Community Corner
Weekly Board Game Workshop at Museum Explores Family-Friendly Games
Group at SC Children's Museum of Discovery, led by Mythic Games owner, to feature games families can play together, starting with Qwirkle
Qwirkle, a simple but tactical pattern-building game, will be the first game explored when the Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery starts its weekly Board Game Workshop from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, January 20.
Lead by Mythic Games founder Reuben Timineri, the free-with-admission workshop will explore a different family-friendly board game every session.
“Qwirkle is a game that any age can play and enjoy,” said Timineri, who runs games stores in Santa Cruz and Monterey. “It doesn’t require reading.”
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Timineri plans to teach a new game every week, while bringing back the game from the week before. Qwirkle is rated for ages 6 and older.
Studies have shown that playing board games can help cognitive thinking in children. A small 2009 study by UC Berkeley neuroscientist Silvia Bunge and her then-graduate student Allyson Mackey showed an average IQ rise of 32 percent after eight weeks of twice a week game sessions.
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Timineri said his favorite part of running a board game night — which he does for adults on Tuesday nights at his River Street store — is the way people engage with one another. “Even children who are shy are encouraged to interact with other people in the game.”
The Board Game Workshop will be held Tuesdays, starting January 20, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the MOD Lab at the Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery. The workshop is free with museum admission or membership.
ABOUT THE SANTA CRUZ CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY
The Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery, an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit located in the Capitola Mall, aims to delight, inspire and challenge children by providing an exciting and interactive learning environment. The museum has 8,000-plus square feet of exhibits, classrooms and store space. Its hands-on exhibits bring learning to life by showcasing the wonders of Santa Cruz County: the place where the ocean meets the redwoods, where technology meets recreation, where agriculture meets health. Since opening in November 2014, more than 10,000 children and adults have visited.
The Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery, located at 1855 41st Avenue in Capitola, is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Admission to the museum is $7 adults 18 and older, $5 children ages 2 to 17, and free for children under the age of 2. Learn more by visiting www.sccmod.org.
