Cognitive development games: Enhance my Child’s Cognitive Capabilities

Enhance my Child’s Cognitive Capabilities

Games to Stimulate Children’s Cognitive Development

Cognitive Stimulation Games

Figure Alphabet Soup

Dot To Dot

Memory Games

Painting And Drawing Activities

Spot The Difference

The Word Intruder

The Hidden Treasure

Gymkhana Game

How can I help my children to learn things more easily? Many parents aim to aid the development of their children’s intellectual skills via games specifically designed for cognitive stimulation or even via memory exercises that are made into games.

Within the wide-ranging spectrum of activities available that can help children with their intellectual development, are the ones that require memory use, language skills, and that require attention to colors, shapes, and words. These types of activities are the ones that really stand out to try and help children to reach their full potential. Do you have a clear idea of what cognitive stimulation is really about?

It is a neuropsychological technique that aims to enhance and improve a person’s mental capacity throughout their lives. Cognitive stimulation works in different areas of the brain using different methods of learning to achieve a better quality of life. For babies and young children, this can be a very good alternative to try and fully enhance their basic learning processes.

Via these games, parents are able to offer educational activities that can also be fun and entertaining. This is the case with the Alphabet Soup game, for example, a game that teaches new vocabulary surrounding a specific theme.

Cognitive Stimulation Games

Figure Alphabet Soup

Find the word that corresponds to an image such as an animal. This is a great exercise that develops visual and association memory. In this game, you are shown a figure presented in an image accompanied by a selection of words. If the figure is of an elephant, then you must find the letters or words within the alphabet soup.

Dot To Dot

Another interesting activity that develops visual and numerical memory by creating an image by joining dots together. The dots are identified by numbers and must be joined together in the correct order. This means that the child must draw the image step by step to discover what is hidden beneath the dots and numbers.

Memory Games

These are classical memory games that exercise visual memory. Memory games where you must find pairs of cards are not only educational but didactic and fun. These games will help children to retain images in their visual memories until they are able to match the image with another card.

Painting And Drawing Activities

An appropriate activity for children to develop their memory is to ask them to draw or paint an image of something they have previously seen, grandma’s house, the park, or their school for example. The idea is not to draw with great skill, but to be able to represent different details from their memory and to be able to transfer those memories into reality.

Spot The Difference

This game can be really fun that children will really love. The game consists of presenting two nearly identical images, with just a few differences in specific details or colors that your child must detect.

The Word Intruder

All you need is a pencil and some paper. All you have to do is write a sentence that contains a word that does not fit in and then underline that word once it has been discovered. For example, “The roses are chairs red” In this case, the intruder in the sentence is “chairs”.

The Hidden Treasure

You and your child will have great fun with this game that is ideal for special occasions, like their birthday for example. It consists of hiding a present somewhere and getting your child to work out where it is hidden using a few clues. Here’s an idea! Give them a colorful surprise box with a clue inside, “the present sleeps with the socks”. In the draw in their wardrobe you could leave another clue that guides them towards their toy box, “I was bored here so I went to play”. Try to avoid using any really difficult clues or using too many, but they will enjoy the suspense and improve their problem-solving abilities.

Gymkhana Game

The ultimate game, are you ready for the next level? You will pass an unforgettable time together combining the various different activities, with groups of friends or with family. You may even decide to incorporate new activities like Taboo or word chains into the game. The game consists of passing tests that are scattered around the house or outdoors to reach the next level and win the game.

You might also like: Gift Ideas for Children

Cognitive games – Toddler Development

Cognitive games for 1-3 year olds

In the toddler years our children’s brains are heavily at work. Often this cognitive learning and development doesn’t have a direct outcome that we can measure (like learning the alphabet or learning to read). It can be more subtle cognitive development through play schemas and explorative play.

When it comes to cognitive play we generally think of:

• Closed ended montessori style toys
• Toys that build awareness of basic concepts like colors, shapes, numbers and letters
• Board games that build concentration and social skills
• Music games that build concentration and rhythm

These are the type of toys that grandparents love to give and that we can get lost in trying to have every single type. Remember that play does need to be holistic and while these are great toys for learning, they are not more valuable that dolls or trucks or a great ball. Always focus on balance.

