In a time when we are living in a world where the world is increasingly becoming digital, it is important to find ways to engage children in mindful activities. Giving their eyes a much-needed break from the screens is important. Instead, you can replace this mindless consumption of digital media with educational and entertaining activities that will also help them use their brain muscles.
You already know that the brain is a muscle that becomes stronger each time you flex it. So it is important to give your kids’ brains a workout from time to time to keep their mental sharpness on point.
Top 7 Brain Games For Kids
I have collected here a few brain games that will play as a fantastic opportunity to develop cognitive skills in an enjoyable way. It’s like sneaking in some learning and IQ development activities disguised as games that your kids will love.
1. Chess
Chess is one of the oldest and most highly regarded games in the world. You just have to teach your child all the basic rules of the game and the relationship between different pieces, how they can move, etc. This game teaches children planning, foresight, and decision-making skills. Kids develop skills like critical thinking and problem-solving by moving pieces to win and predicting opponents’ moves.
You can help them ease into the game at the beginning by playing as an opponent and showing the basics of the game. If you don’t have a chess board at home, you can find many chess games available online too, like GoChess, where they can play with another player or with the computer. Children six years of age and up are advised to play this game.
2. Sudoku
Sudoku is a number placement puzzle game. The gameplay involves filling a 9×9 grid with digits so that each row and column that makes up the grid contains all the numbers from 1 to 9. This game is best to improve concentration, memory, and logical thinking.
These Sudoku puzzles come in different difficulty levels and you can choose to begin with an easy one and gradually increase the difficulty level, as your child progresses. The game is suitable for kids aged 7 and above. Sudoku puzzles are commonly featured in newspapers and magazines.
3. Jigsaw Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles are great for developing spatial awareness and fine motor skills in children. It is a tiling puzzle and is played by assembling the broken shapes to form the complete picture. These games have been used in research studies to learn about cognitive development in young children.
Children have to piece together fragmented images to get a completed image. This nurtures patience and problem-solving skills in them. These puzzles come in different themes and difficulty levels, which makes them suitable for kids of all ages.
4. Crossword
Crosswords are classic brain trainer games. These are grid-based word games made up of black and white squares. The player has to fill in these boxes with letters to get words or phrases with the help of the clues given. It accesses parts of the brain that deal with verbal language and also memory from many different areas of knowledge. You can do these crossword puzzles both online and offline.
Crossword puzzles are commonly seen in newspapers and magazines. There are also books available specifically filled with crossword puzzles. They are available to suit different difficulty levels. You can choose one that suits your kid’s intellectual understanding and interests. There are many options to play crossword online and in free apps that are easily accessible.
5. Concentration
This is a memory game in which cards are laid face down on a surface. Players can flip up two cards at a time to get pairs of matching cards. This is a turn-based game that is particularly interesting for children. It stretches the memory part of the brain as players try to remember the position and image of each card.
It is commonly seen in quiz shows and TV shows. This game is also known by other names like Memory game, Match Match, Pexeso, or Pairs.
6. Rubik’s Cube
We have all heard of a Rubik’s cube and even played with one at some point in our lives. It is a timeless classic game that still fascinates both children and adults. This combination puzzle was invented by a Hungarian sculptor called Erno Rubik (you can see where it got its name from). Players have to align the colorful puzzle with each face of the cube having stickers of a single color. It is a great tool to improve spatial awareness, logical reasoning, and patience.
It is advised that children 8 years of age and up play this game. If you ever get stuck, you can always just check YouTube. It has dozens of tutorials on how to solve these cubes.
7. Wordle
It is a word game that was created and developed by Josh Wardle, a Welsh Software Engineer. Players have six attempts to guess a five-letter word in this game. You get feedback in colored tiles each time you take a guess to indicate whether your guess matches or occupies the correct position or not.
This game is quite popular. It was played 4.8 billion times in 2023. Every day, a five-letter word is selected, which the players have to guess within six tries. The daily word shown is the same for everyone.
Also, read: 10 Best Board Games To Keep Kids Entertained
Conclusion
Including brain games in your child’s routine is a great way to promote their cognitive development and problem-solving skills while also having fun. Apart from the games mentioned here, there are plenty of other options to keep your child’s young mind engaged. As a parent, you can take the initiative to balance screen time with brain games and activities that help in collaborative play. These games create a brain-stimulating and supportive learning environment. We urge you to explore the option of brain games for kids to improve your child’s intellect and confidence.
These games are like workouts for the mind, which is important for the growth and development of children. As they are young, their minds will absorb everything like sponges. You can choose to shape their minds in positive ways rather than sacrificing their minds in front of screens at the mercy of digital media.
