Game On Mag - Asmodee Canada
  • Home
  • Connect & Play
  • Print & Play
  • Articles
    • Keep Calm and Game On!
    • Play and Learn
    • Pop Culture, Trends and Fun Facts
  • Where to buy?
  • Bestsellers
  • Contact
  • See the magazine
  • FRANÇAIS
Photo

GAME ON WITH THESE SMART PICKS FOR KIDS!
Author: David Fonda - May 28, 2020

Games, especially board games, have always been synonymous with families getting together to share a ton of laughs and hours of fun. But like most things today, that too is changing. Increasingly, savvy educators, trainers and parents alike are using games as powerful teaching tools. That’s because repeated studies show that games, by their immersive nature and inherent fun, actually make it easier for children of all ages to acquire, integrate and then apply their newfound knowledge and skills into their daily routines.
 
One study, conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) showed that 19-year-old students who used Game-Based Learning (GBL) versus traditional instruction methods were 20% more self-confident, retained 11% more conceptual knowledge and up to 90% more of what they’d learned. They also completed 300% more tasks using what they’d learned and were more likely to find new solutions and think “outside of the box.”
 
So, why isn’t everyone using games more extensively both in and outside of school? Good question.
 
We asked renowned education specialist Anick Pelletier and her team at Clinique Optineurones to help us find the answer. Pelletier tells us, “the key to Game Based Learning is to first determine your objectives. Once you have an idea of those objectives, the challenge is to choose a game that’s appropriate to both your child’s age level and their abilities or skill set. If the game is too easy, they’ll soon become bored and annoyed. Conversely, choosing a game that’s too difficult or challenging will likely end in frustration, anger and tears.” (Theirs and yours.)
 
“Also,” adds Anick, “it’s important that you never lose sight of that goal or objective while playing a ‘learning’ game with your children. You’re playing to have fun and, ideally, learn something new together.” (Which isn’t just a win, it’s a win-win. —Ed)
 
Today, with so many different games and types of games to choose from, picking the ones that meet your goals and the needs of your children is no small undertaking. To help break down the task, we’ve partnered with Pelletier and her team to test and evaluate some of the best games for both cognitive and emotional learning. Anick, being Anick, with her dedication to helping kids learn in the ways that work best for them, went one better and, after extensive testing, told us what some of the most appropriate family games and games for kids teach, whom they’re intended for, and why they work.
 
The result is the Optijeu Select series. Each game in the series has been rigorously tested and carefully selected for its high educational potential. Read on.
 

Yum Yum Island
Space Cow
Ages: 6+
Players: 2 to 5

​Yum Yum Island was an animal paradise until a hungry ogre came along and started eating all the food. Players become “pelican rescue squadrons” that must fly in and airdrop food, so the animals can regain their strength and run away. But first, they must avoid the nasty weather and huge clouds that prevent airdrops while the ogre keeps eating and eating all the animals’ food.
Anick says that, “Yum Yum Island teaches kids the value of controlling their emotions and working together in teams. It also helps stimulate their manual dexterity, long-term visual memory and their imagination.”
Photo
Photo

Monza
Publisher: HABA
Ages: 5+
Players: 3 to 6

​In Monza, kids learn to plan trips and recognize shapes and colors, so that they can move their cars as fast, as far and as cleverly as possible. Monza players can increase the challenge and raise the stakes by awarding bonus points to whoever rolls the most dice to advance their car during the game.
Says Anick, “Monza helps children become better organized, think ahead, plan their moves and, if need be, change their tactics or strategy fast.”

Picassimo
Publisher: HABA
Ages: 8+
Players: 3 to 6

​Unleash your child’s inner artist! Picassimo challenges kids to draw a picture on six blank puzzle pieces. They then mix up two of the puzzle pieces and challenge their opponents to guess what the original drawing was. 
Anick says, “Picassimo helps children develop their eye-hand skills (?) and powers of mental imagery.”
Photo
Photo

Dutch Blitz
Publisher: Dutch Blitz Games
Ages: 8+
Players: 1 to 4

​Dutch Blitz® is a totally interactive, high-energy, family-friendly card game that tests everyone’s skills, smarts and speed. Players must fill the Dutch Pile while emptying the Blitz Pile as rapidly as possible. The first player to earn 100 points doing so wins!
Anick says, “Dutch Blitz exercises children’s working memory and mental flexibility as well as their reflexes or execution speed.”

