Did you know that you should support your child’s brain development before s/he reaches the age of 5? And games are a great way to stimulate their brains!
Experts reveal that 90% of brain development occurs when children are 5 years old. If we don’t expose them to early learning, there’s a great possibility that they will lag behind in kindergarten later.
Learning does not only start when children are in school. It begins from simple interactions when they play with you at home!
That’s why it’s important to know what games help in terms of their brain development.
This set of competencies that is essential to children’s brain development is called “Executive Functioning Skills”. Among them are:
- Self-Monitoring: Ability to comprehend how well s/he is performing a specific task.
- Impulse Control: Ability to think before acting or speaking.
- Memory: Ability to retain information and put it to later use.
- Planning: Ability to plan before acting in order to achieve desired results.
Children are not born with executive functioning skills but they are born with the potential to develop them. If you feel your child may be facing challenges in these areas, consult a professional who can provide functional learning opportunities for your child.
7 Games to support children’s brain development
So, here is a list of games that can stimulate children’s executive functioning skills, preparing them for school later:
1. Block Play
Block play offers valuable open-ended and creative play. Children have the freedom to explore as they take apart and put the blocks back together. Playing with blocks boosts many aspects of learning including imagination, problem-solving, mathematical concepts and fine motor skills.
2. Puzzles
Puzzles are great for teaching children early mathematical concepts; they teach children the concept of a ‘whole’ and that each piece of the puzzle is a fraction of the bigger picture. Puzzles also strengthen children’s other abilities such as shape recognition, patience, concentration and sense of achievement, which will all come in handy in school.
3. Role Play
Not only is role playing fun but it comes with a list of benefits that is fundamental for healthy development. As children re-enact their favourite characters, they develop communication abilities, make sense of real-life situations and strengthen social skills.
4. Treasure Hunt
This versatile activity that can take place indoors or outdoors encourages children to think outside the box to find the items. It’s a great opportunity to get them to learn by doing or practice their observational skills. It there’s more than 1 child, this is fun teamwork.
5. Solving Mazes
Completing mazes help children work on their visual skills and hand-eye coordination. Being able to find their way to the end of the waze is definitely a great confidence booster.
6. Storytelling
Through storytelling, children learn to listen actively and pay attention to the person talking. It enlightens them to other cultures around the world, as well as teach them moral values. Additionally, letting them be the storyteller enhances their verbal proficiency.
7. Physical Activities
Physical activities like household chores help children pick up skills that are foundational to future success. Besides gross motor development, they learn life skills, teamwork, responsibility, time management and self-reliance.
