Remember playing Aba Dubi, Pakda-Pakdi and Lock & Key as a child? While those seemed fun at that time and age, we can’t ignore the fact that they were pretty violent. And those games certainly aren’t suitable in today’s day and age. Kids are curious by nature. At their tender age, they find magic in the most mundane things. They observe and mimic the words and actions they see. They explore and get mesmerised by everything. With such activities, they familiarise themselves with new tastes, smells, sounds and sights. Especially in the first five years of their life, a child’s brain development is rapid.
The Need For Fun Learning
Children easily absorb and retain the words, actions and habits that they see around them. This is why it is important to surround them with activities that stimulate their brain and help in its development.
But this is hard to do through rote learning as it gets boring easily. With toddlers, it is best to teach through play. This keeps them engaged and encourages them to learn on their own. The habits that children learn at a young age become like a second skin to them and shape their personality. Therefore, the introduction of child brain development activities early on in life is important. You can help them inculcate these positive attributes through brain development games for kids:
- Self-control: Teaching them to weigh their options and actively think before speaking or acting
- Memory: Habituating them to retaining information that they consume
- Attention: Helping them to not be fickle and keep themselves engrossed in one activity
- Planning: Developing the ability to plan ahead for a definite goal
When children learn these traits at a young age, they have the tools to control and communicate their emotions. This means less behavioural issues later on due to unexpressed feelings. They are also able to adjust to organised settings better, like schools or public spaces. The best part about brain development games for kids is that your child learns invaluable life-skills while getting entertained. Plus, it gives time to the two of you to strengthen your bond.
10 Brain Development Games & Activities For Kids To Fuel Their Thinking Process
If you are wondering how you can do this for your child, let us assure you that you do not need expensive toys or tools to stimulate your child’s brain development. Here are some great brain development activities for toddlers to do and learn with things you can easily find in the house.
1. Building Fun
Activities that allow children to build things are essential to developing knowledge of gravity, shapes, and balance. Though there are plenty of affordable building blocks and similar games available in the market, you don’t necessarily need them. Children don’t care about what they are playing with as long as they are having fun. So they can learn to build with dough, sticks or steel utensils easily available in the house.
2. Tippy-Tippy-Top
You may remember this team game from childhood, where you one person called out the name of a colour and the others had to identify it in their surroundings. Apart from the frolic, this game is a group activity that teaches your kid to play with others in harmony. It also keeps you agile. It helps with your child’s brain development as they learn to identify colours and listen to instructions.
3. Match The Following
This is one of those child brain development activities that help them identify patterns and associate similar things. It can be done through activity books that have match-the-following puzzles. For a more practical experience, you can pick paired objects from the house, like socks. Give one sock from each pair to the child and jumble the others with each other. Ask them to match the pair and wait for the look of accomplishment when they succeed!
4. Treasure Hunt
If you are looking for elaborate child brain development games, a treasure hunt may be the right option. Make a list of a bunch of household items and hide them around the house. Give this list to your child and ask them to find as many as they can. Not only will this be an adventurous activity, but it will also test your child’s planning abilities. You can add more exciting by keeping a reward for succeeding.
5. Story-Telling
The tradition of sharing and hearing kahaaniya from nanis and dadis is near to all our hearts. But it can be more than just a customary bed-time routine. Children can adopt new words, learn to use their imagination and comprehend new information while listening to stories. Plus, they learn to keep their attention engaged in one activity. You can start with narrating short and interesting stories like the Panchatantra tales, which will definitely interest your kid.
6. Sikdi
Remember this beloved game from your childhood? Make a hopscotch or sikdi board on the floor with chalk and number the blocks. Have your child throw in a small object and then hop to the block it lands on. It can be one among many fun child brain development activities if you add in a bit of twist. Add tasks to all the blocks, like reciting a poem, counting to 10, or naming 5 animals. When the object lands on a block with a task, have your child do the task and when they succeed, you can reward them with a small treat!
7. Freeze!
Also called Statue!, this is a game where one person commands the others to freeze in their place. They cannot unfreeze until they are commanded so. Children will learn patience, self-control and attention while playing this game. To add more fun, you can play this at random times in the day!
8. Kitchen Experiments
Kitchen has a plethora of options to spark a child’s imagination. Let your child help around the kitchen. If they are too young for that you can let them play freely with dough, fruits, veggies or other foods. Let them explore these things and develop their senses of touch, smell and taste. You can also quiz them on the fruits and vegetables they identify, or their colours and shapes.
9. What’s That Sound?
Young children are very reactive to sounds. It is easy for them to recall things that they learn by association with a sound. You can help your child develop this sense by making games out of identifying sounds. Familiarise your child with objects, animals and activities and the sounds they make, through pictures. Then help them recall by making the sound and asking them to identify the object it is associated with. You can also do it the other way round. The best thing about this game is that you can play it anywhere. Try and include music as it’s one of the best ways for kids to learn.
10. Sensitivity Training
Gender roles are not inherent. They are taught to children and often, even if unknowingly, through games. Gendered toys and games limit the options that a child has and inhibits their self-expression. So let your child run wild in their wardrobe every once in a while and pick out their own outfit. You can also do this when you go shopping for them. Do the same thing with toys and see what your child feels naturally inclined towards. When children are young and uninfluenced, they can truly be themselves, given the right choices.
Learning At Play
Young brains are like sponges. They quickly absorb what they see around them. Surrounding your child with fun activities that have a learning element is a great way to teach them basic life-skills. When selecting games and activities to introduce to your child, keep these in mind:
- Keep Your Child’s Pace In Mind: If they have trouble catching up or understanding an activity, slow it down for them.
- Take Feedback: Let your child tell you what they enjoy and what they don’t. Alter their activities accordingly.
- Practice Is Key: These activities are repeated, the better the chances of your child retaining the information.
- Be Patient: Children may learn at a slower pace than you would like, or get easily distracted. Do not be let down by this. Be gentle and persistent. Having fun here is just as important as learning.
- Be Involved: It is not enough to introduce your child to these activities. You also need to be involved. Play and practice with them. Not only will this help you keep a tab in their progress, but it will also be a bonding exercise.
Playing these games, your child is sure to have fun and a learning-filled childhood. The good habits and life skills instilled through these activities will help your child throughout their life.
