Board Games

The children have been noticing some of the board games that I have stored and have asked if they can play them.  Well, Friday was their lucky day.  During playtime the children were given the opportunity to play Chutes and Ladders and Candyland.  The Candyland game was a special addition, with many complex rules, but with a few modifications we made it work.  Board games are rich in learning opportunities. They satisfy your child's competitive urges and the desire to master new skills and concepts, such as:

• number and shape recognition, grouping, and counting
• letter recognition and reading
• visual perception and color recognition
• eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity

Games don't need to be overtly academic to be educational, however. Just by virtue of playing them, board games can teach important social behaviors, such as communicating verbally, sharing, waiting, taking turns, and enjoying interaction with others. Board games can foster the ability to focus, and lengthen your child's attention span by encouraging the completion of an exciting, enjoyable game. Your luck can change in an instant — for the better or for the worse. The message inherent in board games is: Never give up! (scholastic.com/parent/resources the Benefits of Board Games)

 

A few of my favorite children's games are:

This game is like bingo except it comes in versions that work on number recognition, vocabulary, and sight words.

 

This was one of my families favorite games to play when my daughter was young.  Even if they can't read yet, younger children can enjoy playing this great strategy-building game.

This game is on my list to purchase for our family game nights. It has received many toy awards.  The great thing is that they made versions for younger children that works on the concepts we are working on in class.