Fun educational game ideas for kids

Educational games can be both fun and helpful for development. Here are some popular options, old and new, for your child.

It doesn’t matter how old the child is, there’s always a game that fits the bill. Young children can practice their numbers or colours; older ones can discover the ABCs of a foreign language or hone their problem-solving skills. But do you know which types of educational games are the most intellectually stimulating?

These games are suitable for children as soon as they begin to babble their first words.

• Story books, picture books, puzzles and other games made of colourful pieces are inviting and foster a child’s observational and concentration skills. Gradually, they’ll learn to recognize and identify all the objects in their environment.

The recognition of letters facilitates reading. For that, there is a wide range of educational games that traditionally have remained strong as gifts for developing young minds.

• Magnetic letters for the fridge help children recognize and reconstruct words they've seen.
• Board games help to build cognition, memory and sometimes even fine motor skills.
• Word games encourage creative thinking and associative thinking.

If your child is passionate about a specific subject or interest, why not offer some games that quench the thirst for knowledge?

• A chemistry set allows burgeoning scientists to make small but useful discoveries.
• An interactive globe introduces them to the world in a whole new way.
• An archaeological dig kit lets them search for historical treasures buried in clay or plaster

There are plenty of types of educational games for electronic platforms (tablets, smartphones, computers and game consoles).

• There’s drawing and colouring, action games that explore historical periods and informative cartoons.
• Educational software can help children learn and develop their creativity in full autonomy.
• And their social skills aren’t necessarily going to suffer, as many games are designed to be interactive between multiple players.

Barring violent or age-inappropriate games, you might say that just about any game is educational, in the sense that they all contribute to a child’s development through creative play and sequential thinking. In fact, the Canadian Council on Learning has reported that "while some studies have found a link between certain toys and improved skills development, they do not clearly demonstrate that the toys in question actually contribute to the development of these skills." In other words, it’s fine to opt for plain, simple and inexpensive toys that encourage active exploration, such as balls or play-dough, and open play, such as dress-up clothes or dolls.