If you ask me, there's nothing quite like a good ol' game of Monopoly or maybe some Pictionary. In a technology-crazed world, I find it nice to take a step back from the stresses of everyday life and lose myself in a board game.

I grew up playing such board games with family members and friends, and the tradition still lives on today. Whether we played Life on Christmas Eve curled up in some blankets or a game of Sorry in the middle of a hot summer day, I've found that board games are a great way to connect with the people near and dear to my heart.

They bridge the gap between the young and the old, and no matter how old you are, there is a board game for everyone. Some of my greatest childhood memories I can tie back to fun games I played in my youth.

Maybe we didn't always follow the instructions, mostly because of how confusing they were, but that's completely OK. Regardless of whether or not we were playing the board game the right way, it was still fun to put our own spin on it and see what we could come up with while playing.

The skills that we develop from board games I find to be more useful than any iPhone game out there. For instance, I may not be an architect, but my drawing skills from Pictionary influenced my love for drawing at a young age. And I may not be the next Nancy Drew, but my detective mastery in Clue led me to believe I would be.

On another note, board games help children and adults alike with memory formation and cognitive skills. Kids who play board games are able to practice cognitive skills such as problem solving. As a result, the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex benefit, which are responsible for complex thought.

It's easy to fall behind the comfort a screen and play a game with a computer, but this holiday season, I encourage you to put down the cell phone, communicate with the people around you, and share in some good laughs with a board game (or two).