Kids' Learning Games

Learning Games for Baby

Learning games for babies can be simple. Teaching a baby, for example, how to stack two blocks on top of each other is really much more than a simple game. It's a learning experience. After watching a parent stack two blocks on top of each other, the baby learns that stacking makes things taller, and he or she also learns what happens when the blocks are swatted and knocked down.

The game of "Peek-a-Boo" is also a kids' learning game. It teaches young children that even though mommy or daddy's face is hidden, he or she will reappear in a matter of seconds when the hands are removed. It's a game that helps babies learn and cope with separation issues.

Games for Toddlers

Learning games for toddlers need to have variety. Basic toys, such as large Legos are always fun for young children, and they're educational as well. Among other things, they teach kids how to build tall towers and they teach color recognition.

More complex and ambiguous toys are also a necessity with young children because they allow for more advanced creative thinking and they allow kids' problem-solving skills to develop. An example of such a toy is a Little Tikes play kitchen. A play kitchen and a bin full of plastic food and dishes can be used by both boys and girls to imitate their parents, creatively "cook" meals, and pretend to serve food to any adult in the room.

Kids' learning games at this age normally revolve around playing, using the imagination, and being creative.

Pre-Kindergartners and Kindergartners

When a child is about to begin "real" school at the age of four, five, or six, it's important for parents to reinforce the importance of learning. However, this does not mean that learning cannot be fun!

Many of the kids' learning games for this age group revolve around reading, writing, and very basic math. A good way to encourage the development in all of these areas is to convert basic daily tasks into fun games.

Basic Math Games

A learning game can occur, for example, when a child is brought to the grocery store or post office. Have the child count the number of people in line. Every time a person checks out and leaves, have the child determine how many people are left in line. Make it into a fun math game that incorporates addition and subtraction. It's a game that can also involve the concept of time - such as how much time it takes to get through a line.

Kids' Learning Games

Some of the kids' learning games that have been commonly played for decades are so much fun that kids have no idea that they are learning and enhancing their critical thinking skills as they play:

• One of the most simple card games ever to be invented is called "War." Just about everybody has played War several times in his or her life, probably during childhood. While the rules of War can be slightly modified depending on who is playing, the basic concept of the game teaches children how to add small numbers, and how to quickly determine which of two numbers/cards is higher and lower in value.

• Monopoly teaches a child to count money, to add numbers on the dice, to manage multiple loans/mortgages, and to read and follow directions on the property cards.

• Scrabble teaches children how to look at random letters and form them into a legitimate word for the game board. It also teaches counting, addition, and score-keeping.

• Operation is a game that seems silly, but teaches children to be gentle and have steady hands. It also teaches them about different areas of the human body, and in a very funny way.

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