5 Popular Board Games That Can Be Educational
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Board games, along with jigsaw puzzles, can be more than a fun way to pass the time. Certain games could also be a way of educating your kids by teaching problem-solving, literacy and numeracy skills. Here are just a few popular board games that can be educational.
Chess
Chess is one of the oldest board games in existence and is fantastic for boosting brainpower. Having to think multiple moves ahead teaches analytical skills and improves memory retention. Studies even claim that chess can boost IQ and improve focus in kids with ADHD. All in all, it’s worth getting out that chess board.
Scrabble
Scrabble revolves around building words and accumulating points. It can be great for expanding one’s vocabulary – by seeing other people’s words and using a word unscrambler, you can discover new terms. It can also teach mental math skills as players are required to add up and multiply points. Above all, it teaches problem solving skills by getting players to weigh up various moves much like chess. Scrabble is available in other languages too (the letters are given different values), which could be a fun challenge if you want to test your knowledge in a foreign language.
Monopoly
This trusted board game encourages players to buy up property until one player owns all the property on the board. The main lesson it teaches is how to manage money – especially how to invest it and keep a good cashflow. It’s also a game of patience – sometimes you have to wait a number of turns just to land on a property. There are lots of different versions of monopoly that you can try to vary this game up once you know the basic rules.
Qwirkle
Qwirkle is a game of forward thinking and strategy that can be played by kids of a young age all the way up to adults. It involves placing down tiles to build patterns – the ultimate aim is to create rows of six tiles of the same colour or shape. It’s great for boosting problem solving skills by encouraging players to look at things from different perspectives.
Ticket 2 Ride
This easy-to-learn game encourages players to claim railway routes across America. The longer the railway route the more points you gain. It teaches problem solving whilst also teaching kids geography by getting them familiar with where cities are in the US. There are lots of different versions of Ticket 2 Ride that can also teach geography of other locations in the world.