5 Reasons Board Games are Healthy for Kids
16 September 2023
There are many different board games available that are specifically designed for kids of all ages. They are a great way for kids to have fun and spend time with their families. But did you know that they can also have benefits for your children? Here are 5 reasons why playing board games is good for your kids.
Improve literacy skills
It can be hard if you have a child who isn’t excited about reading books to get them to practise their literacy skills. The good news is that opportunities to practise reading are all around them. When reading the rules of the game or looking at the cards, they will be exposed to new words and phrases. This will help them expand their vocabulary and become better readers overall. There are also word games like Scrabble or Boggle which will help them with spelling.
Enhance numeracy skills
Most kids don’t enjoy practising maths at home, but by playing board games, they can boost their numeracy skills without even realising. Many games require players to count spaces, add up points, or work on other maths problems. Strategy games also require players to think ahead and plan their moves carefully, which can help develop their spatial awareness and planning skills. Games based more on chance and rolling the dice can help kids understand concepts of probability, as they consider the potential outcomes which could help them win.
Boost problem-solving skills
Unless they’re entirely based on chance, board games tend to involve strategy and problem-solving skills in order to win. Players have to plan their moves and consider different options, plus they have to consider what moves the other players might make. They have to make decisions and think about potential outcomes, something that will help them in many areas of life.
Strengthen social skills
Playing board games, whether with family or friends, requires a lot of interaction, which can help kids to improve their social skills. They will need to take turns, listen to others, and cooperate in order to win, and in the process they will learn how to share, communicate, and resolve conflicts. They may also make new friends through playing games together. Learning to win and lose with grace and cope with the emotions involved is also important, because nobody likes it when a sore loser flips the board over.
Develop fine motor skills
Often, board games require players to pick up and move small pieces and put them down in the right spaces. This can help kids improve their fine motor skills, including manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination. Having good fine motor skills is important for many areas of life, such as writing, playing sports, arts and crafts and cooking.
Playing board games is a great way for your kids to work on essential skills such as literacy, numeracy, problem-solving and fine motor skills, without realising that they’re learning. They can also benefit from the social interaction and learning to take turns and win and lose with grace. So next time the kids are bored, bring out some board games.