Every day is gaming day.

• Position: What's New? - Games from Hasbro

Even as busy as we are every day, we never get tired of playing card and board games with our kids. We hope the day never comes when they lose interest in spending this time with us. It's a great way to strengthen family ties while helping us keep in tune with what's going on with them.

Whether we can spare just a few minutes or an entire afternoon or evening, there are many games from Hasbro, East Longmeadow, Mass., that are perfect for whatever allotted time we have. Their newest card games are based on familiar old favorites, with fresh and exciting twists. Our favorite just may be Scrabble Slam! ($6.99), a fast-paced word-building exercise where players create a chain of four-letter words. For example, we can start with "game," which can be changed to "same," and then "sale," and then "sole," etc. You don't need to take turns; just put down the letter and call out new words as you think of them. It's a high-speed race to be the first to get rid of your cards.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Monopoly Deal ($6.99) introduces the fun of owning and building on the properties from the classic board game, but emphasizes on-the-fly real estate negotiations. While players need to collect three complete color property sets to win, the action cards can change the course of the contest at any time. For instance, Deal Breaker cards allow other players to steal your sets, while Just Say No can negate the effect of the card you just strategically played.

Crazy Old Fish War ($5.99) combines the best parts of...