Every winter, you are facing the same issue. With the temperature decreasing, you might ask yourself how to keep children busy ? This year, let’s trust board games. More than a casual activity, they have a major role in children’s development.
By going to school and doing sport, children develop intellectual and physical skills. Without noticing it, they develop those skills with their education… and board games. Indeed, they have a massive impact in their development and we tell you how.
Rules of life
Board games are an excellent way for children to learn. Whether they play alone, with friends or with an adult, children have a lot to learn with board games.
The respect of the rules: when they’re young, kids tend to play like they want. The more they grow, the more they will face rules. Board games are an excellent solution to teach them how to respect rules. By playing games like “The little horses” for example, it will be way easier for them to understand why they have to follow the rules.
Team play: team games are also a great way to get children to listen to their teammates, to trust them… They discover that they can play games in cooperation and that the most important thing is to have fun: not to win.
Accepting to lose: in their future life, children will face failures. They will not always win, and board games are a great reminder. Whether they play lucky games or mind games, children will learn that loss is not that important.
Fundamental skills
Every board game develops different skills. They can be separated into different categories:
Precision: young kids have to control their energy. To do it, they have to stay focused. There are many accuracy games they can play to learn how to control their movements. Example: Operation, Tumblin’ monkeys, puzzles.
Reflexes: opposed to accuracy games, speed games develop children’s reflexes and reaction speed. They become more alert, more lively. Example : Jungle Speed, Hungry hungry hippos, Spot it.
Thinking: Thinking games are the best way to develop children's quick thinking and analytical skills. Chess, for example, is a vehicle for personal development and self-confidence. They are also used in medicine. Example: Power 4, chess, Mastermind
Creativity: this is the skill they develop the most without any doubt. Whether it is with freeplay or with board games, creativity is essential to children’s development. You can see it when they create towers or stories… Example: Legos, Pictionary, Kapla
With Mômji pedagogy, find new creative activities dedicated to children’s development every month. Dance, songs, manual activities… Those occupations are adapted for every child, for every age range.
