Everywhere you look, you see folks on their personal devices. At Nokomis Elementary, we have iPads and Chromebooks to accelerate student learning. We know that many adults and children interact playing video games. However, when I was in school, during a time long, long ago, phones were connected to a wire, and my parents limited my phone conversations to ten minutes.
Back in the day, the television service was shut off in the Ukiah area the week before Thanksgiving for fundraising and was turned back on for Thanksgiving morning so families could watch the parades and football games. My family and the other families we knew spent time around a table playing board games and interacting with each other during that week and other nights on a regular basis. Oh, the memories!
I want to remind parents of school-age children that board games are fun and beneficial. According to Child Care Resource Network (CCRN), researchers are now discovering that light-hearted play leads to profound child development benefits. The research shows that we need board games, and here is why:
Games are great for motor skills.
Every time your little ones roll the dice or shuffle the cards, they develop their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills – which can lead to later success in sports, playing instruments, writing, and more.
Games help your kids solve problems.
Researchers from the University of Florida have found that kids who practice strategizing and solving problems with their parents have better memory techniques and more success at solving all sorts of problems independently.
Playing strategy games with your kids is one way to give them valuable practice at solving problems. But even more importantly, it allows you to demonstrate effective problem-solving techniques that your kids can learn from and emulate. When you play games together, be sure to share information about how you approach each problem to be solved – explain how you break problems down into steps, how spending time planning before acting can benefit success, and how your thought processes work as you solve a problem. These conversations will give your kids helpful insight into their own thinking that can bring them greater success in real-life problem-solving situations later on.
Game night is family bonding night.
No matter what games you play, the simple fact that family game night forces you to spend quality time interacting with your kids can help contribute to all sorts of positive outcomes for them. Numerous studies have shown that children from families who maintain strong lines of communication through frequent get-togethers like game nights and family dinners enjoy benefits in nearly every aspect of their lives. Benefits include larger vocabularies starting at age two, higher reading scores in elementary through high school, more motivation in school, better relationships with peers, a more positive perception of the parent-child relationship, and, most importantly, better emotional well-being and life satisfaction.
Our devices have many valuable benefits in our lives, however, don’t forget the tried and true benefits of playing board games. By playing board games with your children, you will be making memories and improving your child’s success at school. As a child and parent, I have many fond memories of playing board games, and now I know how it helps with school success.