Today we have Ryan Billingsley of Dad Suggests on The Mag. I first discovered Ryan when scrolling through Instagram looking for kids game recommendations and I’ve been a loyal reader of his blog ever since! Read more about him and his blog below.

Tell us your story! We’d love to hear a little bit about yourself and your business.

Sure! My name is Ryan, and I’m the lead father over on DadSuggests.com. Dad Suggests is a blog full of personal family recommendations for things we discover and love - particularly board games and picture books. Occasionally I sprinkle in my dad thoughts as well, because my feelings about fatherhood and the importance of sparking a child’s imagination are the reasons I do what I do on Dad Suggests.

Outside of Dad Suggests, I’m also a chess teacher. I actually have my dream job of teaching in a public school where I get to teach chess to kids all day long. For real!

I’ve lived in the same town in Arkansas for my entire life, and my wife and I actually met in junior high. Now we have two awesome kids - ages 7 and 4 - and two dogs - ages 18 and 2.

What made you start your website focusing on game and book reviews?

Two summers ago, I was reading a scary book to the kids called What There is Before There is Anything There by Liniers. It’s very spooky, and quirky, and very much up our alley. Ever since I was little I have loved books that scare me a little bit, and I wanted more picture books just like that one to share with our kids. At the time, though, searching Google for “scary picture books for kids” didn’t yield the results I was hoping for.

In a sense, that’s what led to our very first article on Dad Suggests - a review of What There is Before There is Anything There - as well as one of our most popular articles - The Best Scary Picture Books for Kids. I simply wanted to help other families find great books and games that we love - and help them create awesome memories as well.

Occasionally you’ll also find articles full of my dad thoughts, or perhaps nostalgia-filled movies, but we keep coming back to picture books and board games because they just fit our mission really well. The main pillars of Dad Suggests are creativity, imagination, and empathy - and I passionately believe in the power of stories and play. Reading and playing together as a family builds the types of memories that will stay with you for life - and they provide that spark of childhood wonder that can always be your foundation for a life full of passion.

What was your favorite board game as a kid and have you played it with your kids (and if so, did it age well)?

I have two answers for this question - 13 Dead End Drive is an absolute classic that I adored playing as a kid. It’s set in a big spooky mansion like an Agatha Christie novel - and everyone is trying to knock each other off to inherit a fortune. And there are even working traps on the game board!

The other is a game called Hero Quest which is an RPG - like a light version of Dungeons & Dragons. I have a lot of nostalgia for that game, because we played through the different levels of the dungeon as a family one summer. I’ve already introduced both games to the kids and I’m happy to announce they were big hits!

Where do you go for inspiration on the web and in real life?

As far as inspiration for Dad Suggests goes, Instagram is my go-to source for inspiration on the web. There’s nothing better than the hive mind of parents, teachers, and favorite publishers on Instagram when it comes to discovering new books and games that your family might enjoy.

In real life we have an amazing local toy store - and I’m also quite a big fan of both Target and Barnes and Noble. It might still surprise some to learn how high-quality both of their board game sections are!

But ultimately our kids are the greatest source of inspiration. Being a dad and sharing magic with them is the entire point of what we do. If something sparks their creativity and captures their imagination, then I know it’s worth sharing with others.

What is the first website you visit every morning?

It’s fair to say that the first place I visit is pretty much always Apple News. I might spend more time than I should going down the rabbit hole of very random articles, but I appreciate having the top world news and the very niche news curated to my interests (like board game articles!) all in one place.

What are your three favorite Instagram accounts to follow?

First of all, @macbarnett is doing an amazing virtual bookclub while schools are out. He’s a favorite author of ours already, and in fact he wrote our very favorite picture book - Extra Yarn. And these IGTV videos where he reads his own books are so much fun.

And of course there are many amazing accounts out there suggesting ideas for families like we do - but two accounts I love that are run by great people that we’ve been following from the very beginning are @thebeginningofyourlifebookclub & @somethewiser.

What is on your to do list for today?

Well school is out in Arkansas for at least another month, so we have quite a bit of time on our hands. And today we are actually having a chess tournament for my students from home using the awesome website chesskid.com.

Our schedule is always subject to change, so don’t hold me to this, but currently there is a family bike ride on the schedule, as well as making a pot of tea that I will enjoy on the porch. And after that we have a giant stack of new and old board games on the table with our name on it!

Describe fatherhood in one sentence.

The noble privilege of providing a magical, wonder-filled, loving childhood for other, smaller humans.

Anything else you want to add?

Other than your unconditional love, there is no better gift you can give to your kids than reading to them every day.

And thank you for the opportunity to take part in this interview. It was a lot of fun. And thanks for what you do as well! I love the idea of parents coming together - sharing ideas towards that ultimate goal of providing happy childhoods. Virtual parent high five!

And finally, where can we find you?

o Website: www.DadSuggests.com
o And DadSuggests on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, & Twitter