What is going on with the weather? It’s still cold is some places, hot in others, and wet everywhere else. But whatever the climate, having fun with your family is one of the best things you can do. Here are some of our current not-boring board games.
Banana Kick (Tactic)
Imagine playing soccer with a football—suffice it to say that the ball won’t always end up where you intend it to. Now, imagine playing soccer with a large, soft, kickable banana—which is even harder than a football to reliably aim. That’s about it. You provide a nice field, Tactic Games provides the banana and four wooden stakes to use as goals. For two or more players, ages 6+. https://www.facebook.com/TacticGamesNorthAmerica/
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Another game where you come up with words that match a certain category. But this one has a few new twists. First, once a category card has been selected, players turn over nine letter cards and then take turns listing words that start with one of those letters. Second, the instant you’ve said your word, you flip over the sand timer and the next player has to say a word and flip the timer back over before time runs out. The faster you answer, the less time you leave the next player. Of course, you can adjust the rules to make things easier or more challenging. Under $18. For 2-6 players, ages 8+. 
This easy-to-learn board game is a great way to introduce younger kids to the idea of cooperative crime solving. Players draw WePhone cards (which look like mini text messages), which either send them around the board to gather evidence that will be used to keep the “bad guy” in jail, or report an obstacle that sidetracks the detective. Each piece of evidence has a corresponding tile, which is placed in the center of the board. The object is to gather all the evidence before the WePhone tiles run out. If you do, the crook stays behind bars, where he or she no doubt belongs. If you don’t, well, shuffle the WePhone cards and try again. You’ll need about 20 minutes to play. Under $15. 2-4 players, ages 7+. 
We love how ThinkFun takes a well-known concept—in this case, a see-saw balancing game—and adds a new twist to make something unique and engaging. You start by turning over one of the 40 challenge cards, each of which shows a different pattern of red beans arranged on one side of the see-saw. Lay out your red beans to match the card and then try to arrange your other beans so the two sides balance. Besides having fun, you’re learning some basic algebra skills (balancing equations) as well as physics (for example, two beans in the first row of one side of the see-saw are balanced by one bean in the second row). The cards range from really easy to really, really hard, and always include the solution. For single players, but it’s an especially fun parent-child activity. Ages 5 and up. Under $18. 
Think baseball bat meets tennis racket (with the high-tension strings running parallel to the bat), and you’ve got a rough idea of what this great new toy looks like. Twist the adjustable power knob and you can smack the ball incredible distances. Dial it back, and you’re ready to play in smaller venues. That clever adjustable feature and the bat’s lightweight levels the playing field (so to speak) and allows players of all ages and skill levels to play together. The Crush-It bats are similar to