The holiday season is here, and we’ve got our annual roundup of smart games & gifts for the whole family! Here are some brain-boosting games, puzzles, and activities you can use to connect as a family, have fun, and exercise brain skills while you’re at it.
Slapburger
This is a fast-paced remix of games like Slap Jack and War that is great for kids and adults alike!
Skills it builds:
- Attention
- Processing speed
- Working memory
- Visual memory
Azul
Azul is a beautiful game of strategy where you create mosaics and try to outscore opponents!
Skills it builds:
- Visual processing
- Logic & strategic thinking
- Working memory
Battleship
It’s a classic for a reason! Battleship is a long-time favorite introduction to strategy games.
Skills it builds:
- Logic & reasoning
- Visual processing
- Working memory
- Long-term memory
- Sustained attention
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
We love this one for family game night! Get a group together and have fun while exercising your brain.
Skills it builds:
- Working memory
- Attention
- Processing speed
The Genius Square
Play it solo or race an opponent to solve this puzzle game with thousands of potential solutions!
Skills it builds:
- Visual processing
- Logic & strategic thinking
- Working memory
- Attention
- Processing speed
Spot It
This is a favorite fast game for kids & adults! With a variety of ways to play, you can get the whole family involved.
Skills it builds:
- Visual processing
- Visual memory
- Working memory
- Processing speed
- Attention
Bop It
Have a kid who’s not big on sitting down to play board games? Bop It is a great hands-on activity for the whole family!
Skills it builds:
- Processing speed
- Attention
- Working memory
Kanoodle
This is a great option to throw in a backpack for car rides or to keep hands busy while waiting at restaurants!
Skills it builds:
- Visual processing
- Attention
- Working memory
- Visual-spatial skills
Rush Hour
Rush Hour (and Rush Hour Jr.) are great solo games to build some visual & reasoning skills.
Skills it builds:
- Logic & reasoning
- Visual processing
- Working memory
- Attention
Logic Links
This is one that we use in-center as a brain exercise warm up or cool down! You can work together, play solo, or race to solve the clues.
Skills it builds:
- Working memory
- Attention
- Logic & reasoning
- Visual processing
- Visual-spatial skills
Puzzle Cubes
Whether it’s a traditional Rubik’s cube or one of THESE with other shapes, this is a great gift for the fidgety kids in your life!
Skills it builds:
- Visual processing
- Sequential thinking
- Logic & reasoning
- Attention
- Working memory
- Long-term memory
How to Draw
Books like this make great gifts for creative kids!
Skills it builds:
- Visual processing
- Visual-spatial awareness
- Sequential processing
- Attention
- Working memory
Paper Airplanes
The sky’s the limit! Upgrade your child’s paper airplane game with inspiration and instructions for more complex constructions.
Skills it builds:
- Visual processing
- Sequential thinking
- Attention
- Logic & reasoning
Origami Puzzles
This creative puzzle activity is great for kids and adults alike!
Skills it builds:
- Visual processing
- Logic & reasoning
- Attention
Criminal Mind Puzzles
This book is great for the amateur detectives in your life! Learn facts about past cases and put your reasoning skill to the test.
Skills it builds:
- Logic & reasoning
- Long term memory
- Working memory
- Attention
Check out this roundup of more games to target specific skills:
Logic & Critical Thinking Games
Sandy is the one person who understands that Eli is an individual and not a label, this has enabled her to help Eli to blossom. Understanding Eli’s struggles and responding with patience and kindness has allowed Eli to build trust and to excel. Other professionals have told us that Eli is not capable, that he will never progress, but Sandy has helped us to prove them wrong! Since working with Sandy at Learning RX, Eli’s confidence has increased, he is more willing to try new things, to practice what he has learned at Learning RX, and he enjoys his new successes! As well, building resilience through training has been an important goal that Eli continues to meet. I can’t thank you enough!
~Julia P., Staunton, VA
*Results based on past client; you or your child may or may not achieve the same results.