Day 3 - Toys, Games, and Puzzles

Puzzles, toys and games are a multimillion dollar industry and it's growing by the day and with it often grows our confusion about what to buy and use in our home schools. Are their benefits to using / playing board games with our children ?

Some benefits of board games

• Increases critical thinking skills
• Grouping skills
• Counting skills
• Logic and reasoning skills
• Visual perception
• Fine motor skills
• 3 D thinking
• Quality Family Time
• Relieves Stress and Mental Fatigue
• Life Skills - negotiating, accepting defeat and trying again, being happy for another who is winning, etc
• Pattern recognition
• Plan ahead and reason cause and effect
• Learn from mistakes
• Improves general IQ

Elsewhere on the Web

• The Best Homeschool Games: Disguise Learning As Fun
• The Benefits of Board Games over at Scholastic
• The Amazing Health Benefits of Board Games over at Six Wise
• Collect life lessons as you pass go over at BBC News
• Board Games for Kids: Do they make kids smarter ? over at Parenting Science

My Favourites
Today I would like to share my favorite games for preparing your students for the high school years and formal logic study.

Lonpos

Contains one travel pack with 12 coloured game pieces and booklet containing challenges (One dimensional and three dimensional). Each challenge builds upon the skill of the last.

Blockus

Blokus consists of one board, four different colour tetras shaped pieces {red, yellow, blue and green),  This game can be played with 1-4 players. The game works on strategy and critical thinking skills.

Rush Hour

This game consists of a storage bag, one traffic grid board with storage board, 40 graded challenge cards (4 levels), 15 blocking cars and trucks, 1 red escape car. This game works on logic and critical thinking skills.

Block by Block

This game consists of seven block pieces, 60 challenge cards {each card has a three dimensional picture that needs to be constructed using the block pieces, the rear of the card contains the solution), and a storage bag. The game strengthens problem solving skills and 3 dimensional thinking.

The Challenge
My biggest challenge is remembering to actually take all these wonderful games out of the cupboard and using them.  It seems we are always running out of time!

What are some of your favourite board games ?

Blessings
Chareen

Puzzle image courtesy Free Digital Photo's - Salvatore Vuono 

5 Days of Teaching Creatively

Day 3

1. Delight Directed Instruction
2. Schooling in the Kitchen
3. Toy's, Games & Puzzles
4. Homeschooling in a Crisis
5. Hands on Projects

Don't forget to enter the Teaching Creatively Giveaway.  Pop on over to Ben and Me to enter in order to win one of three prize packs. (1st prize $525 value, 2nd prize $225 value and 3rd prize $190 value)

Here are some more posts by home school moms with ideas about Toys, Games and Puzzles in your Homeschooling