Challenging Minds with Games

by Sandy Baker

Do you have a favorite thinking game? As a child growing up, I used to love to play games that were puzzles, something to challenge me not physically but challenge my mind. We used to do simple things like create objects out of clouds or find out what would happen when too much water was added to the mud pie. Nevertheless, it seems that many children in our society today are rather uninterested in those types of games. They now just do what the Game Boy tells them to.

Recently, playing a Game Boy game, I found it to be amazing that the game was so simplistic in that it often told me what to do when I was lost or maybe unsure of what to do next. Now, I am not a regular player nor do I know if this is common, but what happened to the fun of trying to figure the puzzle out? How do you get through the door or find the missing item? You keep trying until you do, right?

The good news is that you don't have to allow your children's brains to go whoosh! You can offer them computer games that are more mind challenging rather than time fillers. Games like Mah Jong encourage people (children included) to develop a plan for solving the problem at hand. This plan is one that will keep you focused on the goal ahead and keep your brain trying to figure out the next move. There are hundreds of others that use all sorts of skill including solving problems.

So, just what does all this mean for you? Should you give your child these mind challenging games and rip away the games they currently play? Unless you are out for them to hate you, we don't recommend that. But, allow them to have the ability to access these games and you may find that they are often drawn to them. Children's minds are like sponges, soaking up whatever is thrown at them. So, they don't find their own puzzles to play with anymore. That doesn't me they don't need those problem solving skills.

Have you ever been in an environment where a child just can not do anything for themselves? They need mom or dad to tie their shoes. They need mom or dad to fix their problem with friends. They can not solve their own problem. This is a large problem and one that parents need to take notice of. Can playing computer games that encourage problem solving skills really help? They are not the whole answer but they can be part of the solution.

What you can do is provide games like puzzles, word, math and even card games that children can play on the web or download them to your computer. These will help to strengthen their skills in problem solving, in dealing with reactions, and in preparing for the unknown. Guess what? It's also a really fun thing to do with your kids too! Make it mean something even more by playing along with them!