If you read any amount of education books (or snippets of articles on Instagram) a key word that pops up is connection. And if you reflect back on your favorite teachers in your life I bet the teacher that stands out to you is the one who modeled the subject and connected well with you. Connection is key to education. Whether you’re a homeschooling parent or a public school parent you always need fresh ways to connect with your child(ren) and sometimes that connection can pull double duty. That’s why I love these games. They are the best games that effortlessly educate while also effortlessly connecting you with your child.
From your littlest learners to your middle school learners these games are favorites in our household. The middle school games can effortlessly become more advanced for your high school aged child(ren) as well. I’ve listed them from ages 18 months to 12+ years old.
Connection is key to education
-my opinion
- Roll and Play : this game is great for teaching your 18+ month old how to take turns, learn animal sounds, learn their colors, and count to 10!
- Matching Game : always included in preschool curriculum, matching games are amazing for developing concentrating skills, visualization, and of course learning how to take turns in your 3+ year old.
- Sum Swamp: my sister in law, a former teacher, gave me this game and my 4+ year olds always beg to play it instead of doing math worksheets. It teaches simple addition and subtraction facts, even and odd numbers, and again, turn taking!
- Junior Monopoly: is a great way to introduce adding up money to your 5+ year olds. And it gives little siblings a gentle introduction to the concepts of big monopoly.
- Dominoes: for simple number recognition practice and developing strategy skills for your 5+ year olds a simple game of dominoes is your ticket. It’s a classic game that delights every time and can go as far as improve memory retention, and reduce stress.
- Time Telling Game: if you need a sneaky way to help your 6+ year old child learn how to read an analogue clock (and a digital!), look no further. This game helps tremendously with learning the hour versus the minute hand and reinforces skip counting by 5’s as they learn the minutes around the clock.
- Four Way Count Down: for all the math practice with a sneaky way to get ahead of your opponents that makes this game irresistible, this game takes the cake for ages 5-12+. You can identify numbers, add, subtract, multiply, divide, and even use exponents for your more advanced math children. It’s a great game and I am so grateful my sister in law gave it to us after her teaching days were through.
- No Stress Chess: this game is my new absolute favorite. Three of my children wanted to learn how to play chess but I did not have the patience to teach them the complicated game. This game made teaching my 6, 7, and 11 year old chess a breeze of Christmas. They all know how to play now! Besides improving critical thinking skills, improving memory, and creativity it can also help prevent dementia. Give your brain a hug with chess!
Play is the highest form of research.-Albert Einstein
So whether you homeschool, public school, are stuck at home because of illness, or just want a way to connect with your child try these games. Pop some popcorn, clear off that dining room table, and play a game. I’d love to know what your favorite games that effortlessly educate are! Tag me on IG @LivvyRoberts
