2 Compelling Reasons To Play Board Games With Your Children
Board games are matches played using pieces on a table. Some require the players’ decision-making to be on point, like Chess, while others need only sheer luck to win, like snake and ladder. According to research, people from different civilizations used board games 5000 years ago. One of which is the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, one of the earliest recorded civilizations in history.
As of today, creative groups developed other versions of board games. Many tabletop matches are suited not only for adults but also for children. And playing board games isn’t only an alternative for a child’s playful routine but essential for their growth. Check out the reasons why:
- Board Games Can Enhance The Mathematical Skills Of Your Children
Mathematics, especially for children, may give them headaches because it can be challenging and too complicated to take on. Also, others may take it as another boring subject to listen to. Regardless, mathematics is essential to everyday life. You have to teach mathematics entertainingly to make learning easier for children.
If you’re looking for games to help your child develop proficiency in mathematics, board games can come in handy. Manufacturers began making Math board games for kids. And they created these tabletop matches to enhance the players’ computing skills.
One of the Math board games you may want to look for is:
- Sum Swamp
Sum swamp is a board game released in 2005 that allows children to practice their ability to add and subtract numbers.
Objective:
Players must race against each other on who goes to the other side of the swamp first. The first one that makes it becomes the victor.
Mechanics:
- Two to four players can participate in the game with an estimated 20 minutes of game time.
- They need to roll three dice each turn (two of them are numbers, and the other one is a function + or -).
- They need to either add or minus the variables they get depending on the result of the dice they rolled. If they computed the numbers correctly, their piece would advance depending on the sum or difference they get. If not, their piece won’t move during the turn.
- The board is designed with both opportunities and disadvantages. If the player is lucky, their piece will fall on the part of the swamp that offers a shortcut, giving the player’s piece to come closer to the finish line. On the other hand, if the player is unfortunate with the dice roll, their piece will fall on a loop.
- Board Games Can Enhance Their Memory
Children are innocent, playful fellows. They can be unruly at times. Even so, they possess great potential. Their age is suitable for learning because their brain can absorb more knowledge, unlike people in old age. According to studies, it’s not because children have more neurons than adults. Instead, it’s because of their cognitive organization.
Children go through a period known as Exuberant Synaptogenesis when they gain more synaptic connections than adults. You may notice that they tend to imitate things easier since their brains become more like sponges, absorbing all knowledge around them. When they grow older, the brain limits the connections it once obtains since it’s overkill- adults don’t need that much contact.
Research also determined that playing board games can further enhance their memory skills. And Chess is one of the most excellent board games you may want your children to play.
- Chess
Chess, a respected sport worldwide, is notorious for its demand for players’ memory and critical thinking. It can help your children analyze their opponent’s movement and apply how they do so in real life. A recent study in Venezuela involving around 4000-second graders determined a significant increase in their Intelligence Quotient (IQ) after more than four months of playing the game.
In playing the game Chess, it involves two opposing forces, white and black. Each side has 16 pieces at its disposal. The chessboard has 64 squares, equally divided into eight (8) columns and rows. One can count one (1) from the white row to eight (8) where the black pieces are during a recorded game.
Objective:
Players must capture the enemy king or make their opponent resign to become the victor.
Mechanics:
- If an enemy piece threatens the King, the opponent must say ‘check,’ and the player that owns the King should move it to a safe square, block it with another piece, or eliminate the enemy piece. If all these three are not applicable, the opponent’s checkmates’ the King.
- If neither side doesn’t have enough pieces on the field that can potentially capture the King, continue to move the same piece on the same pattern, or can no longer move their pieces without getting ‘checked,’ it’ll be a draw.
Conclusion
Board games are promising, especially for children. They can enhance your child’s cognitive abilities, depending on their mechanics. Thus, consider choosing a board game for your children to ensure they enjoy their childhood while nurturing their growth.
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