Hobbies And Interests
Learning Games
Learning games can use the competitive nature of young children to drive a fun educational experience. Board games can teach lessons in strategy and teamwork. Mystery games teach children to make informed decisions based on the available clues. Science based educational games for children ages 4 and above cover basic science topics like plant and animal biology. These games often relay information through trivia questions during game play. Games that challenge memory can strengthen a child's retention of short term information. Many educational games are multiplayer, which encourage kids to work in teams. Children need to also learn the importance of playing by thy rules and the lessons of winning and losing. The excitement of a win or loss outcome will help keep kids involved and learning until the end of the game.
Puzzles
A variety of educational puzzles are available for children ages 4 and over. Puzzles are made to teach colors, shapes, numbers, letters and even geography. A child can reuse a well made puzzle over and over to instill concepts on a more permanent basis. Wooden puzzles for younger children may have pegs attached to the individual pieces to make it easier for a child's smaller fingers to lift and replace them. Puzzles with smaller pieces can teach hand-eye coordination and build small motor skills. Watch your children's progress with more basic puzzles and slowly increase the difficulty to continue to challenge them without giving them something too difficult. Three dimensional puzzles can challenge even the experienced puzzle builder to construct on more than just a flat surface. Completing a puzzle can give a child a sense of accomplishment and the satisfaction of completing a task.
Construction Toys
Blocks and building toys teach children balance and the fundamentals of design. Kids can build the toy as prescribed in the instructions and learn to follow each part of the process carefully. They can also use their imagination and create something completely new from the same pieces. Building can strengthen concentration and boost creativity and dexterity. Lego offers many basic building sets that are intended for children ages 4 to 7. These sets have fewer pieces than those for older kids and are easy to build. Some Lego sets are specially themed for children to encourage creative fantasy play. They can build a station or vehicle and pretend to be a fireman, police officer or tow truck driver. Lego pieces snap together without adhesive for creations that will hold together until children decide to disassemble them. See the link below in Resources for more Lego toy information.