Winter has arrived and so has cabin fever. My son, like most preschool age children, requires constant entertainment. Snow, sleet and freezing rain trap us inside our house. I strategically lay out art projects, trucks, dress up etc.- all of which buy me a few minutes of peace. And yes, like most parents, I eventually give in and turn on the TV for 20 minutes of Daniel Tiger.
In that 20 minutes, I can finish the dishes, put in a load of laundry… and maybe even finish my cup of coffee that I have reheated for the third time.
About a month ago, my son found a memory game I had purchased years ago, in anticipation that one day my then two year-old would be big enough to play. I set up the game and he was instantly hooked. It didn’t take long for him to develop a love for board games. With the cold days setting in, I purchased more games. Between my son’s birthday, and the result of certain individual’s addiction to online shopping, we have established a large collection of games. However, even with such a large collection, I have found six board games that are particularly educational, fun, and age-appropriate.
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Spot It Jr, Numbers and Shapes, and Alphabet
We currently own Spot it Alphabet. This fast paced game teaches children letters, numbers and shape recognition. With two cards face up, players must find the same number, shape or letter on the cards. The best part of the game is that it comes in a metal tin the size of your palm so it’s perfect to take on trips or out to dinner.
Plus they play this game in my son’s preschool class, so it is also teacher-approved!
Peaceable Kingdom is an amazing company that creates children’s games based on cultivating cooperative play and kindness. Most of their games are designed to make children work together to win instead of just one child winning. Every game promotes problem-solving and teaches children to work together with respect and compassion. In the game Count Your Chickens, children work together to help mama hen bring the chicks back to the coop, and in the end, everyone wins.
I purchased the classic Let’s go Fishin’ for my son’s birthday and it was an instant hit. He can play it on his own or with friends and family. The spinning board taught him hand/eye coordination and patience. The bright fish also teach color recognition.
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Connect Four
The classic has become a favorite. This is a perfect game to teach our children patience and focus. My son also really enjoys dropping the disks down the grid.
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Orchard
Orchard is another game based on cooperation. Players work together to collect bright colored fruit before the crow comes and eats it all. Orchard is an easy and entertaining game perfect for younger preschoolers and toddlers.
Unicorn Glitterluck is a fast and engaging game. Players choose a unicorn and race from the thundercloud to the sun while collecting beautiful crystals along the way. The player who reaches the sun with the most crystals is the winner.
