Summers in Houston can be absolutely brutal, thanks to the heat and humidity around here.  When the heat index climbs to well over 100 degrees, my family often chooses to stay indoors.  Of course, just because we're not soaking up the sun's rays doesn't mean we don't want to have a ball, which is why we usually resort to playing family board games instead.

Recently, I reviewed two games for both young and old alike that's guaranteed to take the doldrums and ho-hums out of your summer days.  Keep reading to learn more about Sonny the Seal and Word Winder!

Want to delight a group of children ages 3-years-old and up?  Then be sure to introduce them to Sonny the Seal from Goliath Games.  This electronic ring toss game puts Sonny front and center as the star of the show.  Simply insert 3 "AA" batteries into Sonny and then watch him clap, move and bark like a real seal when he gets a ring successfully tossed around his neck.

This game comes complete with six colorful rings and can accommodate up to six players.  My daughter absolutely loved Sonny and found his movements and sounds captivating.  Typical play usually lasts about 10 minutes and both her and I had a fabulous time playing this game together.

My only criticism involves the rings themselves.  They're not the most sturdy of structures, since they come apart in the middle.  We had to repair many of these during our game and they seemed to grow weaker with each subsequent fix.  Other than that, this is a terrific indoor game that involves plenty of movement and helps to better develop a child's motor skills.

If you're in the back to school mood or just enjoy the heck out of word games like I do, then you don't want to miss Word Winder.  David L. Hoyt has outdone himself in creating two truly addictive word games, SideWinder and RaceWinder.  This game is designed for 2-6 players ages 8-years-old and up.  Play time is around 20 minutes, although don't be surprised if you end up playing multiple rounds of this game.

Basically, you must lay down your chips to form winding lines of winding words.  It's not just a word game though, for there is plenty of strategy and cunning, offense and defense involved as well.  The great thing is, you can play in teams or individually and with all of the racing, blocking and different ways to configure the game board, you'll never play the same game twice!

Make sure to check out both Sonny the Seal and Word Winder with your family and savor those last few fun-filled days of summer!