What's worse than rain on a perfect day? It's the lack of a good thing or a productive thing to do. Nowadays, children, instead of having to play kids indoor games would rather spend their time playing with their top of the line gaming console or their latest handheld portable game devices. Though there is nothing wrong with these advancements in technology we have to pay a certain price that some people are not even aware of.
Here’s why:
They’re fun. And what better way to learn than to have some fun?
They encourage soft skills. Communication. Collaboration. Problem Solving. These soft skills are crucial for success in the real world. These skills are the ones most encouraged through playing games.
They’re great learning resources. English/Language arts. Math. Science. Social Studies. They all go from “boring” subjects to “can we do that again tomorrow” subjects when you’re playing.
They’re not on a screen. I struggle with limiting screen time for my kids. Between the computer, the TV, and the various gadgets, our home feels overrun by media at times. Games focus on real-world interactions instead of digital ones. I like that.
One of the perils of technology taking over the play time of children is the separation of children from their friends. In the past children would gather together in a vacant lot to play baseball or tag or horse or whatever it was that kids play at the time. These physically challenging games helped children develop muscle tone and promoted exercise that in a way helped them in taking care of their bodies. Aside for the physical rewards that games children play bring it also promotes social interaction, attitude adjustment and cooperation among peers. These games helped them see that there are things that can be done individually and as a group.
Because of the isolating nature of these high tech devices children are more inclined to sliding back into their own worlds safe from anything that the outside world can dish out. Though there is a certain safety and comfort that these devices bring it isolates children from their peers and social skills that they should have are not developed. This results in kids having little tolerance to failure, low self-esteem, the need to find an easier way out and fault finding. To remedy this situation some parents are re-introducing children to classic indoor games that can be played by the family, with the family such as:
Board Games
Since then, board games have always dominated the indoor games for kids scene since the beginning of gaming history started. Some of the classic games that captured the hearts and imagination of kids and adults alike are board games like Monopoly, Snakes and Ladders, Scrabble and other turn based board games. These games develop strategy and critical thinking in kids because of the high level of decision making involved in them. Recently board games have been given a facelift and have enjoyed new edition to their line. Games like Warhammer 3000, Tactics the game, Vampires: Bloodlines and other games introduced recently.
Challenge Your Preschooler
Find matching letters
Spell her name
Put letters in order while singing the ABC song
Sort letters by composition (curved lines, straight lines, and combination letters)
This math game is perfect for solo (or small group) play, Boggle Jr. utilizes dice with letters instead of numbers. As your child matches letters to the picture card, she will be learning:
letter identification skills
matching letters to sounds
common short vowel words
Another math game which is perfect for children, 1-2-3 Framland players race to build a completed farm from animal cards they draw from the deck. Be careful—you can’t use the same animal twice!
While building a farm, your child will practice:
Number identification
Counting
Comparing numbers
Introduce science to your preschoolers with Logo programming language with this Kickstarter funded game. Players use code cards to move the Robot Turtle around the board. With a variety of levels that will keep your child (and perhaps you) learning, they’ll be exposed to:
Correcting bugs in programming
Sub-routines and loops
Strategy planning
From the world of Richard Scarry, this game encourages active play. To set-up,
arrange the destination mats around your room (or make the kids run all over the house—I love games that wear them out!) Players take turns drawing passengers, and flying them to the destination with the included airplane.
Airport awareness
Clothing choices (the passenger wearing a swimsuit goes to the beach instead of the mountains.)
Destination comparisons (how is a beach different from a city?)
Card Games
Unlike before when card games were considered plain and boring, many card games come with a twist these days, making it a popular choice for kids' indoor games. The secret to a good card game is the ability of the player to more cards to complement the core of their games. In Japan, card games like Yu-gi-oh: Duel Monsters, Pokemon card game, Duel Masters and other recent developed card games give the old Trump cards a new twist and a new flavor. The Japanese have conquered the world with these card games and they have brought dying kids indoor games new life.
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UNO - There are many versions available, but I’ve only played the original so far. If
you have a recommendation for the others, I’d love to hear it! Players match color or number, trying to be the first to get rid of all their cards.
Color matching
Number matching
Strategy (pick a color on wild cards)
Adding (add 4 cards)
Win Racko by being the first to arrange 10 cards in your rack from smallest to biggest. The numbers don’t have to be in numerical order (1,2,3), though you get bonus points for having runs.
Number fluently
Comparing numbers
Strategy
Quidder - Players begin this wordsmithing game with three letter cards. They draw and discard until they can use their letters to form a word. The next round starts with four letters, and the final round has ten. As players lay their cards down, they’ll be:
Spelling
Improving vocabulary
using a dictionary (in case of a word challenge)
I Never Forget A Face - A unique twist on the classic game of memory, your little one will be matching cards with pictures of children from around the world. The faces on the box show which country each child is from, adding another level of social studies to this game if you decide to find each country on a map.
Observation
Memory skills
Cultural awareness
They have created and developed a new interest in these games; card games from the Japanese include a high level of strategy and skill in predicting an opponent's move. And because its turn based the level of excitement is higher than ordinary car games.
Taboo - Your family will be stretching the limits of their vocabulary in this game. The goal is to get your team to say the key word. Except, you can’t say certain words because they are taboo!
