Intuitively as parents we are all well aware that spending time with our children is important. Despite the frenetic pace of most of our lives we struggle to carve out that time and some of us pat ourselves on the back thinking that today was a good day because we spent one or two or three hours with our children. But, is it the amount of time we are spending with our kids that's important or the quality of time? We are all guilty of it...we're at home...the children are at home...therefore one plus one = two...we are spending time with our children. But, are we truly? Being in the same house while the children play video games and we return calls, or write a blog post, or clean the bathroom is not spending time with our children. Our children need our undivided attention. They need to talk with us without distraction; they need to be included in our daily activities; and...they need to play with us. Playing games together as a family gives our children the quality time that they need from us as parents and...it's fun.

Follow up:

Consider giving your children the best gift of all this year; your time. Put a game or two under the tree and watch your children blossom with the gift of your undivided attention.

Here are some of the best new games to try. These games are available at your local toy retailer or at Amazon.com. Thanks Amazon for the "official" descriptions.

Rat-a-Tat-Cat Children's card game that helps develop timing and basic mathematical concepts. It teaches strategy, memory building, and addition. Winner of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Best Toy Award; Mensa 1996 Best New Mind Game Award. Card game for two to six players age six and up .

Gobblet Gobblers Colorful kids’ version of the popular new strategy game that’s like tic-tac-toe. Game Includes wooden playing board, 12 colorful pieces and illustrated rules. For two players ages five and up.

Quiddler The SHORT Word Game. The challenge of Quiddler is to arrange your entire hand into words. For one to eight players ages eight to adult.

Word Pirates Award winning game for ages 6 and up. Each pirate takes a turn rolling letter dice and building a pathway of words. Players also use rock walls to block their enemies’ path in an effort to be the first player to build a bridge across shark infested waters and reach the pirate loot.

Cover Your Tracks Four levels of play, beginner to expert. For ages eight years and up.

Axis & Allies Spring 1942 Control the fate of the world in this incredible game of military strategy, courage and cunning. For ages 12 and up. Choking hazard. Not for children younger than three. 

Name Chase "Get a clue and figure out who!" Ages twelve and up.   

Pick Two The always-changing, ever-rearranging crossword game. Players draw tiles, building their own personal crosswords as fast as they can. Ages eight and up.

The Scrambled States of America Players learn the names, capitals, nicknames, shapes and positions of the states through a myriad of visual teasers, language riddles and geography challenges. After playing, you'll see that there's more to the 50 States than meets the eye! Ages eight and up.

Ka-Ching!  One of the best two-player card games. It is super easy to learn, plays quickly and yet offers endless opportunities for strategic challenge. Emphasizes multiplication as a skill. Ages ten to adult.

Sort It Out Which animal’s brain weighs more – a cat, a giraffe, a baboon, a kangaroo or a cow? In Sort It Out, you’ll find out. Great family game, where guessing is half the fun. Ages twelve and up.

Qwirkle Tactile wooden block game combines the logic and strategy of Set® with the creative multi-maneuver game play of Scrabble®. Ages six and up.

Slam Scrabble  A high-speed four letter word game. Race against each other to change the existing word and get rid of your cards.  Ages eight and up.

Twisted Fish A new twist on an old favorite. Players compete to gather the most points possible by collecting as many 'Full Baskets' as they can. A Full Basket is complete set of the same 'Twisted Fish'. The twist comes in the form of 8 special 'Zinger' cards which allow the players to flout the rules, steal cards from other players, prevent other players from fishing, or go again out of order! Ages ten and up.

Ninety-Nine or Bust Cards can score points, subtract points, change directions or skip turns the object is to avoid going over 99 and busting. Twists, turns, strategy and a little Lady Luck make this a classic game of wits. Ages eight and up.

Yikerz  A game of magnet mayhem. Place your Yikerz pieces down on the board and try to avoid attracting the other pieces already played. The object is to get rid of all your pieces. If Yikerz collapse together, those pieces are yours to add to your stack. Ages fourteen and up.

The Settlers of Catan  Award-winning strategy game where players collect resources and use them to build roads, settlements and cities on their way to victory. The board itself is variable, making each game a little different from the next. Ages ten and up.   

Don't forget these old favorites. The top ten games (in no particular order) no home should be without!

1. Candyland
2. Chutes and Ladders
3. Sorry!
4. Monopoly
5. Chess
6. Checkers
7. Playing cards
8. Clue
9. Battleship
10. Uno