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List of Games With Mechanics for Preschool

Choosing educational games for preschool is a considerable challenge for the educator. Not only must you weigh the educational value of the product, but you must be concerned if it has enough capability to engage the shorter attention span of a younger audience, and more importantly, if it poses a threat to the child's safety. Depending on the level of supervision, there are several appropriate games to introduce preschoolers to mechanics education.

Board Games
- Board games are the trickiest category of mechanics games to utilize in the preschool environment. They provide a focused tactile element, which is a huge advantage over the other types, given that they tend to be more engaging. The challenge is that they require considerable supervision compared to other games because they often contain small parts. Must-have games in this category include Hasbro's Cootie, Educational Insight's Bunny Hop, and the My First Builder Game from Lego.
Computer Games
- Computer games are a useful challenge in their own right. Computer games that teach mechanics should have a balance of educational content and entertainment value, but also be appropriate for the age of the student. Fortunately, online communities such as Zoodles, Fisher-Price and Nick Jr. all provide free online games that are ideal for preschool mechanics education. Some noteworthy titles in this line include Disney's Rhino Rollerball, Dora the Explorer Mini-Golf and Kai-Lan's Super Snow Dragon.
Sporting Games
- Most sporting games have considerable potential for educating students in mechanical principles. The greatest challenge to the educator is to direct these activities in a fashion that encourages mental discovery rather than merely creating a physical challenge. Mini-golf or croquet are excellent choices for teaching about force, the lever principle and using tools. Beanbag tic-tac-toe, hot potato and other throwing games demonstrate principles such as gravity, momentum and wind resistance. If the educator is well-versed in mechanics, however, almost any sport is educational.
Conclusions
- While there is value to any of the games listed in educating preschoolers about mechanics, the most successful choices will invariably be the games that are most engaging. The educator can encourage engagement, but that alone may not be enough. Not all students are created equal, and it falls upon the educator to provide many choices to account for varying physical abilities, intellectual development, socialization skills and personal interests of each child when selecting games for the classroom.

Board Games