Most games are educational - through playing games we learn to interact socially, take turns and lose well. Most games include elements of chance and probability. "Gentle hands" games help us to learn to control our bodies, developing fine motor control alongside self control. Word games can develop vocabulary, spelling and storytelling skills. Maths games can provide fun opportunities to practise addition, subtraction, multiplication, time telling, geometry and money handling. Strategy games help us to learn to think and solve problems; other games give opportunities to learn geography, and the rare few develop teamwork. You probably have some of these games already. And you probably have other games which have educational value that you never really considered before.
Go look at your games shelf with fresh eyes, and play with your kids. You'll all be glad you did.
Word Games:
Scrabble/ Jr scrabble
Upworcls
Pictureka
Hangman
Boggle
Boggle slam!
Scrabble cards
Quiddller
Man Bites Dog
Dungeons & Dragons (Story telling!)
Taboo
Articulate
Gentle Hands Games
Jenga
Don't rock the boat
Operation
Pick up sticks
Uno Stacko
Suspend
Kerplunk
Barrel of Monkeys
Math Games:
Cuble (acdition/subtraction)
Krusade (shapes)
Ubongo (shapes)
Yahtzee
Tenzi
Catch 10 clocks
Boomo
Battleships (map coordinates)
Rummyclub
Set
Perudo
Games where money practise is built in, especially if the child is the banker:
Monopoly
Stock Market
Game of Life
Strategy:
Chess
Backgammon
Battleships
Mastermind
Scotland Yard
Othello
Risk
Sequence
Mancala
Other /Strategy:
Carcassonne
Ticket to Ride
Settlers of Catan
Cludeo
Connect 4
Guess Who?
Uno
Team Work:
Forbidden Island
Pandemic (!)
Originally published in Stepping Stones, HEA's Quarterly e-magazine for Home Educators
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