Checkmate

“Bear in mind three essential qualities in all games of intellect: Never to show selfishness or to wound the feelings of your adversary. To be modest with a good game. To lose without ill-temper, and to win without bragging.” ― W. Patterson

Yeah right, try explaining that to 4-year olds!! Our kids are currently (and SIMULTANEOUSLY!) in that phase where they want to be first in everything. First to choose their dinner plate, first to be at the beach and first to wolf the food down. They want to win at everything - even playing with play dough can turn into a competition! Try taking 6 kids for a walk on a jungle road wide enough for only one person with all six of them obsessed with being in front!

OK, I know. I may be exaggerating, but my defence is that I was the only adult on that jungle walk! Sometimes they do forget to compete and the fun had with the Van Niekerk’s extensive games collection at their beach house was great. Hours and hours of fun.

Image credits: All photography by me