Playing games is not only a fun pastime but can be very educational, too. The American Library Association(ALA) knows all too well the benefits to playing games. In fact they have organized National Gaming Day - a day set aside to play games at your local library.

This year the event will take place November 13th, 2010. Many local libraries will have all kinds of games on hand for kids and adults. A lot of libraries have a monthly family game night. Kids will be able to play board and video games at the library. Check with your local library to see if they are participating.

Following National Gaming Day on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/ngday.

National Gaming Week is also in November although it currently lacks sponsorship. But the week of Thanksgiving is when it is usually held. It's a perfect time to think about playing games since family and friends will be gathering to spend time together.

Both of these observances are a great excuse to play your favorite or a new board game. There are many classic board games like Monopoly and Sorry that are fun for the whole family. Contemporary games like Cranium and Apples to Apples also can bring much joy to game night. Is there a favorite family game that everyone enjoys? Or how about a re-match from last year's Monopoly game?

National Gaming Day is a great warm-up for all those holiday parties and the opportunity to share a favorite board game with family and friends.