(This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Shirley Pebbles on winning this giveaway! Thank you to all who entered.)

Instilling healthy habits in our kids is something we all work hard at as parents…. but it is definitely hard work; it requires determination, perseverance, strength, a LOT of prayer, and patience (something I tend to run a bit low on sometimes, just keepin’ it real). Sean Covey has written a book titled The 7 Habits of Happy Kids, and now Educational Insights has a game that’s based on that book.The 7 Habits of Happy Kids Game is really geared toward having real-life conversations, whether it’s you and your kids, your kids together, your kids with their friends, or maybe even a small class. The game comes with several components, which include a game board, question cards/card holder, Give Away cards, character tokens, token holders, character game pieces, and instructions. The object of the game is to be the first player to fill up your token holder with 1 of each token, Ernie the worm being a sort of “wild” token.How to play the game? It’s really pretty simple. The game board has a trail that each player must follow with his/her character piece. Rolling the die determines how far to move. If you land on a blank space, it’s time for a question card, which the player has to read aloud and answer, then collecting the token it says to take on the card. The question cards are centered around the 7 habits, which include the following:

1. Be Proactive. You’re in Charge.
2. Begin with the End in Mind. Have a Plan.
3. Put First Things First. Work First, Then Play.
4. Think Win-Win. Everyone Can Win.
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood. Listen Before You Talk.
6. Synergize. Together is Better.
7. Sharpen the Saw. Balance Feels Best.

The questions really dive into real-life scenarios that kids might face, and they really do spark conversation, meaning we parents may learn a thing or two both about our kids and even from our kids. Kids may consider what they might do if both they and a friend wanted the last piece of birthday cake…. or they may have to share about a time that someone really listened to them and how it made them feel…. or they might even remember how they ate all their dinner first then got to have something sweet, drawing their favorite dessert while remembering. The question cards not only lead to interaction, but they lead to hands-on, good times together. Sometimes they’ll even get to wear the Ear-Resistables…. oh yes, now that is a good time. The thing to remember is that every question card directly relates to one of the 7 habits, so it all ties together well, but in a way that can be understood by the kiddos.

There are also Ernie spaces, which let players fill any spot with an Ernie the worm (or “wild”) token. There are trade spaces, where they can trade tokens with other players. There are rest spaces, where they lose a turn, but losing a turn is kinda spun in a positive light by giving them a chance to rest. Give Away spaces call for the Give Away cards, which allow players to give tokens. For example, one card says, “You ate more junk food than healthy food all weekend, and now you feel sick! Give Away 1 Token to the player with the darkest colored eyes.” Every card builds on one of the 7 habits. Finally, at forks in the road, kids will have to make decisions as to which path they will take.

What I love about this game, as a mom, is that it provides me a guide to help my boys learn about healthy habits (not only physical habits, but emotional habits…. habits having to do with themselves and others). Kids get a chance to have a voice, to have their say about certain topics; it gives them a chance to feel validated, in a sense. They also get to make decisions, helping them learn how to be decisive in life. There is just nothing negative I can say about this game because everything about it is positive…. it’s about working to build the habits in life that are going to make you a compassionate, caring, successful person.

You can purchase The 7 Habits of Happy Kids Game from Educational Insights for $29.99. The game is geared toward ages 6 to adult and 3-7 players.

The great news is that one MamaBuzz reader will win their own game, thanks to the generosity of Educational Insights! Please leave a comment (see below) to enter, but then be sure to leave a separate comment for each optional way that you enter. This giveaway will end on Tuesday, May 1. The winner will be chosen, via random.org. This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada only (void where prohibited). No purchase is necessary, and the odds of winning are based on a number of entries. Good luck, and have a wonderful day!

1. Name a healthy, happy habit you are working to instill in your kids or that was instilled in you as a child; why is it so important to you? Share a comment.

Other optional ways to enter:

• Follow @ed_insights on Twitter.
• Tweet about this giveaway, one time only.
• Subscribe to posts from MamaBuzz.
• Follow @mamabzz on Twitter.

(Disclosure: We received a copy of this game, free of charge, from Educational Insights, for the purposes of review. All views/opinions remain solely my own.)