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Covid is still a threat and the city is on lockdown again. Which means schools, gyms, play areas, etc will remain closed, kids and teens are severely advised to stay at home, due to which the usage of technology has increased, they are online more than ever, attending school from home, catching up with friends via video calls, browsing through social media, streaming videos on YouTube, NETFLIX, etc.

While some forms of technology may have made positive changes in the world, there is evidence for the negative effects of technology and its overuse, as well.

Social media and mobile devices may lead to psychological and physical issues, such as eyestrain and difficulty focusing on important tasks. They may also contribute to more serious health conditions, such as depression. Overuse of technology may have a more significant impact on developing children and teenagers.

In this article we are going to learn about the merits of playing board games and how it would help to educate your children as well as unplug them from technology.

Board Games

When was the last time you played a board game as a family or with your friends, probably a really long time ago, but every time you did, I am pretty sure you had a fun experience, but that’s is not all, there are tons of merits like learning about teamwork, patience, winning and losing with grace and also help with children’s brain development and language?

Here are some of the main benefits of playing board games

Early learning opportunities

Simple games help young players identify colors, count spaces, and develop hand-eye coordination and dexterity in moving cards and pieces around the board, and some complex games like Monopoly and Catan teaches great skills in business sense, finance, strategic planning, trading, negotiations and maths skills like adding, subtracting and multiplication. (These games have a junior version for younger kids to play)

Whereas games like Safari will help them learn about animals and their habitats, and few games of Mastermind will help to teach, practice, and discuss scientific reasoning skills. Specifically, to teach topics such as sound experimental design, hypothesis-testing, careful interpretation of results, and the effective use of controls.

Brain Development

According to a clinical psychologist, Beatrice Tauber Prior, Psy.D strategy games are useful in helping the frontal lobes of the brain develop, the front lobes are responsible for executive function skills which include planning, organizing and decision making.

Improves Language skills

Board games can help children improve their English language, games like scrabble, taboo, etc. can improve children’s vocabulary by encouraging them to use the dictionary to learn new words they come across and flex their speaking skills.

Improves Focus

Some Board games are a lengthy and requires focus, playing these games without any interruptions will increase a kids attention span and focus.

Trying to figure out the next move in Chess or figuring out where to expand next in Catan or trying to break a code in Mastermind will help children increase their attention span and focus drastically.

Value of teamwork

Some board games require the players to be co - operative rather than to be competitive, which teaches you the value of teamwork and coordination. One game in particular, a game called Pandemic, the game is about working with your team to stop the diseases before it wipes out mankind. Yeah, somewhat similar to our current situation. The game requires 4 players to discuss strategies and options together almost every turn, this emphasises the importance of teamwork and cooperation.

Helps to Unplug

Board games do not require any form of technology to play, this makes them special. They will not only help you stay away from your digital devises it will also help you spend quality time with your friends and family.