Let’s Hear it for Games!
Let’s Hear it for Games!
If you have been following us on this blog (and if no, why not?!) It’s full of great information weekly. Please feel free to go back and read our previous entries!), you know that we are all about play. Whether it is play therapy, play in the classroom to help regulate minds and bodies, or play at home, we believe that play should be one of the cornerstones of learning.
Of course, there are all types of play, and we encourage them all, but this week, we want to talk specifically about games. Games offer a unique opportunity for learning, organized thought, and problem solving, depending on the game you choose. And the game you choose will naturally depend upon the age and progression level of your child, student, or client. We think, even more importantly, that games allow significant learning to occur without the child necessarily feeling like they are being taught. Games offer a sense of ease and relaxation that allow the learning to unfold organically. They just see the fun and are more willing to engage. You see the fun with the learning attached. Win-Win!
Games have been around for thousands of years. The first record of games has been found in the middle east, Mesopotamia to be exact (think Iraq, Iran, Syria, Turkey). There is physical evidence of board type games from over 7000 years ago, and others in Egypt over 5000 years ago. Historians have found models of grid-like game boards, dice, and carved figures used as game pieces. Anthropologists have found evidence of rules and competition. In somewhat more modern times, we can trace the game of chess to the 15th century in Spain and Italy. Pachisi can be traced to the mid 1800’s, Chutes and Ladders (originally snakes and ladders) from the late 17th or early 18th century. Even the Game of Life can be traced back to the mid 1800’s. Playing cards can be traced back to ancient China during the 9th century Tang Dynasty. It spread through the middle east over the centuries and made it to Europe by the 15th century where the modern suits of hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs, along with kings, queens, and jacks were first introduced.
Today the game market has exploded. Go to any big box store, independent toy store, or online retailer and the game selection is endless. You will find any sort of board, card, or dice game that you could ever imagine, from simple for the youngest players to intensely complex for older players and adults, and everything in between.
For our youngest kiddos, we suggest games like Candyland, or Chutes and Ladders. These games focus on color recognition and counting. No reading required. They don’t take a lot of deep thinking but they offer kids the opportunity to practice their early skills, interact with other kids and adults, and introduce the ideas behind taking turns and working cooperatively with others. A few more games that the youngest age group can play would be Yeti in my Spaghetti, Kerplunk, or Don’t Break the Ice. These games allow kids to focus on dexterity, fine motor skills, and a bit of problem solving. These games and many more like them could be played with preschool aged kids and fun would be had by all.
As kids enter their elementary school years, the world of games opens up to them. They are now working on their reading skills, their counting and math skills, and their social skills. Some great games for this age group would be as follows:
Early elementary: K - 3rd
Uno
Go Fish
Old Maid
War
Yatzee
Guess Who
Checkers
Jenga
Sorry
Trouble
Any of the Junior version games (Monopoly, Clue, Apples to Apples, Scrabble, etc)
Mancala
Memory/Concentration
Operation
Connect 4
Upper elementary: 4th and 5th
Uno
Chess
Multiplication War
Gin or Gin Rummy
Checkers
Chinese Checkers
Backgammon
Mancala
Yatzee
Jenga
Boggle
Guess Who
Clue
Scrabble
Rummikub
Monopoly
Apples to Apples
Battleship
Pictionary
Middle school and beyond
Any of the above mentioned games
Authors
Risk
Bridge
Hearts
Spades
Canasta
Euchre (if you are not familiar with this one, ask a midwesterner!)
Cribbage
Othello
Trivial Pursuits
Cranium
Scattergories
Balderdash
These are mostly classic games. You as parents and educators have probably played many of them yourselves, which, if played with your kids, can lead to some great discussions and interactions. It’s a fabulous way to make connections. These more advanced games offer so many learning and growing opportunities for kids. There are many academic themes covered in a great number of these games, with money counting, graphing, observational skills, spelling, and reading being just a few. In addition, there are opportunities for team play, partner play, or solo play which lead to cooperation, speaking and listening skills, and trusting in others or in themselves. Many of the games require the kids to problem solve, think ahead, intuit what their opponents or partners might do and make choices based on that. Some require a knowledge base and allow the kids to learn new facts or search their brains for facts that they have learned in the past. Games provide kids the chance to win humbly, lose gracefully, and understand the nuances of feelings around these events. They can be great teachable moments in a fairly non-competitive atmosphere for kids to gain empathy and understanding of how others feel when they win or lose a game. Many of the games are quick enough so that more than one round can be played, and others will get the chance to be the winner. It’s also a great place to emphasize that winning is not the most important element of the game, but the fun and camaraderie that is had along the way. Lastly, these types of games can help lure kids away from screens so that they can interact face to face with friends, family, and teachers.
We here at Speech and Smile advocate for all kinds of play in education and therapy. This list of games is really just the tip of the iceberg. We really do feel that any activity where kids are having fun and learning at the same time is going to be key to their learning and growing. As kids get older and advance through school, we understand that game time will be limited. But we highly recommend having a game station, a place where kids can go when they are done with their work and engage in some friendly, fun, thought, and skill provoking competition. In a classroom, maybe try building some gametime into your weekly schedule, something that the kids can look forward to. In a clinical or tutoring setting, take game breaks. They don’t have to be long, but they can go far in helping to regulate the child and get them back to more structured learning. We highly recommend family game nights. Make it a big deal. Buy snacks, try new games, turn off distractions. We hope you’ll give games a try! They really do bring out the kid in all of us.
Thank you for reading! Jill B the SLP