TGIF mums! The weekend is here already, consider playing some family friendly educational games. Kids really do love them, especially if you take the time to play with them. Games are great for kids for different reasons, they are fun ways to learn how to follow rules, focus, take turns and defer gratification, which helps with self-regulation, the basis of problem-solving and thinking creatively.
It helps to develop social skills and teamwork while providing a fun and enjoyable experience. Experts say games can boost skills that help kids do better in school and playing them as a family just ups the benefits—and the fun factor.
Here are some family friendly educational games
1) Cube Puzzle
A cube puzzle teaches kids about the concept of a ‘whole’ and that each piece is a fraction of the bigger picture. It also helps develop basic skills such as shape recognition, concentration, goal setting, patience and a sense of achievement, which will help kids perform better in school.
Puzzles help develop hand-eye co-ordination and fine motor skills due to the precise nature of matching each piece exactly. It improves a child’s ability to complete puzzles and their handwriting skills as they have to work carefully.
Critical thinking, judgement, and memory are all tested with a puzzle. There is only one way to complete a puzzle and it cannot be cheated. Children will find that their time improves with each puzzle as they start to think more logically and develop tactics.
To learn how to play cube puzzle, click here
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2) Chess
Chess is a board game that requires a lot of “if-then” logical analysis and “what-if” scenarios, all necessary ingredients for developing logical and critical thinking. Studies show that chess boosts creativity, visual memory, attention span, and spatial-reasoning ability. All these are important factors for success in school.
Chess helps kids learn and practice thinking through and finding solutions to complex problems. The need to focus on problem solving and the process of thinking through move variables are important traits that help improve children’s math skills. In addition, studies have shown that because chess requires children to use cognitive processes such as decoding, analysis, thinking, and comprehension (all skills required for reading). Kids that play chess greatly improve their reading skills over non playing kids.
To learn how to play chess, click here
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3) Ludo
This is a strategy board game for two to four players in which the players race their four tokens from start to finish according to the rolls of a single dice.
Board games generally play a very important role in child health and brain development. Ludo is a game that helps children develop logic and reasoning skills, improve critical thinking and boost spatial reasoning. Encouraging children to play ludo can also increase verbal and communication skills, while helping develop attention skills and the ability to concentrate and focus for longer periods of time.
To learn how to play ludo, click here
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4) Scrabble
Scrabble is a word board game. It can be played by 2 to 4 players. The tiles must, when read, form words either left to right or in columns. Each tile has a “score” value, with a number printed on it. The objective is to form “accepted” words, and the rules are many. But once your child gets a hang of it, there’s no stopping him.
Scrabble is a game for children, parents and grandparents alike so it can be enjoyed as a family. You’ll be surprised at how competitive things can get when children get together to play! Children play to have fun, so make sure you keep it light and entertaining.
To learn how to play scrabble, click here
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5) Monopoly
Monopoly is a famous property trading board game. Players move around the board buying and selling properties. It is a game that can be enjoyed as a family with great lessons. The ability to do quick math is enormously useful in life and in business. Monopoly will teach kids addition, subtraction, and even fractional multiplication in a simplified way. Also, it teaches kids the basics of buying and selling.
While everyone begins with the same amount of money, those who secure monopolies quickly become difficult to beat. This is an illustration of “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer” – an important fact of life.
We recommend using the City of Lagos Monopoly edition by Best Man Games which provides players with an exceptional tour of the city featuring historical monuments and landmarks, famous streets, popular neighborhoods, key buildings and leading brands spread across Lagos metropolis.
To learn how to play monopoly, click here
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What other educational games do you play? Share with us. You can also read this article for bonding activities you can engage in this weekend to relax and spend time together as a family.
