To make these proposals peculiar is the fact that they are specifically designed with one or more specific educational purposes. But how to understand which are the most suitable for our children?
This article is sponsored by Città del Sole. Here you will find a more exhaustive explanation.
“Playing is a serious thing” He supported the great artist and designer Bruno Munari. In fact, the game is, for children, much more than a simple pastime: playing, boys and girls have the opportunity to know the world and do it their own, through the acquisition of important knowledge and the development of even complex skills.
The game It starts from the first months of life and initially concentrates on the body (the exploration of the hands, the feet …). Over time, the attention of children moves to the surrounding world and we must offer them interesting and diversified game resourcesso as to support their acquisitions. In an environment designed to encourage the full development of the potential of boys and girls, the so -called “educational games“. Let’s see together how to choose them and we discover a selection of instructive games of Città del Sole suitable for different age groups, which range in different areas of learning, with the aim of helping children fully develop theirs potential.
What is an educational game?
Although any gaming experience is for children a source of learning, making this type of proposals peculiar is the fact that these are resources specially designed with one or more specific educational purposes.
Learning therefore does not take place In the “accidental” waybut it is the game itself, with its characteristics, that helps the child to acquire particular knowledge or to develop certain skills. Thanks to the educational games, the little ones therefore have the opportunity to learn by means of fun, engaging experiences and which I respond to their peculiar interests.
Another important aspect not to be overlooked is that these learning games are generally designed to encourage the development of important ones Transversal skills Fundamental, such as problem solving ability, patience, creativity and autonomy.
But how to understand which educational games to offer to our children? As already mentioned, to make this type of proposals truly effective is their ability to correspond to the interests of our children. Based on this aspect and age of our little one, therefore, we will be able to choose different types of learning games: from those focused on the education of the senses to those intended to support linguistic development, from those that allow to understand the first principles of physics to those dedicated to understanding the animal kingdom.
Educational games from 3 to 6 years
In the first 6 years of life The sensory game It takes great importance for the growth of boys and girls. The offer of quality educational games helps them because it contributes to stimulate sensory development through engaging and stimulating experiences. Among the most fun learning games to encourage the development of the senses we find the Tombola degli odori: a series of fragrant jars that children can smell and, subsequently, combine with the objects that give off those smells (represented on folders).
Between 3 and 6 years The interest of children for language and, in some cases, for reading and writing. If our child manifests a natural Curiosity towards letterswe can offer him targeted educational games, such as “My first words“. The game contains some animal puzzles and a letter is shown on each piece. By composing each puzzle, the child learns to recognize all the letters that form the name of each single animal.
Another important acquisition to which children work in this age group is that of time concept. For the little ones, who need to strongly concrete referencesit is difficult to grab something so abstract. Around 3 years, however, they begin to develop the ability to conceive time in a linear way. That is, they begin to understand that there is a succession of events, a “first” and a “after”. They continue to need concrete referencesbut slowly their level of understanding of the time and the succession of episodes, moments, days, seasons, etc. becomes more complex.
We adults can support and facilitate these acquisitions through an interesting educational game, the first calendarconsisting of a large panel with a series of elements to indicate the days of the week, the months, the years, the meteorological time, the routine of the day. By putting the elements on the calendar every day, boys and girls learn to recognize the days of the week, the months of the year in the their sequence And they have the opportunity to discuss with us daily routine (thus facing it with greater awareness and serenity).
Educational games from 6 to 9 years
The mind of boys and girls in this age group is hungry for knowledge And it is full of questions. To resume the thought of Maria Montessori, it is the ideal time to plant “as many seeds of knowledge”, so that they are ready to sprout one day.
In this sense we can propose educational games such as Features and thematic puzzleswhich allow children to acquire specific concepts and precise nomenclature. For example, this Puzzles of the human body It can represent a starting point to carry out interesting activities, both alone and in company, aimed at making children better known to children (the parts of the body, muscles, skeleton …). The game includes some 3D elements to carry out Recognition and accompanying works And, with a pinch of imagination, it can be used as a resource for many learning activities (for example, we can invite children to write the names of the body parts or ask them to reproduce them through drawings).
A very interesting educational game proposal is also that of the cards Nature Challenge. By dealing with different themes (marine animals, dinosaurs, space …), these cards are designed to respond with precision to peculiar interests of children and to nourish their curiosity through fun. Each player must bet on the strengths of his own card (which depending on the theme of the deck can be an animal, a planet, a volcano …). The player who wins his hand receives the cards of others; The first to collect all the cards of the game wins the game. Through the game, boys and girls acquire many Interesting information on the animal and natural world And they learn having fun together.
Another very engaging learning game is “Puzzles“. Here too we find several versions that meet the interests of children, such as this dedicated to the human body. The purpose of the game is that of guess the word (an animal, an anatomical part …) By means of the five clues on each card. The first player who manages to guess and collect six cards wins.
Also intriguing at this age also the proposals that allow boys and girls of Build objects and understand their operation. Among the instructive games of this type includes this racing car to be built: the game with this model, consisting of 92 elements that can be assembled without glue, helps children familiarizing with various physical principles (elasticity, momentum, movement …) and allows them to develop concentration, patience and precision.
Educational games from 9 to 14 years
And for older children? For this age group, personally I consider the proposals of educational games very interesting aimed at bringing children closer to the Steam worldabbreviation of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics), or the four fundamental disciplines that, intersecting each other, promote one in -depth understanding of the world around us and stimulate technological innovation.
In recent years many have been developed learning games aimed at promoting, for example, a first approach of children and teenagers to the basis of coding (computer programming, transversal methodology of digital culture that allows you to learn to criticize technology and the network critical), engineering, mechanics, chemistry … an interesting example is Coding Robot 5in1, a robot that children e The girls can mount and program To perform some actions (draw, launch, lift, grasp and kick). The wheel present in the center of the robot can be scheduled through simple coding buttons and thus allows you to have its functions perform the robot without the need to resort to a computer. The idea at the base is to bring children and girls closer to themechanical engineering and programming through fun.
Great classics, but always current, are also instructive games such as the chemistry laboratory or a set of microscope with accessories. In fact, both proposals allow you to approach scientific observation and to learn through the creation of simple experiments. These are extremely learning experiences engagingwho help children and teenagers not only to start understanding and making the scientific procedure, but also to develop reasoning, Technical skills, patience and problem solving.
In conclusion, we can say that it does not exist “a limit age”For educational games. These activities allow you to learn by having fun and represent a precious resource in every phase of life.
