Board games usually pit player against player. Team up as a family for nail-biting suspense against Max the Cat.

With multiple players, varying levels and thematic design, Monopoly is a game that can be enjoyed by the whole family, even young children.

After a long day of work, car pooling, and errands, what most dads (and moms) would like to do is to finally sit down, maybe read the paper or watch TV. But we're lucky to be raising kids in a new era, one where dads are far more involved in their children's daily lives than in generations past. And so they brush off the fatigue to play a game of catch with their kids, coach a soccer team, or curl up in bed together and read a good book.

And you know what? All that extra time pays off. A large study that included 17,000 babies and spanned 50 years found that children of hands-on fathers grew up to be generally more successful, including a higher IQ and a better social standing. Researchers interviewed 5,700 of those original babies at age 46 to see if how they were parented affected the way they interacted with their own children.

I tell my husband all the time that our girls are so lucky that he's a hands-on dad. He's as likely to play a rousing game of Pretty Pretty Princess with our three-year-old as he is to take our kindergartner out to hit a few balls off a tee. He shrugs it off -- why would he be any other way? But as a person who spends nearly 100% of her time with her children, I can see how much his interest in their lives bolsters them, and bonds them together despite the hours he spends away with work.

Quality time doesn't need to be complicated, but if you're a dad looking for some new activities for you and your children to enjoy together, About.com has great list of links.

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Babysitters aren't cheap these days and on top of the actual cost you have to figure in the hassle of finding one, instructing them, and, possibly driving them home afterwards. But suppose you've done all that and now you and your significant other are free (Wheee!) for the evening -- what do you do to make the most of the night? How about a movie? Oh, sure, so you can pay seven bucks to listen to someone else's kids just because they couldn't get a babysitter?

There's an alternative, now, if you live near Chicago. Gold Class Cinemas is opening a new theatre that features reclining arm chairs and full waiter service. The theatre will offer wine -- including a $295 bottle of Dom Perignon champagne -- and comestibles such as duck tacos and Wagyu beef burgers. It's unlikely you'll encounter any screaming kids or audience members talking on their cell phones -- tickets are $35, about five times the going rate.

While that might seem like a lot just to see a movie, bear in mind that you're probably already going to be paying nearly that much for the babysitter. It seems to me that it's worthwhile for parents to make their rare nights out something to remember.

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I've heard of towns where, for religious reasons, official Halloween activities are moved up a day if the big day happens to fall on a Sunday. But a town in Massachusetts is pushing trick-or-treating back a day because this year, it falls on a Friday. Now, to me, Halloween on a Friday is about as good as it gets. Because it is a school day, I won't have to listen to "is it time to go yet?" all day long and because the next day isn't a school day, I don't have to worry about bringing my kid down from her sugar high by her 8:30 bedtime.

So, just what do city officials in Oxford, Massachusetts have against Halloween on a Friday? According to Jennie Caissie, chairwoman of the town's Board of Selectmen, the move was prompted by safety concerns. She says that allowing trick-or-treating to occur on a Friday evening would put kids on the streets during "prime time traffic."

I suppose that is a valid concern, but some people think this rescheduling of Halloween is more trick than treat. "Halloween is for the kids and it should be celebrated on Oct. 31. Don't mess with our kids and their holiday," says resident Lorri Shadis.

Police Chief Michael Boss agrees with the decision to move Halloween. "It's safer for kids on Saturday than on Friday. It's only 24 hours. I think if parents address the situation correctly, the kids will be fine. They don't care, as long as they get their candy. Kids don't have to check their calendars to see which night they are free. Besides, their candy will last one day longer."

Disappointing children is one thing, but there is another obvious flaw in this plan. All the towns around Oxford will be celebrating Halloween of Friday as per usual. I suspect there will be lots of kids who talk their parents into driving over to Oxford on Saturday in order to replenish their candy stash. The streets may be safer on a Saturday night, but chances are they are going to be a lot more crowded.

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Get your kids interested in cooking by ditching the rules and the recipes.

Sure, the economy is going down the drain and everyone is nervously checking the news to see if their bank is still in business, but that doesn't mean parents aren't going to be dressing their little ones up as pirates and princesses this Halloween. In fact, according to a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation, more people are planning on celebrating this year than last. They are also planning to spend more this year -- $66.54 on average.

"Halloween sales may be a bright spot for retailers this fall," said Tracy Mullin, NRF President and CEO. "Consumers -- who have been anxious and uncertain for the past several months -- may be looking at Halloween as an opportunity to forget the stresses of daily life and just have a little fun." Plus, you can't disappoint the kids, now can you?

So, how are people spending those Halloween dollars? There's twenty-four dollars and change for costumes, another twenty for candy, and eighteen dollars for decorations. There's even almost four dollars going to greeting cards (that would be my wife's family). With nearly three out of four people planning on handing out candy, but only about a third of respondents planning on taking kids trick-or-treating, there will undoubtedly be some leftovers. Yum!

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 1,200 2008-2009 Can-Am® Youth ATVs. In the case of rider ejection when the cord strap is pulled, the shutoff switch can fail to disable the engine. The ATV can then operate uncontrolled until the engine returns to idle. This can cause all kinds of problems, including collisions with bystanders, vehicles or other objects.

