Learning Through Play: Top Recommended Games for Kids

Play is a child’s number one occupation and one of the main ways they learn! Games can be incredibly beneficial for children from both a developmental and therapeutic perspective. They can promote several important skills and abilities:

1. Motor Skills: Games often require fine or gross motor movements, depending on the nature of the game. For example, board games can help with fine motor skill development through picking up and manipulating game pieces. Games also address visual motor skills by requiring eye-hand coordination and visual processing.
2. Cognitive Abilities: Many games encourage strategic thinking, problem-solving, and memory recall. They can help develop an understanding of rules and sequences.
3. Social Skills: Multiplayer games can enhance skills such as taking turns, teamwork, communication, conflict resolution, and sportsmanship.
4. Emotional Development: Games can help children learn about managing success and failure, dealing with frustration, and developing perseverance.
5. Sensory Process: Games with tactile elements can assist in developing sensory processing and integration.

In OT, we often use games as a fun and engaging way to develop various skills like fine motor, cognitive, and social skills. Here are a variety games that may be recommended depending on your child’s needs and abilities:

1. Candy Land: This game supports color recognition and turn-taking skills. It’s simple and fun for young children.
2. Operation: A game that requires precision and carefulness, it can help improve visual-motor integration and fine motor skills.
3. Building Block Games: Such as LEGO or stacking games. These can aid in developing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness. 
4. Jenga: This game can help improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. It also supports strategic thinking.
5. Chutes and Ladders: Besides being fun, it helps children develop number skills and understand cause and effect.
6. Hi Ho! Cherry-O: This game enhances fine motor skills, counting skills, and turn-taking.
7. Connect 4: This game can aid in developing strategy, problem-solving skills, and hand-eye coordination.
8. Guess Who: This game helps develop problem-solving skills, memory, and social interaction.
9. Sorry!: The pushing of game pieces around the board supports fine motor skills, as well as an understanding of numbers, patience, and sportsmanship.
10. Battleship: This game enhances strategy planning, grid coordinate understanding, and concentration skills.
11. Rush Hour: This problem-solving game addresses executive functioning skills, and visual motor skills through pattern replication, attention, and sequencing skills.
12. Gravity Maze/Laser Maze: These two logic games improve sequencing, focus, executive functioning, and visual motor coordination.
13. Uno: Uno can support color and number recognition, matching, and fine motor skills through card handling. Other card games can help in fine motor coordination and dexterity as well as problem-solving and strategy.
14. Action Games: Games like Twister, Simon Says, hopscotch, or even a simple game of catch can help improve gross motor skills, coordination, and balance. 
15. Pop the Pig: Games like Pop the Pig address turn-taking, color/number recognition, multi-step direction following, and fine/visual motor coordination. Similar versions include Shark Bite, Banana Blast, Pop the Pirate, Beware of the Bear, and Jumping Jack.

You may be familiar with some of these games from the past! When we were kids, we were having fun playing these games not realizing we were working on many of these skills. Pull some of these old games out, have fun reminiscing, and have fun trying the new games too!

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