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As parents we worry about our kids constantly. We worry about their health, who they make friends with, their grades and if they’re wearing enough sunblock. A lot of our energy is devoted to ensuring they have the best quality of life and a good future. This means stressing on the importance of doing well academically in order to get into a prestigious university and secure a stable job. Most of our attention goes into nurturing their IQ but what about their intellect ? How your child perceives the world, their ability to reason and understand abstract concepts all stem from their intellect. So, it is important to nurture this quality from a young age. One way to boost their intellect while still keeping them engaged is to simply play with them. You’d be surprised by the many benefits pretend play can have on your child. Here are a few games to try out.
1. Pretend Doctor Can Make Your Child More Empathetic
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Engaging in imaginative or make-believe play, commonly referred to as pretend play, serves as a powerful catalyst for brain development, as well as for nurturing social and cognitive growth (1). Additionally, it plays a pivotal role in enhancing your child’s social and language proficiencies. Instead of solely focusing on reading or enrolling them in public speaking classes, the most effective approach for your children involves interacting with others through play. This dynamic interaction not only fosters their imagination but also expands their understanding of the complexities of the world.
Take playing pretend doctor for instance. This is a game where kids can exercise their empathy while they care for the health of another kid or their dolls while still having fun. Playing a role in which they have been entrusted with something important will boost their self esteem and social skills, enabling them to become better communicators.
2. Play “Guess Who” For Logical Skills And Descriptive Skills
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Did you know that the popular game Guess Who that’s been around forever actually holds educational benefits for your children? Aside from the basic benefits from these games, such as taking turns, following rules, and sportsmanship, the game can also teach your kids how to distinguish between different colors. It can teach kids how to identify opposites like “a big tree” and “a small plant”. This is also a great game to improve your child’s descriptive skills, especially in terms of recognizing and describing facial features and hair. This in turn improves articulation skills and helps in developing logical thinking.
3. Jenga To Improve Patience And Decision Making
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We’ve all played or at the very least heard of the game jenga. It requires a lot of concentration, improves eye-hand coordination and decision-making. Not to mention a lot of patience to think and act precisely. It’s a great game to teach your kids patience and calm them down. According to a study, Jenga was found to be good for the brain as it could promote and enhance cognitive performance (2). How cool is that! We’re sure you’ll want to start making jenga a family time activity now.
4. Jigsaw Puzzles To Prevent Cognitive Aging
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Do you fondly recall those leisurely evenings from your childhood, piecing together jigsaw puzzles? Well, this is a pastime that you can continue to enjoy to stave off cognitive aging. Furthermore, it’s one of the most enjoyable games to share with a child. Beyond the sheer pleasure it provides, this activity holds the potential to significantly enhance cognitive skills (3). It’s even believed to lower the risk of cognitive and mental disorders such as dementia, memory loss, and Alzheimer’s disease, although conclusive scientific studies supporting this claim are still pending.
5. “Battleship” Can Enhance Logical And Critical Thinking
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Who doesn’t love a good game of battleship? This game may look colorful and simple but it requires a lot of reasoning skills, critical thinking and logic. The players have to learn how to strategize effectively in order to win the game and many choices have to be made quickly. Figuring out where to shoot while keeping track of your shots and deliberating your next move takes foresight and insight. This game teaches your kids all these skills while still being light and fun. All these benefits are why you and your kids should play another round of battleship. May the best player win!
Teaching your children important and valuable skills doesn’t have to be boring. Your child can nurture and improve their intellect while still being a kid and playing games. In fact, this is the best way for them to stimulate their cognitive abilities and social skills. So let them take their time playing these educational games. Which one on the list was your favorite? Let us know in the comments section!
