By Leslie Lindsay

Every so often, we call a “family game night” at our house.  Old-fashioned, classic fun is what it is, but there is an element of education, too.  In fact, our first grade teacher does similar things in her classroom.

Here’s the deal: 

• Everything you do with your children can be educational.  Nope, it doesn’t have to be a flashcard or say, “education” on the packaging.
• When learning is fun and experiential, it actually “sinks in” more than traditional sit-and-learn-methods.
• Family games introduce concepts that can be used in everyday experiences–things that your children will use to build good foundations.  For example, a game of dominoes teaches matching, number recognition (“oh 5 looks like four with a single [dot]  in the middle!” or “6 is really two rows of three”), strategy, turn-taking, etc.
• Turn-taking, good-sportsmanship, and even pre-reading skills can all be acquired through games you participate in with kids. 
• Some of our personal favorites are:
• Zingo!  Try also Zingo Numbers! 
• Sequence for Kids
• Scrabble Scoop
• Toot and Otto

Here’s an article by  Nannyservices.org on the benefits of a popular children’s game spanning the generations: Candyland.

http://www.nannyservices.org/blog/10-reasons-why-kids-love-to-play-candyland/

So why not bust out the games tonight?!  Make it fun and educational! 

Class dismissed!