Adults and children love to play with new or classic toys and games at Christmas. Our children continue to play games throughout their childhood, so, this Christmas, why not continue to play games with your children throughout the year? It's good fun and will help them develop a healthy approach to game playing.

Traditional board games make wonderful presents so don't neglect them in favour of electronic toys and games. Monopoly, Trivial Pursuits and Scrabble are timeless, and older children will still play these games well into adulthood. Look out for special versions of these games. Anniversary editions usually comprise of deluxe box sets with good quality boards and playing pieces. They will become family heirlooms passed on to the next generation, along with many memories of family games nights.

Some popular games have junior editions, which are perfect for younger children. Junior scrabble is fantastic for young readers, helping to improve their spelling and increase vocabulary.

One of the most popular board games is chess. It's really enjoyable when you can find an opponent who will challenge you. A chess set is a good gift to give a child. It will encourage her to start playing and she can play with other family members and school friends.

If your children don't enjoy playing board games, buy a couple of jigsaws. Choose a topic they love. Disney princesses, Batman or Spiderman jigsaws are popular with children. Buy an age appropriate puzzle and make sure their first jigsaw has good sized pieces; they can progress to the harder puzzles when they have mastered the basics. Start off with a colourful and busy puzzle. A jigsaw which has fifty percent of the same colour pieces is not for a novice jigsaw user.

It's worth buying a variety of toys and games to ensure you'll have something suitable for everyone to play. Buy several games that can be played by all age groups and some that are age appropriate to your child, so she can play with friends, or join in with her peers on family occasions. You'll quickly determine which games will become family favourites and which games she'll want to store in her toy cupboard.