The following list are of our favorite toys based on experience. Feel free to use it as inspiration for other types of games if it doesn’t match your child’s specific interests.

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Cognitive toys for 1 year olds

Age 1 is a great time for cause and effect toys, exposure to colors, sizes and shapes and learning to match these. One year olds will also really enjoy music based play.

At this age we really want to expose without overwhelming our children. It is of course, fine for them to match the colors incorrectly the first 99 times until the penny drops and they have understood same and different. I would encourage you to not get too caught up in correcting them.

7 of the best cognitive toys for 1 year olds

1. Wooden piece puzzles
2. 2 – 4 piece puzzles
3. Color matching game
4. Shape sorting game
5. Card matching game
6. Musical toys
7. Object permanence box

Cognitive games for 2 year olds

2 year olds are learning to name and match colors and shapes, build simple puzzles and create simple pictures. They are also learning to wait, turn take, and follow instructions. That is a lot of really important learning!

The following games might need to be adjusted or played in their simplest form with your two year old but they will learn so much from them and by practicing turn taking. Generally stick to 2 players where applicable.

7 great board games for 2 year olds

1. Form boards and shape creating pieces
2. 2-9 piece puzzles
3. Simple card games
4. Hoot hoot game
5. Pop up pirate game
6. Monkey tree game
7. Pat bells

Thinking game for 3 year olds

By age 3 our children are really developing their ability to think and understand rules, follow instructions and play in a more cooperative way. They are also developing and learning to recognize and name numbers and more complex shapes.

They following are games and resources that we have loved. At this age you may be tempted to start thinking about early reading and simple maths. Always follow your child’s lead.

7 cognitive games for 3 year olds

1. Dancing caterpillar game
2. Card games for kids
3. Yeti in my spaghetti
4. Montessori sandpaper numbers
5. Letter loose parts
6. Number zingo
7. Shape and number drawing board

Looking for more toy ideas for 1-3 year olds? Check out the ultimate gift guide

online learning and learning sessions

Educational games
/ 6‑7 years

There are more than 200 educational, cognitive and other online games on the LogicLike website.
We have combined development tasks into a step-by-step course for training and improvement
logical and mathematical intelligence, memory and attention.

Choose where to start!

Logic games

Thinking course

GAME DEVELOPMENT!

• Nice design

• No ads or links

• Exercise Voice

• Over 3500 jobs

• Awards and achievements

• Knowledge Base

We have everything you were looking for

Try the LogicLike course
in game form!

Start the game!

Logical games

The fourth extra

Compare sets

Simple Boolean
tasks

put things in order

Intersection of many

Determine the number

Cognitive and educational games

Simple riddles
and questions

Tricky riddles

Guess by description

Cubes: top view

2 classes
optional ❐

• Complete 3 starter games in the LogicLike course
  – and open access to different categories. Try
  “Logic tasks”, “Games in tables”, “3D thinking” and
  other.

Complete 3 games
Complete 3 games

Then you can save the progress of classes and open access to all our
games.

Games for attention and memory

Shape games

Number Games

Say a word

Truthful and liar

Math Games

Count the cubes

Insert a number or sign

Smart account

Continue the pattern

Honeycombs and Sudoku

weigh-ins

The LogicLike game format is liked by children and adults. Start classes from 15-20
minutes per day.

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Start classes

Educational games for children: meaning, types, recommendations

Almost all parents are widely aware of the opinion of psychologists and teachers that the best form of education and upbringing of children is a game. How to stimulate child development? How to harmoniously develop it intellectually and physically? Read in our article a review of the most effective educational games for children of different genders and ages, activating the attention, perception and imagination of children, memory and fine motor skills, logic and much more.

