Games Are a Great Way to Fun and Learn With Your Child
Games are organized forms of recreational play, usually undertaken for fun or entertainment, and occasionally used as a teaching tool. Games are different from work, which generally is performed for monetary compensation, and from fine art, which tends to be a more expressive expression of cultural or aesthetic points. Games help to improve memory, hand-eye coordination, reasoning, and social interaction.
There are many different types of games, some based on traditional board games, others computer games, and others employing many of the concepts of video games. Traditional board games include such classics as Monopoly, Risk, or Candyland. These kinds of games stimulate problem solving skills and give the child a sense of achievement. Computer games in the form of World of Warcraft or Carmen Sandiego series are designed to teach the fundamentals of how to interact with others through role playing scenarios.
Activities may be selected to suit the interests of the child. For example, if your child likes to cook, you could arrange to cook or bake time into the activities. This allows him to gain more understanding of all the tools involved in cooking and uses this understanding to enhance his understanding of the kitchen environment. Games that involve musical instruments, dancing, painting, or even sculpting can also provide the opportunity to develop social skills and interaction.
Learning through play is a very interactive process, one that involves a variety of senses. Not only do you get to see how your child learns and what he does, but you get a chance to see how other children learn as well. It is a way of fostering the family unit while still providing a time of relaxation for your kids. Some games provide the perfect opportunity to make time together as well, by allowing all of the children to participate in a shared activity.
There are many games available that help teach your children about math and science through different stages of the game. Math skills are enhanced through counting, measuring, and adding. Science skills are learned by looking at a game and determining what the different pieces are. These games are geared towards age level as well. Young children will find that building their counting skills and observation skills are quite easy with alphabet based games.
While the play may be the most important way for your child to learn new things, it should not be the only method available. If your child gets bored with playing a particular game, then he does not understand the concept behind it and does not learn. Do not limit your child’s learning experience to playtime, but allow him to have some fun along the way. Most children respond very well to the play side of things, so make sure you find some type of interactive games for them to enjoy.