It’s no secret that kids are constantly learning and developing with just about everything they do. The old saying is that kids are a lot like sponges and have a tendency to absorb everything around them. As parents, it’s our job to make sure our children are doing the most they can in order to help them develop into bright young adults. With that in mind, here are some games that you can play with your child to help them with their cognitive development.
Simon Says
This classic childhood game is fantastic for teaching children how to mimic your behavior and follow instructions. It teaches kids to listen carefully and to take a moment to think before they act. After all, there’s a reason it’s been around so long. The rules are simple, you take the role of Simon and give commands for your child to follow. The trick is, your child only does the command if it starts with “Simon says…” Feel free to get creative with your commands. Have your child do a silly dance or act like their favorite animal.
Hide and Seek
Surely we’re all familiar with this childhood classic by now. Simply hide in a secluded spot and allow your child to find you. This game is a great way to teach your child problem solving skills and to get them up and moving around the house. This game is also great if your child is having some issues with separation anxiety as it teaches them to think and act without the parent around to watch over them.
Puzzles
Puzzles are the swiss army knife of developmental games. There’s the physical aspect of actually putting all the pieces together, the emotional element of your child learning to be patient, and of course the cognitive aspect of figuring out which pieces go where. They can also help to develop your child’s memory skills as well. Puzzles serve as a great way to teach your child about shapes and help them to develop small, but achievable goals.
Memory Cards
This game is a fantastic way to help strengthen your child’s memory skills and teach them how to better retain information. Simply set out a few rows of cards face down while making sure there are two of each card within the set and then allow your child to flip them over two at a time. If they manage to find two matching cards then remove them and allow your child to keep searching until they find all the matching pairs. This game is a surefire way to help your child develop some strong memory skills in no time.
Don’t be afraid to get creative with any of these games. Incorporate some fun music or dancing to help make things fun. You can also try coming up with your own games to help your child be creative and share a unique experience with both of you that is sure to last a lifetime. The most important part is making sure you are always playing with your child and having fun while helping them grow up along the way.