Celebrate Earth Day With Nature-Themed Games

The times we live in have inspired revisiting old-school ways of having fun, and it’s no surprise that families and “friend pods” are finding around-the-table gaming to be a highly satisfactory way to spend time together at home.

The array of board games available today is mind-boggling! Not only fun, many are educational and most stimulate new ways of thinking. For the youngest among us, game play helps develop early learning skills like counting, color identification and hand-eye coordination. Social skills and self-esteem are developed through cooperative game experiences like taking turns, following the game’s rules, and listening to others.

Nature-themed games at Raven Tree and Velvet Elephant

Nature-themed games can instill knowledge and spark appreciation for plant life, animals and ecosystems. Kendra Bainbridge, owner of Raven Tree nature shop in Mt. Shasta, offers a variety of science-based games. “We select our games not only for their inspiring educational themes,” she says, “but because they are definite hits with families. Many offer different levels of play.” Iris Credo, owner of the Velvet Elephant Art Center & Fair Trade Emporium, also in Mt. Shasta, carries a variety of specialty games, including Mensa Select and Spiel des Jahres winners. “As an art-based store, we look for games that stimulate creativity and thinking,” she says. “Teachers are big fans of our selections!”

Here are six award-winning nature-themed games to consider for your family’s collection. And, one fun way to try out games is to visit a board game café. The Wheelhouse restaurant in Dunsmuir, 5841 Sacramento Ave., offers nearly 300 board games. Check the website for hours and their full menu.

Wildcraft! – An Herbal Adventure Game

Available at Raven Tree in Mt. Shasta
Ages preschool-adult; 2-4 players.

In this popular nature-centered cooperative board game, players win or lose together as they learn about plant life and nature. Keeping its information simple, players learn plant uses for food and first aid, pairing beautifully illustrated plant cards with ailment cards as they make their way through ecosystems to the center of the game board and back. Cooperation cards promote awareness of other players, with the goal of everyone finishing together. For expanded learning, a botanical coloring book, the Wildcraft! Story book, and an herbal field guide are available as digital files with purchase.

Camp

Available at Raven Tree in Mt. Shasta
Ages 4-adult; 2-8 players.

Camp is designed to engage all ages, making it a popular family go-to. Four levels of play teach facts about nature as players navigate their game pieces through the great outdoors. Question cards reinforce what’s been learned with Fun Fact cards. The more the game is played, the more players learn about nature. Play goes quickly, and the adorable game pieces and decoder cards add to the fun for young players. Expansion packs are available to keep the fun and learning going.

Ungame

Available online.
Ages 5 & up; 2-6 players.

What’s more natural than feelings? Ungame excels at helping develop listening and self-expression skills that support mental health and healthy relationships. A non-competitive game, it comes with two card decks, one with easy “getting-to-know-you” questions, and one prompting players to delve deeper into personal thoughts and feeling. Parents, therapists and teachers applaud the game’s ability to prompt children and teens to open up. Additional themed decks are available for families, couples, children, teens, 20-somethings and seniors.

Photosynthesis

Available at The Velvet Elephant in Mt. Shasta
Ages 8 & up; 2-4 players

A Mensa Select winner, Photosynthesis is a strategy game where players act as arborists, taking their trees through their life cycles while striving to become the dominant species in the forest as the sun revolves around the board. It’s a tactile game with simple rules, and strategies naturally change each time it’s played. Parents can play with children, and unlike many games, it works as well with only two players.

Wingspan

Available at The Velvet Elephant in Mt. Shasta
Ages 14+; 1-5 Players.

A Spiel des Jahres award winner. In this competitive engine-building game, players take on the role of bird enthusiasts seeking to attract birds to their wildlife preserves in forest, grassland and wetland habitats. The birds are represented in 170 beautifully illustrated cards that include data about diet, nest type, habitat, and that bird’s behavior in nature. Players create a chain of effective combinations as they build their engines to gain food, lay eggs and acquire additional cards for more points. Strategies include environmental considerations. Tip: Search for YouTube videos for a quicker understanding of game play. Expansion cards are available.

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game!

Available at Raven Tree in Mt. Shasta
Ages 3+, 2-4 players

This much-loved toddler and preschool game has a high fun factor. Players use a spinner to take turns collecting colored acorns they place into coordinating holes in a log round, with the help of an endearing “squirrel squeezer.” The squeezer helps young players practice hand-eye coordination and develop pre-writing motor skills. Hilarity ensues as players learn matching, sorting, simple math skills, cooperation and strategy. A related card game and book are available.