• 1 Educational games: their meaning

• 2 Types of educational games

  • 2.1 Baby

  • 2.2 Cognitive (didactic)

    • 2. 2.1 For the development of attention and memory

    • 2.2.2 Games for the development of thinking and logic

    • 2.2.3 Coloring pages

    • 2.2.4 Puzzles

    • 2.2.5 Riddles and puzzles

    • 2.2.6 Math games

    • 2.2.7 Puzzles, construction sets, lacing

• 3 Market overview of educational games

• 4 Games for children from 0 to 3 years old

  • 4.1 Watch a video about educational games with a baby of the first year of life

• 5 For preschoolers

• 6 For schoolchildren

• 7 Computer and online games

• 8 Terminals

Educational games: their meaning

Modern children develop rapidly. Their needs can no longer be reduced only to ordinary skills – to count, write or read. In order to successfully learn and comprehend the world, when preparing for school, a child needs to have a certain set of harmoniously developed qualities. When assessing whether the baby is ready for school or not, the indicators are considered:

• basic experience
• development of knowledge
• emotional and language development
• physical training
• communication skills
• visual perception, discrimination and memory
• hearing ability
• relationship to books
• general and psychological readiness.

From this it becomes clear that the search for ways to comprehensively develop children is very relevant today. New technologies for conducting the educational process, increased rates of learning, huge amounts of information that should be processed by a small student, impose other requirements on his abilities than before.
Educational games are the easiest and most natural way to develop a child and prepare him for school. Educational games are based on the following principles :

• the principle of combining play and learning
• principle of transition from play to active cognitive activity
• principle of gradual complication of games and tasks
• the principle of activating the mental development of the child.

These principles contain the importance of developing games, as they form the conditions in which the child will effectively develop in all directions.
Each age period of a child’s development is intended for mastering something new. Developing games contribute to the formation of skills and abilities necessary for life, for example, to grab and hold an object, hold attention, be assiduous and much more. During the game, the child forms his emotional sphere, improves fine motor skills. That is why it is important to choose games and toys according to the age of the child.

Types of educational games

For toddlers

• large coloring pages with stickers
• large soft puzzles
• games about colors and shapes (“sorters”, “transformers”, pyramids)
• games for the development of logic (length, height, number, size, weight of objects).

These simple games will positively influence the development of attention and memory of the baby, color perception, logical thinking and, of course, contribute to the formation of children’s creativity. Do not forget that kids are engaged in such games together with their parents.

Cognitive (didactic)

Such games (thematic sets of cards and pictures, cubes with pictures and numbers) expand the child’s understanding of the world around: about the animal world, flora and fauna, nature, professions, clothes, dishes, etc. e.

Such games also have a positive effect on the development of a child’s attention and memory. The kid learns to concentrate, because he has to find a hidden object or differences between almost identical drawings, select objects in pairs or highlight the extra ones (the same ones). As a result, the baby will become more observant and attentive, resourceful and decisive.

Games for the development of thinking and logic

We develop logical thinking from childhood with the help of special games. “Complete the picture”, “Connect the dots”, “Make a mosaic”, “Make beads”, “Associations” and other games are designed to teach the child to compare, analyze and systematize information, find connections between objects and generalize, determine the main and do conclusions, and therefore – to think for yourself. Such skills will be useful in the future in mathematics lessons.

Coloring pages

Coloring pages are designed to develop the child’s creative abilities, the ability to hold a pencil and make precise movements, to distinguish and memorize colors.

Jigsaw puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles is a game where you need to assemble a picture from parts – it’s fun and useful. For the little ones, use large puzzles made of soft material, and for older children, sets of small pieces are suitable, from which you can assemble colorful paintings.

Riddles and puzzles

Games in which you have to guess and decipher something are very popular with both small and large children. Riddles broaden horizons, stimulate mental processes, teach logical and intuitive thinking. Thanks to riddles, the baby learns more about the world around him. Puzzles and charades are a kind of gymnastics for the mind. Thanks to such tasks, the child expands vocabulary, trains to think and write independently.

Math Games

Teach children simple number manipulations from an early age. Colorful cards, cubes and books with numbers and funny pictures will help you with this, which will help you easily, in an entertaining way, introduce your baby to the world of numbers and numbers, the concepts of quantity, counting and arithmetic.

Puzzles, construction sets, lacing

Combine the development of logic and fine motor skills. The child can play this type of games on his own.

