Games Are Good for the Mind


Looking for something to do on those dreary winter days?  Take some time to play games with your kids that are fun and strengthen the mind.  Doing age-appropriate math games with kids is good way to grease the wheels for their future learning.  It’s just as fun, social and important as reading.



1. Double My Number/ Triple My Number

You’re riding in the car and you say: “Let’s play double my number.”  Give young children a number between 1-10 that they can count out on their fingers. For older kids, play “triple my number” or give a 2 or 3 digit number to double.  There’s no time limit for answers, and it’s great to hear the busy minds murmuring in the back seat.



2.  Guess my number

It’s as simple as it sounds. Pick a number in a low range for young kids, and up to 100 for older kids. Respond to them by saying “higher” or “lower.”  This is good practice for understanding the relative values of numbers.



3.  20 Questions

This is another good car game. And nobody cares if you go over 20, by the way.  When you first begin, ask your child to pick a person, place or thing and keep it in his mind.   Ask yes or no questions like: “Is it man-made?” “Is it alive?”  “Is it part of nature?”  “Is it something you play with?”  After you guess your child’s secret thing, then switch roles.  You may have to prompt them to ask the right questions at first.  It’s a fun process-of-elimination game.



4.  Memory Tiles

Available everywhere, these flat wooden tiles have animals, toys, or objects on them. There are two of each kind.  Turn all the tiles facedown on the floor. Take turns turning over 2 at a time. If there is no match, turn both of them back over and replace in the same spot.  Within minutes you and your child will be making a mental map of the floor, and the matches will start jumping out at you. After a few games with your child, you are bound to lose.  Kids’ visual memories are so much better than ours; it’s shocking to actually be beaten by your youngster.



5.  What’s Missing?

This home-spun memory game requires 1 big mixing bowl and a group of similar objects, like geometric sorting blocks or different colored matchbox cars. The object can differ by attributes such as color, shape or size.  Put 4 to 6 of these related objects under the bowl and make sure your child gets a good look at them all. Slide the bowl around to simulate shaking them up. Slide it off to the side and take out 1 or 2 of the objects. Slide it back to the center and lift the lid off.  Ask your child what’s missing.



6.  Guess Who?

A classic process-of-elimination game for kids of all ages, for 2 players. (Hasbro) Each player has a board with 30 different faces standing up on it. Taking turns, each player tries to guess the other’s secret person by asking yes or no questions like “Does yours have blue eyes?”  If the answer is no, then the asker proceeds to flip down all the faces on his board that have blue eyes. An interesting way to learn what an opposite condition is.  For example, your child is thinking:  My opponent says her person has blond hair. So that means I have to put down all the brown-haired and white-haired faces, and leave the blond ones standing up.  It’s thrilling for a child when she narrows down the answer in the end.