There are a lot of digital gaming options for kids today. While some of them can be beneficial, it’s still important to unplug and focus on more traditional activities. With the most synaptic connections being created in the brain before the age of 10, these kinds of activities are especially important for young children. One of the best ways to create healthy connections is by participating in a family game night.
There are numerous sports board games available to help make a weekly game night less monotonous and more engaging. In fact, there are enough games to choose from that you can play a different one each week! The best thing about these sports games is that they require no electricity or technology, making them fun for families and young children alike.
Sports Board Games and Bonding
The family that plays together stays together. By unplugging from digital entertainment systems, you not only engage your brain in a meaningful way but you'll also engage with each other. Playing sports games together helps strengthen family bonds and allows for healthy emotional growth as everyone interacts. This engagement is important for young children, as they learn both healthy problem-solving and family interactions.
Sports Board Games and Early Learning
Simple games are great for young kids, as they can cover basic problem-solving skills, colors, counting, and hand-eye coordination. In addition to that, children can also learn the importance of waiting for your turn and following the rules. All of these lessons can help growing children excel both at home and in school.
Board Games and Growing Brains
Sports board games are a great way to stimulate brain growth in both young children and teens. This is especially true of games that involve strategy, as these engage the frontal lobes (which are responsible for planning, decision making, and organization). Sports puzzles can also be useful for encouraging this growth too, as they require planning and spatial recognition to complete them.
Additionally, this brain growth doesn’t just affect young children and teens; adults can benefit as well! Recent studies have shown that working on puzzles and problem-solving games can help diminish the onset of debilitating cognitive illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. This means that children, parents, and grandparents can benefit from participating in family game night.
Developing Language and Social Skills
Board games are also great for helping encourage language development and social skills in young children. Playing a game that requires cooperation between players encourages children to speak up and work with others to reach the end -- and hopefully win the game -- whereas games that require players to ask questions and remember different pieces of information can help improve memory and comprehension.
Board games can offer kids a chance to put down their digital entertainment and have tangible benefits when it comes to language, comprehension, social skills, and reasoning. By taking part in a family game night, you'll have fun, strengthen family bonds, and help growing children gain cognitive skills. Additionally, your children aren’t the only ones who benefit, as board games are great at any age to help keep your mind sharp and potentially stave off debilitating mental diseases.
If you are looking for a fun way to get your family engaged, consider picking up a couple of board games and starting a weekly family game night. Sometimes the best family activities don’t require an internet connection.