difficult to take as you cannot simply take it.

Checkers Chess is all of the elements of Chess, however it is like checkers in that you can only move your pieces forward on the board. You can move them back once you have reached the other side of the board. - 621

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You can buy chess board and men in ivory or jade if you want beauty and luxury for your game. Over the years, chessboards have been created that look like fine furniture.