If you're a parent with school-age children, connecting with them can be tough sometimes. A great way to connect with them is through playing board games. Especially if there's "nothing better to do" outside. My kids and I often turn to family board games as a great, fun outlet (we have more than 100 board games that we've collected over the past 10 years by the way!) In this digital age, it's nice to put the video games and phones away sometimes, and connect on more personnel levels.

Below is my personal favorite list of 5 great board games. Some are board only, and some involve dice as well. What they all have in common is that they're collectively fantastic board games for bringing families closer together either by improving communication skills, bridging generation gaps, improving math skills or just plain having a blast being goofy! So with that said, here's the best of the best for family board games:

Apples To Apples
You match nouns and adjectives. Simple right? Well...the net results are often times both surprising and often hilarious!

This family board game is both simple and occasionally brilliant. As stated above, there can be unexpectedly accurate (or hilariously inappropriate) matches from time to time. The game lends itself to fun inside jokes that you and your family may have, resulting in lots of belly laughs and also unique results every time you play!

Beat The Parents
This is one of the classic board games for families. Beat the Parents is a golden oldie but also a goodie! This game will test just how well you know your kids' thought process and also tests how well they know yours. It starts with a series of funny trivia questions. Everyone tries to get down the game board and be the first one to cross the finish line. Parents are asked questions that most kids could answer, however many adults may have forgotten. And kids are asked similar questions that they most likely haven't needed to think of yet (think money or relationship issues). Also, there's 55 "wild cards" added for both parents and kids!

Both sides continue to answer their questions and move their first of two tokens around the board. Then they place their second token in the starting position once the first one has "scored". The first player or team to get both of the tokens across wins the game! One great thing is that this game only takes maybe 30 minutes (a great sit-and-go option for busy families!)

Farkel
Look, if you haven't played Farkel...just go do it! Nothing builds mental math skills and helps kids make quick decisions like this game. Really, it's a hoot! You roll dice, you get points. Get no points and you get a Farkle. Three Farkle's and you're out!

Logo Board Game
Do you recognize Taco Bell's logo from a mile away? What about older symbols like the Shell gasoline Dinosaur? This game puts your consumer brand memory to the test. The first person to make it into the "Win Zone" and answer all the logo related questions correctly is declared the game winner.

However, the way the questions are structured, each player gets an opportunity to answer the question even if it isn't their turn yet. Have a shy kid or one that just doesn't seem to "win" often? This is a great game for them. If a question is answered incorrectly, it then goes on to the next player, going on down the line until no one can answer it. It really is a unique way to keep small groups involved even if it isn't their turn or if they aren't "winning"

Another cool part of this game is that it has some less familiar or generational brands and historical logos that many kids may not know. However, it's a safe bet that some grandparents would easily recognize them. Tap into the consumer awareness knowledge you and your extended family has gained over the years and discover some surprising facts that will entertain both kids, parents and grandparents alike!

Say Anything
You can't help but love this game since it's easy for larger families (or you plus your kids' friends) to get into very, very quickly. This is really one of the best board games for families [http://www.squidoo.com/the-best-board-games-for-families] because it encourages people to voice their opinion. In doing so its still a light-hearted game that isn't too serious. It also gives you a chance to square off and settle age-old questions that have been debated for centuries. Things like "what is the most beautiful place in the world?", or "What is the most overrated band of all time?" It really is your chance to say anything!

Here's the fun part...everyone writes down their answer and leaves it on the table face up (the faster, the better!) Each player uses a Select-O-Matic tool (comes with the game) to choose which answer they think will be chosen as the "best". You can either bet two tokens on one answer, or split up your two tokens between two competing answers you think are equally likely to be chosen as best. This game is rated for 8 and up but more likely is a game for teens and older.

Pick one of these..or pick one of your own! Either way, get out and play some board games with your family this weekend. You'll thank me later.