Back-to-school play and activities
August 25, 2022
Summer is coming to an end, and children will return to class eager to reconnect with former classmates. Everything will be new: a new teacher, new classroom, new classmates, and new schedule and study materials. Some children, less eager to return to school, will reminisce about summer games and outdoor activities. However, children do not need to leave behind the summer games and fun when they step into their classrooms. Instead, the first week of classes can be an excellent opportunity for teachers to connect with their new students through fun games like board games.
Board games help children develop their cognitive skills. They develop hand and eye coordination and dexterity whenever they move cards and pieces around the board. They learn to wait their turn and follow the rules, which are important lessons that will serve them beyond the classroom. Also, board games help healthy brain development in children, especially teenagers. According to Beatrice Tauber Prior, a clinical psychologist and author, board games such as strategy games develop children's frontal lobes, which are responsible for planning, organizing, and making decisions. Moreover, board games are a great way to boost school-aged kids' vocabulary and reading comprehension through clever games where children have to remember several pieces of information at once. Games and illustrations help keep kids engaged in reading.
In addition, board games are a perfect way to teach children the value of teamwork and losing. Making new friends can be a challenge for some introverted children. Bard games are great for ice-breakers; children get to know their classmates and make new friends through teamwork— something they will need to do throughout their life. The games help children navigate through the anxiety of talking to others. Also, board games help develop coping skills and promote resilience in children with low frustration tolerance by encouraging them to play by the rules.
Finally, board games are perfect for time-outs and unplugging. Next time a child misbehaves in class, consider offering them a game to play instead of sending them to stand in the corner of the classroom. According to Regine Galanti, a licensed clinical physiologist, and Professor at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University, board games increase frustration tolerance in children. "Taking turns and practicing patience during a game, even when things don't go their way, can help a child develop respectful responses rather than stomping the ground and slamming the table.”
As technology plays an ever-increasing role in classrooms, board games are a perfect way to get quality and screen-free time with the children. Teachers, in turn, get to know each child's characteristics by observing the child's reactions as they play and develop emotional connection and understanding between the teacher and their children. So bring the summer fun into the classroom for the first week of classes or through the academic year in between lessons!