Educational games market overview

What games for children’s development are available for parents today?

• interactive toys: they “talk” to the baby, “sing songs”. They influence the development of a child’s musical ear, contribute to the formation of his emotionality, sociability. They can also help the baby start talking.
• sorters (inserts): are excellent aids for learning colors, shapes, and numbers. Volumetric figures must be inserted into the appropriate holes. There are many variations of games with such toys.
• puzzles: collecting pictures from separate elements can be interesting for both children and adults.
• cubes: learning to build houses by learning shapes, numbers and colors. We train logic and a hand for writing.
• constructors: we assemble according to the model or come up with our own project. Wooden, block, plastic, paper or metal – now there is a large choice.
• board games: dominoes, checkers, chess, lotto, table basketball, football, hockey – develop logical thinking and speed of reaction.
• role-playing toys: small and large dolls, cartoon characters, plush toys – with the help of them, the baby simulates situations and learns to play role-playing games, which are a good simulator for the child’s social adaptation.
• sensory-motor (rattles, mobile carousels, toy musical instruments) — introduce the child to the world of sounds, movement, forms.
• pyramids: cone-shaped and spherical, wooden and plastic, multi-colored and others – train the first skills of the baby’s logical thinking.
• counting tables (abacuses): sticks with strung objects of different shapes and colors — they teach the child well to count, group and sort objects, sensory perception.
• laces: prepare your baby’s hand for writing.
• toys for active play: sports equipment and everyday items – physically develops the baby, helps to understand how to act with objects.
• children’s creativity kits: plasticine, modeling clays, applications – develop children’s creativity.

“Council. When choosing educational games for your child, it is better to consult with the seller of the children’s store, for what age this or that game / toy is, for what purpose it is used, what qualities of the child it develops.

Do not forget that all games are developed by experts for the development of certain abilities of babies. If you do not follow these rules, then you will not achieve the intended result and waste your money.

Games for children from 0 to 3 years old

Preschool age is the most important period of a child’s development. This is the best time for the formation of him as a person, because all mental processes are intensively developing. Whether the child will be a leader, how successfully he will learn – it all depends on what games he plays.

“Do you know that there are different types of games: role-playing, moving, and didactic. All of them are developing.

Watch a video about educational games with a baby of the first year of life

For preschoolers

The main task for older preschoolers is to prepare for school. Here, the preparation of the hand for writing comes to the fore, it is important to acquire the first reading and writing skills. During this period, invite your child to play games that will help strengthen his fine motor skills of children’s hands: a variety of designers, lacing, plasticine, mosaics, puzzles.

Let the preschooler paint more, learn to draw.

For schoolchildren

Games for children who have reached school age are changing their character. Board games, interesting for schoolchildren, still develop a variety of abilities. It becomes interesting for younger students to play team board games, as well as business children’s games that contribute to their successful socialization, develop communication skills, thinking. Children at this age tend to express themselves creatively. Younger schoolgirls like to learn to embroider, sew, create crafts, soft toys and jewelry with their own hands. Boys are happy to scratch out engravings, cut them out with a jigsaw and most often ask for construction kits: they really want to make something!
Computer games, which can also be educational, become relevant in this age period.

Computer and online games

Currently, a large number of specialized electronic resources have appeared that offer developing computer and online games for children. Such games are an absolutely logical continuation of all subject and oral games and activities with children in order to develop their abilities. There are also positive aspects here – for example, a child gradually learns computer literacy. There is nothing complicated here: the child simply plays the game he likes on the computer, thereby training memory or attention or speed of thinking, and the like. He can learn to think logically, generalize, make the right choice, practice mathematics or learn languages. And everything happens in an accessible game form.

When studying at a computer, there are rules:

1. Pay attention to the position in which the child sits at the computer. You need to sit without slouching, not leaning to any side, not sideways.
2. Observe the distance of the monitor from the child’s face. The distance between them must be at least the diagonal of your monitor.
3. Learn how to use the mouse. This useful skill is useful in educational computer games.

Children’s computer games appeared not so long ago – just a few years ago, but this area has become very popular among children and their parents.