As a child there was nothing better than sitting down and playing a board game. From one-on-one battles with my sister to large family game nights, there was something so satisfying about the colorful pieces and the stacks of cards filling the room. After years of playing the favorites over and over again, here are some lessons that we didn’t realize that we were learning.

1. Candy Land

You're going to go through rough patches, get stuck, and make mistakes. The important thing is to make sure that you keep going because there is always going to be that candy castle at the end of the day that makes every Molasses Swamp worth it.

2. Monopoly

As obvious as it sounds, Monopoly really does help with understanding money. Bad purchases, good purchases, investing, risk taking--it’s an actual adult thing that people do. Monopoly teaches you that sometimes it’s better to save for something that you really like and not to simply make small purchases just because you have the ability.

3. Hungry Hungry Hippos

At first it doesn’t seem as though there is anything you could learn from this game that’s all about greedy grabbing. However, it teaches us that if we really want something then sometimes you just have to go for it. Take the leap and fight hard to get where you want to be. In the end you just need a bit of determination to get ahead.

4. Clue

Going off into the world is scary and everywhere that you look there seems to be new opportunities and deals to make. Clue teaches us that, before you make quick and rash decisions, you should examine every option, look at the clues, and take the time to get informed.

5. Twister

Be flexible! Life is full of ups and downs, twists and turns, and you simply can not prepare for everything. If you are willing to bend a little then everything will work out! Just make sure not to pull yourself in too many directions or you may end up in a knot.

6. Operation

Out of all the virtues, patience is by far one of the most important and Operation was the game that required the most of it. Whether you have to try once, or try ten times, don’t give up! Eventually you’re going to meet your end goal.

No matter what game you play, or how many times, you always learn the same thing: cheating isn’t the way to win. You will just end up not knowing how to play the game and it may leave you with a feeling of guilt.