With all of this social distancing, we are spending a lot more time at home with our own families. While it can be monotonous and frustrating at times, there are definitely some hidden blessings or silver linings within all of this family time. Our family loves to play games together! Over the years, I have noticed that family game night offers so much more than just entertainment and laughs. The lessons my kids are learning can be applied to many life situations and also strengthen their academic knowledge as well.
As a kindergarten teacher, I would frequently get asked by parents about what readiness skills were the most important. Parents were usually surprised when my response had little to do with the alphabet and counting. There are many other social and emotional skills that are imperative to a student's success in kindergarten and beyond. For instance, one major struggle for young students is delayed gratification, or waiting your turn. Game night is ALL about waiting for your turn. There are very few games that don't require the players to spend time waiting on others. Follow through with this rule! Your child is going to need to wait their turn for the bathroom, getting a drink, using the slide, and for the teacher's attention so they may as well work on waiting.
Learning to lose is also a very valuable lesson. As a parent, it can be very tempting to allow your child to win every time you play with them. They are so excited when they win and that reaction just makes you smile. Plus, avoiding the potential meltdown associated with losing is not so bad either. Imagine a classroom full of five-year-olds who have always been the winner of every running race or card game that they have ever played. Now tell them it is time to line up to walk to the cafeteria. Only one child can "win" the place of line leader. You now have 20+ kids you are devastated and not sure how to handle this "loss." Lets face it, losing is just a part of life and we all should learn to lose with grace.
There are many academic skills, particularly math, that can be strengthened by playing games. Skills such as addition, subtraction, patterning, greater than and less than, money, subitizing, and problem solving are present in many of the games that you have in your game closet already. It is a lot easier getting your child to practice their addition facts by adding up the numbers on two dice as they try to race around a game board than it is to give them another worksheet. They are so focused on playing the game they may not even realize that they are doing math at the same time. If you are looking for a game to practice a specific skill, reach out to your child's teacher. Likely, they have a few games in mind that are helpful for skills in their particular grade level.
So, gather up your family, pop some popcorn and watch all of the learning that can take place while also making memories that you and your kids will cherish for a long time to come! Below are a few of our family favorites.
Ticket to Ride (Jr. version also available)
Farkle Flip (cards not dice)
Monopoly Jr.
Phase 10
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