Cognitive skills can change! Kids and adults can get smarter through simple interventions such as brain training. You can play games that challenge your thinking processes! The key to everything is intensity and moderation. Think of exercise for the body. A benefit can be had from a friendly game of volleyball or soccer in the front yard or a daily swim in the pool. However there is greater benefit if the exercise is intentional and regular.
This doesn’t mean that you have to play the same games over and over-quite the opposite! To challenge the brain, up the ante each time the game is played. Using a timer or counting or changing to different games with the same skill set in mind is a great way to do so. For example, a great game of tic tac-toe can be played by most anyone. It can be more challenging with just a little tweak. You could count to five while making the play on your turn and have to play within that count of five. Make a simple change to the rules by playing it with numbers or letters instead of Xs and Os.
Let’s explore the benefits and tweaks to some “regular” games to engage cognitive skills.
These will make the games a little more exciting and challenging for a true brain boost.
Uno is a great game of numbers and can be made much more beneficial to the brain by simply adding counting or speed to it. This game works short term memory, processing speed, and number/letter recognition. You’re also having fun while working a myriad of other skills such as attention and focus. By simply adding a timing factor to it, the intensity is raised to challenge even the best player. If an adult who is quite skilled is playing with a child, then a tweak should be added. The adult can count aloud to 3 and have to complete their turn in that time. The child gets to count to 10 while completing their turn. This not only evens the playing field but makes it mentally challenging for both players. Plus you can have a fun laugh when someone loses a turn for not playing quick enough!
Another fun game of strategy is checkers. I love getting those big mats with the enormous checkers out to play with all the nieces and nephews! Change the game by using the same timing activity mentioned above or making a rhyme ongoing. The first player must say a food. Then the next player on his/her turn must list another food of the same group or color or rhyme a word with it.
Most everyone can remember the old Rhythm game-snap, snap, clap, clap, rhythm; name some kinds of ice cream…. Well, this game is a classic oldie but a goodie! This game has turned into a new game of categorizing like Scattergories and five second rule. These games are great for boosting that long term memory recall. You can always play the alphabet game in the car on long trips or at family game time. Simply choose a topic like animals. Then name animals that start with letters of the alphabet-A: Anteater, B: Bear. You can make it more challenging if players have to remember what every fifth response was.
The main point is that family game time creates memories and betters relationships. They lead to fun conversation and social engagement while growing the brain at the same time. Games are always great gifts to purchase and last long beyond the moment! Classic games can be bought, made, enhanced or embellished very simply. Get your game on and plan a fun family time!
The games below are great to engage cognitive skills, and we have a downloadable game pack (available here).
- Board Games: 5 Second Rule, Chess/Checkers, SET, and Scattergories, Connect 4, ThinkFun, and Rush Hour.
- Card Games: Uno, Punderdome, Blokus, Taboo, Spot It, Farkle, Catchphrase, Scrimish, KerPlunk, Phase 10, Rummikub, Sequence, and Masterpiece Tetris.
- Video Games: Minecraft, Tetris, StarCraft, Flight Simulator, Farm Simulator, and Sim City.
- Smart Apps: Rhyme Zone, Chain of Thought, Bejeweled, and Proverbidioms.
- Car Games: Alphabet game, Uno, Spot, Catchphrase electronic, IQ Fit, Total Brain workout book, and Simon electronic.
- Homemade Games: memory, the pattern game, opposite day, tell a creative story in just 7 words, I spy, counting backwards, spelling words backwards, recreating a room visually
For more information on how games benefit children, go to Raise Smart Kids or Learning Works for Kids.
For more information about cognitive brain training: contact LearningRx Shreveport by calling 318.797.8523 or emailing shreveport.la@learningrx.net. You can also connect with us here.
Previously published in LOLA magazine and The Collective by Donesa Walker.