Vocabulary
Creative thinking
Synonyms/antonyms
A great game for a large group, Apples to Apples requires players to match word cards to an attribute. Communication skills are essential, because you might need to defend your choice.
Analogies
Vocabulary
Critical thinking
Communication
What headline can you make from your random assortment of nouns, adjectives, and verbs? This game is flat out hilarious at times, and I love it from a blogging perspective, since it’s about crafting headlines.
Writing headlines
Parts of speech
Critical thinking
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5 Classic Indoor Board Games for Kid's
If you are a parent who is encountering problems when thinking about indoor kidsí games that would keep your children in company during those bad weather days, brace yourself. Your favorite board games could fit the bill. Take a look at several classic board games. Maybe it is about time you introduce them to your children, if they are still not familiar about those. Such board games could be considered as classic as they have already stood the strenuous test of time.
Here are five of the classic board games that have successfully transcended from generation to generation. Many people hold these games dear to their own hearts. It is about time you introduce them to your children as their new indoor kidsí games.
Chess. This board games is considered as among the most popular. The game could be traced to as far back as the early 7th century. It is a strategy at its best. Chess is one board game that would make kids think, strategize, learn, and be scheming. Some children may not like the board game but others do. It is time you make them realize how chess could be more fun than expected.
Monopoly. One of the planetís most popular board games get even more popular. This board game is played like purchasing property and real estate. You have to develop the ëacquisitioní and make sure opponents would lose their money long before you do. Monopoly has gone several versions and is now reaching out more to children. There are variations for kids like Disney editions, cat and dog edition, and deluxe editions. Kids would surely have a grand time.
Checkers. This is another of those popular board games that could be repackaged to be introduced as an indoor kidsí game. Almost everyone could recognize the classic black and red checkered playing board used in the game. Among all other board games, this one is considered the simplest and easiest to learn and to play. Checkered has been around since the 1500s, when people started playing with less interesting pieces.
Scrabble. This board game is another classic. Not surprisingly, it has diehard followers. You could be one of them. However, among all the usual board games, this one may not be readily appreciated by children. This is because the game might get a little nerdy. It involves widening of the vocabulary. The goal of the game is to outwit all players. Some kids may feel intimidated as the board game could test their ability to spell and find the right English words. Once children get a hang of it, they surely would be able to enjoy scrabble and win it.
Life. This board game is a relatively newer game compared to the others. It is designed to resemble real life. Children could go through making choices that could eventually affect what they do in life. It has plenty of options; each choice holds a promise of happiness and satisfaction. You could turn this board game into one of the popular indoor kidsí games that your children would love.
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Home School Professor (subsidiary of Teachers Corner) provides a place to create, explore, and share custom curriculum for homeschool students. Our staff is made up parents who share the same passions, to provide the very best education for our children.
At Home School Professor, our objective is to understand word strategies and vocabulary development and how to use effective, developmentally appropriate approaches to promote students’ word analysis and vocabulary skills.
Demonstrate knowledge of phonics and its role in decoding; of ways to access students’ phonics skills; and of effective instructional strategies, activities, and materials for promoting students’ phonetic analysis skills.
Demonstrate knowledge of word analysis strategies, including syllabication, morphology (e.g., use of affixes and roots), and context clues; of ways to assess students use of words analysis strategies; and of effective instructional strategies, activities, and materials for promoting students’ word analysis and contextual analysis skills.
Demonstrate knowledge of the role of vocabulary development in reading; of ways to assess students’ vocabulary development; and of effective instructional strategies, activities, and materials for promoting students’ vocabulary development.
Our first day of school is happening next Monday. Precisely two weeks before Labor Day. That is over a week later than our counterparts, but quite frankly, I was not ready to start yet. Not because I want endless days of summer, although my kids would like that. But because I am still furiously planning our year – trying to complete book lists and organize our schooling direction. Pondering exactly why I am undertaking this course for an 8th consecutive year is what woke me up early in the morning.
I certainly know that homeschooling is not for everyone. Just the mention can start a lively discussion. I have dear friends who are teachers in both the public and private school sector. On any given day, they might do a better job of educating my children than I do. Even with my teaching certificate, no illusions of brilliance around here. While I am not always fond of the educational system (the fact that they seem to care less about parental input and involvement than ever before bothers me), I have nothing against sending kids to school. In fact at some point, each of my kids will probably step into an “institution” for at least part of their learning. I’m not homsechooling them in college.
Let’s face it – no matter which path we choose for kids, the process of educating children is hard. Rather than getting caught up in the differences each schooling path may take, let’s acknowledge the fact that when the diplomas are handed out, they really should be for the parents instead. Getting kids to care about learning is a challenge. While we can see the future rewards, all kids can see is the clock ticking toward recess. Whether we are the instructor or just the supporting staff, all parents are involved in the educational process.
It’s not just education...other reasons why we choose homeschooling
They want to direct the path of their children’s education.
They want their kids to be lifelong friends.
They want their kids to learn proper socialization.
They want to impart of family values and of worldviews.
They want to enjoy their kids while as much as they can.
They want their kids to appreciate differences in culture and to understand the need for international language of kindness.