Looking to keep the kids occupied this summer? How about some good old-fashioned games?!
You might be surprised to learn that research has shown children who play cognitively rich games (both online and off) demonstrate significant improvements in their ability to solve problems, among many other positive things. While a number of games have stood the test of time, others have been "gamified" with the advent of technology. Read on to learn the advantages of both.
How Do Games Affect Intelligence?
A recent study by the American Psychological Association (APA) has shown that games can have a beneficial effect on children's development. The study surveyed 2,000 children aged 3-5 years and 400 people older than 55 and found that those who had played games in the past year showed improved cognitive skills, including enhanced reasoning, problem-solving, and cognitive flexibility. In addition, the study found that children who played games showed enhanced social skills. The findings align with previous studies that found that playing games improve attention, memory, and problem-solving. Researchers believe that video games are effective because they allow children to practice the skills they are learning in real life, such as reading, writing, math, and social skills. Playing a fun activity with others or alone will improve your child's mental abilities dramatically.
Intelligence-Enhancing and Problem-Solving Games
Since board games date back a long time, intelligence has always been a critical factor in their appeal. Take chess, for example: on the surface, it looks like a simple game of strategy and luck, but within this simplicity lies a powerful mental skill. Learning to play chess requires memorization of vast amounts of information, critical analysis of game situations, and the ability to anticipate moves in advance. In short, it's a test of intelligence.
Chess
Chess is the world's most popular board game, played by more than a hundred and twenty million people worldwide. It is also one of the oldest games in existence, dating back over five thousand years – making it one of the world's oldest social games. Chess is more than a game of skill. It's a serious intellectual pursuit with brain-building exercises, mental conditioning, and a mental exercise that anyone can do. It is an art and a science and a game of strategy that requires you to think three, four, or five steps ahead of your opponent. The main advantages of a child learning to play chess include:
It aids in developing perspective.
It improves memory.
It enhances intelligence.
It increases concentration.
It encourages creative thinking.
It increases the ability to plan.
It enhances self-awareness.
Scrabble
The game of Scrabble is all about words. Each player plays on a board using letters provided at the beginning of the game, and the player who scores the most points wins. The simplest way to play Scrabble is by using the letters of the alphabet. The benefits of playing scrabble are numerous. First, it helps sharpen your mind and exercise your memory by forcing you to think about how you can unscramble words to win more points. Second, it helps improve and expand your vocabulary. This is fantastic for children who will strengthen their verbal and cognitive skills and ensure that they think deeply about using the letters in front of them to make the longest words possible. The top benefits include:
It teaches vocabulary.
It develops intellectual abilities.
It educates about strategy.
It promotes social cooperation and bonding.
It enhances well-being and confidence.
Creativity is improved.
Concentration is developed.
Monopoly
Monopoly is a board game designed by Charles Darrow and Milton Bradley. The game was created in the 1910s and was initially called "The Landlord's Game" because it was based on the idea of a landlord monopolizing specific resources in a community. The game's "landlord" was meant to represent a single monopolizing entity, while players were supposed to represent competing businesses. Learning this game can have many social and mental benefits for children, such as:
Bonding and interpersonal connections are enhanced.
It enhances confidence and helps decision-making.
It teaches how to spend wisely and avoid debt.
It boosts cognitive skills and memory formation.
It teaches money management.
It teaches the importance of diversifying investments.
It develops skills in managing emotions.
It teaches the value of calculating risks.
Negotiation skills are developed.
It teaches the basics of mathematics.
Duolingo Language Learning
If you're a tired parent who's looking to bring learning to your kids, then Duolingo might be for you. Duolingo is an online language-learning tool developed to gamify the process of learning a language. Duolingo is an excellent option because parents can get involved with their children and they can learn a new language together. There are obvious advantages in learning a new language for people of all ages, but children will significantly benefit from this process as it provides the following benefits:
You Will Be Investing in Their Future: By ensuring that they are learning one of the world's major languages, you will ensure that they will be in a better position in the future. For children, learning a language paves the way to a new world of possibilities.
The More They Learn, The More They Benefit: For a child to develop cognitively, he or she must devote enough time to learning a language. Additionally, longer sequences provide learners with new opportunities to connect further as they gain knowledge of both additional languages and cultures.
Increase Mental Flexibility: Learning a second language has numerous advantages, including boosting problem-solving, listening skills, and critical thinking. In addition, it will enhance their creative abilities, which can improve other aspects of their lives.
Contributes to Their Emotional Well-being: When children are exposed early to another language, their attitudes toward the cultures associated with that language are more favorable. As a result, they gain a more comprehensive understanding of the world by learning a language than they would otherwise have.
Some games have stood the test of time, and other games have been "gamified" with the advent of technology. Whatever the case may be, it has been proven that both can improve the cognitive abilities of children who play them. So play on!
