Playful Pathways to Genius: Cultivating Smart Kids Through Games
You don’t need to be a genius to raise smart kids. There are many free or low cost ways parents can ensure their children reach their full potential. One of my favorite strategies for raising smart kids is playing games. Here are 10 reasons why regularly playing games with your children is a great idea.
Playing games help children develop social skills such as: following rules, taking turns, and graceful winning or losing.
A family game night provides an opportunity for children to bond with siblings, parents, and other family members.
Games can promote tradition building and establish a fun routine. (learn more about this in a previous post Witching Hour)
Card and board games offer screen-free fun. With the prevalence of technology at both home and school, it is nice to take a break to unplug and enjoy family time. (5 reasons kids need time away from technology)
5. Games can help children to think strategically. They encourage players to analyze situations and develop a plan.
6. Engaging in family gameplay nurtures creative problem-solving skills, encouraging children to tackle challenges head-on. Through these games, kids learn to focus their energies on finding solutions to overcome obstacles, ultimately helping them develop the ability to achieve their goals effectively
7. Many games encourage players to work on pattern recognition - an extremely important foundational skill. Learn more about it here.
8. Some games promote basic mental math skills, like quickly adding and subtracting. Check out my favorite math games.
9. Games can improve or increase children's vocabulary.
10. Rolling dice, shuffling cards, and moving game pieces develop children’s hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Playing games with your children is a fantastic and accessible way to nurture their social skills, promote family bonding, establish fun traditions, and provide a much-needed break from technology. Beyond the joy and entertainment they offer, games also stimulate strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, pattern recognition, mental math, and vocabulary skills, while contributing to improved hand-eye coordination and fine motor abilities. Embrace the power of gameplay as a simple yet effective tool in raising smart, well-rounded kids who can confidently navigate life and reach their full potential.
Get the latest blog post and subscriber-only discounts delivered right to your in box.
