8 Brain-Stimulating Games to Keep Your Child Mentally Fit

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Today we have a guest post by Steven Briggs. Steven Briggs is a freelance writer who is an avid player, designer, and proponent of all things about jigsaw puzzles, recreation, and relaxation.

Let’s dig into what the games that help our children stay mentally fit!

8 Brain-Stimulating Games To Keep Your Child Mentally Fit

One of the significant concerns of mothers worldwide is their children’s mental health and well-being. Whether you are a working mom, a stay-at-home mom, a working-from-home mom, or even a homeschooling mom, you are probably on the hunt for ways to stimulate the brain of your children and keep them engaged. Maybe you are looking for something that will not only brain-train your children but also keep them occupied while you enjoy that cup of coffee (while it is still hot). Call it a few hours of passive parenting (without the negative consequences) if you will. There is a simple solution that is delightful for the children and can serve your purpose well. Games to the rescue!

Games are very versatile; they can be adapted as per your requirements. With some variations, your child’s favorite game can become a sneaky educational tool. You could choose to play with your children as a way of bonding with them, or you could select games that they are able to play on their own at their age. Children are usually very receptive to games, so you won’t have to coax them.

UNICEF suggests that playing games with your children is an excellent way to boost their mental health, and thereby even their physical health. Games serve as a break from stress and help in the development of cognitive, emotional, and social skills. A study conducted in 2022 by scientists at the University of Vermont, Burlington found a connection between children playing video games and increased brain activity in regions related to attention, memory, and cognitively demanding tasks. Of course, this does not mean unlimited screen time; we know that too much of a good thing can turn out to be bad. It does mean making the limited screen time work in our favor.

As you can see, there are sufficient reasons for using games as mental stimulation tools. Here is a list of 8 brain-stimulating games to keep your child mentally fit:

Rubik’s Cube:

What’s not to love about a game that can be played alone and with only one piece (no clutter of toys and no losing pieces!)? While the child is at play and exercising his brain, you get to relax or resume your work. Rubik’s Cube offers a challenge to the child’s brain. It is suitable for ages 3 and up. Does it sound incredulous? The record holders for the youngest cube solvers are all around the age of 3.

Some children might require guidance or helpful hints to prevent them from getting weary. If your child has mastered the standard 3×3 Rubik’s Cube, take the challenge to the next level with the 4x4x4 Master Cube or the 5x5x5 Professor Cube. The child can move on to the differently shaped versions of the game as well. There is even a Phantom Cube that reveals colors due to the heat of the hands and must be solved before it reverts back due to the cold. Did you know Rubik’s Cube is useful for teaching geometry and even coding?

I Spy With My Eye:

This game ensures hours of fun and engagement with no prior preparation from your side. No props are required either. It is a game that can be played between siblings and even on the move. It improves the attention and observation skills of children. Other benefits of this game include better linguistic abilities and improved visual recognition.

Neighborhood Map Quest:

This is a game that helps in improving the memory, attention, and observational skills of your child. It involves drawing a map of the neighborhood based on memory. It can be a crude map or maps drawn to scale (for older children). With this game, you can also ensure younger children learn their way around the neighborhood and thus reduce the possibility of them losing their way. You never know, your child might turn out to be an ace cartographer!

Solving Jigsaw Puzzles:

Research has found that solving jigsaw puzzles frequently helps in the prevention of certain mental illnesses and improves memory. The best part about jigsaw puzzles is that there are plenty of options for every age group. You can select puzzles based on the child’s preferences. The puzzle could be the child’s favorite scene from a beloved fairytale. For older children, you could arrange for the more complex jigsaw puzzles of 500-1000 pieces.

An additional advantage of this game is that it also allows you to display the hard work of your children by framing the completed puzzles. And if you are a mother who does not want to find lost puzzle pieces in nooks and crannies, or if you want to avoid the extra clutter, there are free jigsaw puzzles available online. Online jigsaw puzzles also have other benefits;  the children can make their own puzzles with pictures they select, and even share the puzzles with friends.

Build A Story:

You can involve all your children as well as their friends in this game. To play this game, you start with a story prompt (it could even be a single word). Each child then offers his/her contribution to the story in the form of a sentence or a word. Continue the game until the story reaches a good conclusion. This game guarantees a lot of giggles. What does this game do for your child’s brain? It increases creative thinking skills and works wonders for linguistic abilities.

Remember The Items:

This game can take two forms – physical and verbal. For younger children, you can show them some items on a tray for 5-10 seconds, then cover the tray with a cloth. Ask the child to recall the items and their placement. In the verbal version of the game, you can involve all your children and even their friends. Start by proposing a word (based on a theme), and the first child repeats the word and proposes a new word. Each child consecutively repeats all the previous words and proposes a new word. The child that forgets or omits a word from the chain steps out. This continues until there is only one child left. This game improves the concentration and memory of children.

Scavenger Hunt:

Scavenger hunts can be as simple and as challenging as you make them. At the end of the hunt, you could place a reward. Children love that, and it increases their motivation to be more involved in the game. Scavenger hunts develop the critical thinking skills of the children, while also being the source of a lot of fun and enjoyable physical activity. Since you as the mother can design the scavenger hunt, you would know exactly where your child is going to be heading until the game lasts (emphasis on safety for young children).

Crossword Puzzles:

The most well-known benefit of crossword puzzles is that they help in expanding vocabulary. But did you also know that crossword puzzles can improve cognition, preserve memory, provide stress relief, soothe anxiety, and help in combatting several mental illnesses? You can present your child with crossword puzzles suitable for their age and vocabulary level (with some challenge). Crossword puzzles can be based on themes. You can design crossword puzzles using the vocabulary from your child’s favorite book, or based on the curriculum. Make fancy crossword puzzles with pictures to entice young children. There are tools available online to help you construct crossword puzzles, share them and even print them.

In Conclusion

This is a list to get you started. You can include all kinds of board games, on-the-move games, and word games. Games can work as amazing fitness exercises for the brain. The best part about games is their adaptability. With some creativity and prior planning, you can adapt all games and use them as mental engagement tools for your child.