I’m so excited that through Parents’ Picks I’ll be able to give you a glimpse into the wonderful games that are a part of the Greene family household.

There are so many that we enjoy, but we wanted to start with Cathedral, where two players work to place as many buildings as possible within the walls of a medieval city.

This is a really cool game, and I have so many reasons why I love it. It’s a strategy game, but it doesn’t require the same type of analysis as chess. Perhaps this is my favorite because I like the spatial thinking skills you need – and because it’s one game I some times win against Alan, although I can almost see him whispering to you, “I only let her think she’s better (wink).”

Another nice thing about this classic game is that the solid wood pieces feel so good in your hands. It’s a beautiful game, and it’s one of those that looks great on your coffee table in the family room.

Finally, Cathedral is really an heirloom game. Alan recently got on this kick to find vintage copies of the board games he played as a kid. We were disappointed with what we found: they were often expensive or beat up or had missing pieces. Games like Cathedral were built to last, and I’ll be passing them along to our kids for their family rooms. How cool is that?

Family Games cathedral classic is available online at Amazon.com

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