Ask any child therapist or teacher and they’ll tell you that a lot is learnt through play. Board games that are family friendly and created specifically for pre-readers, are a fun and inspiring form of organised play, when children learn a great deal socially and academically.
Below are ten reasons to play board games with pre-schoolers.
- With the Festive Season holidays upon us, there is ample time to connect as a family. Board games provide the opportunity to slow down and become immersed in a task, which is deeply satisfying.
- When sitting in a group, family bonds strengthen, and the proximity to one another allows for conversations to happen and take shape around playing. The beauty of board games is that you can stop playing to have a chat or grab a snack, and then continue playing.
- Learning happens organically without anyone realising it, and this is one of the best ways to discover and assimilate new things.
- There are rules and instructions, which means that kids need to listen and apply what they’ve heard, which helps develop their auditory skills, and also teaches them how to figure out how to play and win within boundaries and restrictions. Furthermore, understanding instructions is an essential skill that a child will keep developing through school and life.
- Games help children learn good sportsmanship. They learn to be gracious winners and good losers. The activity also moulds how, at the end of the day, it’s not that serious if you lose because the fun factor far outweighs this and can be a point of positive focus.
6. Games such as Dixit and Rory’s Story Cubes encourage linguistic mastery and imagination. They help develop language as children articulate their thoughts and expand vocabulary, which they learn from other players. Common sense is another core skill that is shaped.
7. Another benefit is that games help to train the higher cognitive functions of the brain, including spatial awareness and visual skills. Spot it!, a game where the aim is to match a symbol on two cards requires a sharp eye and quick reflexes, making it an ideal activity for brain training. And it’s fun!
8. Board games help to build confidence. Children who are shy or are less open to trying new things benefit hugely from the interactions required when playing games, especially those that require players to act fast such as Cobra Paw and Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza.
9. Learning the skills of sharing, negotiating, solving problems, anticipating another person’s next move, are all tools that kids learn through board game playing.
10. It is fun for children to see their parents play. Parent-child interactions are usually functional or transactional, with parents getting caught up in the daily to do tasks. As a parent, playing with your children shows them other sides of your personality – the fun, humorous, light parts. It also models how playing should be a normal part of life: for everyone.
For more board game inspiration go to www.solarpop.co.za