The ATV's were made in Vietnam by Vietnam Precision Industrial for BRP U.S. Inc., of Sturtevant, Wisconsin. They were sold at authorized Can-Am® dealers nationwide from August 2007 through September 2008 for about $3,400 each.

The recall involves model year 2008-2009 Can-Am® DS 90 X ATVs that are black with yellow and orange trim. You can find the model name located on the side panels.

If you have one of the recalled ATV's, you should immediately stop your children from using it and contact any Can-Am® dealer to schedule a free repair. Consumers are also being sent a direct notice from BRP.

For more information, contact BRP by calling (888) 638-5397 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or by visiting their Web site.

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My father, who's birthday is on Halloween (lucky guy!) would tell you that you're really never too old to celebrate Halloween. His love for the holiday is probably the reason Halloween is my favorite day of the year. That said, we've all opened our doors to hand out candy to someone who was, in our opinion, a little too old to be hitting up the neighbors for candy. Costumes are one thing--having seen the magic and creativity of many a Halloween parade (including the likes of the famous ones in New Orleans and New York City), I can attest that you're never too old to wear a costume, parade around and have a general good time. Once you hit a certain age, the candy is generally replaced by cocktails at such functions, but what about that in between time?

I've heard people say they've turned away kids who they thought were too old for trick or treating. I've also heard people say that it's the parents' responsibility to not only take the kids trick or treating but to tell them at what age to stop. I remember dressing up and hitting the neighborhood myself when I was in middle school and getting the hairy eyeball from a parent or too. My friend, who went as a baby, actually got on her knees after pushing the doorbell and wore pigtails to appear younger. I realized at that point, once you spend any period of time thinking about how to appear younger, you need to be on the other side of the candy bowl.

What do you think? Is it more important for the parents to tell the kid when to stop trick or treating, or should it be a decision the child makes on her own? Isn't Halloween really all about rebellion, anyway? If so, then telling a child he can't go trick or treating might just get him more inclined to do so without your blessing!

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Soccer superstar David Beckham is set to launch a series of books aimed at getting kids to read through soccer. These days, Beckham is known as much for his celebrity lifestyle and products that carry his name as he is for his Euro football moves. In addition to fashion plate wife Posh and three sons, David lays claim to cologne among his other endeavors.

Beckham is not planning on writing the books, however, and will hire a ghostwriter to pen them. The books will be set in both London and his new home of Los Angeles and will focus on his soccer academies. My main question is whether or not there will be a character based on Posh!

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Invite your little chef into the kitchen to teach her some valuable cooking skills. Just don't expect perfection every time.

Like a lot of people who live in lottery states, I like to buy a scratch-off game ticket every now and then. Sometimes my eight-year-old is with me and I let her choose the ticket to buy (she's pretty lucky at picking winners). Once, when I let Ellie choose a ticket, I was berated by the store clerk for teaching her to gamble. Needless to say, I never shopped at that store again, but her tirade did give me pause. Technically, I guess kids do learn about gambling by choosing lottery tickets for their parents. But parents may not be the greatest influence when it comes to whether or not a child is interested in playing the numbers. According to some, those cute lottery mascots that many states use to promote their games is an even greater threat to the children of today.

In Pennsylvania, they have not one, but five, cute lottery mascots. The Quinto lottery mascots are supposed to look like giant cartoon fingers with big, happy faces. But some people are wondering just who the lottery commission is trying to attract with these kid-friendly fingers. "I think it's reasonable to see this as a marketing ploy to draw young people into their sway," said Michael Geer, president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute. "The Lottery seems to be using the same marketing techniques to draw young people that the tobacco industry used."

Of course, lottery officials deny that they are trying to lure children to the dark side and point to the cute mascots used by other companies who sell products for adults: the Geico gecko and Star-Kist's Charlie the Tuna for example.

Vivian Blanc, a counselor who treats compulsive gamblers, doesn't have an issue with the Quinto fingers in particular, but worries about society's acceptance of gambling. She notes that for some, gambling is an addiction that can cause serious emotional and financial devastation. "I don't think the state is after young players," she says. "But I think we're not realizing that we're exposing them to years of addiction without giving them any warning."

What do you think about this? Does your state have cute lottery mascots? Do you think your children would be tempted to gamble because of them?

Cooking with kids can be fun, easy and nutritious! Start with mini-pizzas.

The best parenting advice I've ever heard is also the simplest: play with your kids as long as they will let you.

When Britain Darren Smith started collecting Legos at the tender age of five, he (and his parents) probably had no idea it would turn into an obsession. Smith, now thirty-two, has amassed what is being claimed as Britain's largest Lego collection.

The number of pieces in Darren's collection, which includes over 2,000 sets, is currently at 2,000,000--well over the previous record holder's collection of a paltry 500,000. The collection is worth around $100,000. Darren claims the pieces, which include his beloved Star Wars C3PO collection, are colorful, and timeless, and that everyone wants to see them, regardless of what they think of his obsession.

Smith also says his wife Claire doesn't mind the collection, which takes up the garage and their loft. She doesn't care for it when it starts to take over the house, however. I can concur with that sentiment--those things HURT when they get caught underfoot! Darren's wife would disagree--she says the collection is slowly taking over their house and it's driving her crazy!

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