Play to learn

How many times have you heard, "Mommy, will you play with me?"  If your kids are like mine, you hear it more days than not.  Why not take a little time to play a game?  There are a number of ways to have some fun while sneaking in a little workout for their brains as well.  Here are some ideas to help get you started.

1. Stock your game closet with educational games.  There are more educational games out there than you may realize.  Deliberately search out games with high educational value and include them on your holiday and birthday wish lists.  Wiebe, Carlson, & Associates, Educational Insights, and Talicor have created some excellent subject specific games, while Franklin Learning Systems has a large selection of emotionally and socially focused games.  These and many other games can be purchased online from retailers such as Fat Brain Toys, Educational Learning Games, and Learning Resources.
2. Restructure non-educational games so that they become educational.  Have a deck of playing cards?  About.com, Practical Pages, and Do2Learn all have some great game ideas using standard playing cards.  Play Monopoly or The Game of Life to practice counting money.  Play Yahtzee, Black Jack, or Cribbage to practice addition and multiplication.  Play Scrabble, Scrabble Slam, Boggle, or Buzz Word to practice vocabulary and spelling.  Any of these games can be modified to fit specific words or skills your child needs to practice.
3. Make your own games at home.  Even with all the ready-made games out there, sometimes you still just can't find a game you like that really focuses on that one specific skill your child needs help with...so make your own!  Turn your creative side loose and have some fun.  Make your own board game, card game, dice game, or even action game.  The Game Lady, About.com, and Jefferson County Schools in Tennessee have some great ideas for make-at-home games to help get you started.

For even more ideas, check out my play-to-learn board on Pinterest.  The bottom line is, children love to play games; and they love the time they spent with you while playing games.  So put away the dreaded flash cards and live the good life by playing educational games with your children.  What are your favorite educational games?

Karissa