Catan
Publisher: Catan Studio
Ages: 10+
Players: 3 to 4

​Easy to learn and play, Catan takes kids back in time to an age of exploration and discovery where they must learn to manage their resources. To win, they must earn 10 Victory Points by collecting wood, grain, brick, sheep and stone to build settlements and cities, lay down roads and establish armies on the magical Island of Catan.
Photo
Photo

Catan Junior
Publisher: Catan Studio
Ages: 6+
Players: 2 to 4

​In Catan Junior, children become pirates who build hideouts—or pirates’ lairs—all over the island. So let’s set sail for adventure, discover exciting new places and build even more lairs!
Says Anick, “Both Catan and Catan Junior teach children how to plan, organize and anticipate things. These games also help kids improve their math skills and challenge them to learn how to quickly adapt and change strategy when they should.”

Azul
Publisher: Next Move Games
Ages: 8+
Players: 2 to 4

​Azul teaches children to take colored tiles from suppliers and place them on the palace floor (the player board). Points are scored based on how beautifully they’ve decorated the palace. Kids win extra points for creating specific patterns and completing sets. But they can just as easily lose points for wasting tiles. 
Says Anick, “Azul helps children develop their planning and organization skills. It also teaches them how to anticipate things, and be flexible enough to change their strategy when they need to.
Photo
Photo

Ticket To Ride: First Journey
Publisher: Days of Wonder
Ages: 6+
Players: 2 to 4

​Specially designed for youngsters, Ticket To Ride: First Journey is a neatly scaled down and simplified version of the popular Ticket to Ride board game. 
Anick says, “Ticket to Ride and Ticket to Ride: First Journey are both fun ways of teaching kids to become better planners and organizers. Both games also help them learn to anticipate things and change their plans should the need arise.

Ticket To Ride
Publisher: Days of Wonder
Ages: 8+
Players: 2 to 5

​Ticket to Ride takes kids on a cross-country adventure in which they must collect and play matching train cards to lay claim to the railway lines that connect various North American cities. The longer their route, the more points they win.
Photo
Photo

My First Carcassonne
Publisher: Z-Man Games
Ages: 4+
Players: 2 to 4

​My First Carcassonne introduces the modern board game classic and the basics of strategic thinking to younger children.
Says Anick, “Carcassonne and My First Carcassonne help kids of all ages learn to plan ahead and anticipate their opponents’ moves. They also help develop children’s organizational skills and be more flexible in devising and changing their tactics.

Carcassonne
Publisher: Z-Man Games
Ages: 7+
Players: 2 to 5

​Inspired by and named after a real medieval fortress in Southern France, Carcassonne is the perfect introduction to modern board games. Its beautifully illustrated tiles and iconic components have made it a modern, best-selling classic. Children (of all ages) score points simply by correctly placing tiles and “meeples”.
Photo
Photo

Spot It! 1, 2, 3
Publisher: Zygomatic
Ages: 4+
Players: 2 to 6

​Spot It! 1, 2, 3 is a simplified version of Spot It! that’s been specially adapted for younger players.
Says Anick, “Spot It! 1, 2, 3 teaches children how to recognize basic shapes and identify and name the numbers 1 through 8. It also helps youngsters learn to keep their impulses and emotions under control.

Spot It!
Publisher: Zygomatic
Ages: 6+
Players: 2 to 8

​The name says it all! Spot It! challenges kids to be the first to spot the pattern and recognize the image that’s being displayed on two cards!
Anick says, “Spot It! helps teach kids to really focus their attention and control both their emotions and their impulses.”
Photo
​Anick and her Optijeu team believe that, “when you’re playing games with your children, you must always respect their individual development. If you start by setting simple goals, and very gradually increase the degree of difficulty, your kids will likely stay highly motivated. The important thing is that they don’t get discouraged! If you want to help them, remember: Less is more! A few smart tips shared during a game can make a huge difference.”
 
We hope these suggestions will give you and your children some added mental stimulation over the next few weeks. But remember, as important as it is that you keep their young brains active, it’s even more important that you all have fun!

Read also : Home Schooling? Keep Calm & Game On! 

Categories

​Keep Calm and Game On!
​​Play and Learn
​​Pop Culture and Tabletop Trends

Home

Contact

Articles

Bestsellers

​Where to buy

See the magazine

Français

  • Home
  • Connect & Play
  • Print & Play
  • Articles
    • Keep Calm and Game On!
    • Play and Learn
    • Pop Culture, Trends and Fun Facts
  • Where to buy?
  • Bestsellers
  • Contact
  • See the magazine
  • FRANÇAIS