Children in the early elementary years are learning how to read and spell, so games that give them experience with letters and phonics are a great way to practice these new skills. There are many word-building games like Scrabble that allow kids to use letters to spell words, giving them practice with phonics. Hangman is another spelling game in which one player guesses letters to spell a word. In games like Boggle, children search for words within a grid of letters, which is good reading practice.
There are many math skills that can be practiced during a game. For young children, the game Chutes and Ladders gives them practice with counting and the concept of a number line. In the card game War, players compare card numbers to see which is greater. In the game Hi-Ho Cherry-O, players remove fruit pieces from their trees, using subtraction skills. As kids get older, the game Yahtzee can be used to practice addition and multiplication skills as players calculate the totals of their dice.
Most games involve strategy and require some critical thinking skills in order to be successful. Gwen Dewar found that kids learn more when they are asked to explain their thinking, so parents and teachers can question children about their approach to the game. For young children, the game Guess Who? gives them practice with deductive reasoning as they figure out which character their opponents have by asking yes or no questions. Older kids can play the game of Clue, during which three cards are hidden and players make guesses to deduce which cards they are.
Games can also give kids a chance to practice motor skills while they play. During the game Twister, players place their hands and feet on colored circles determined by a spinner, which gives them practice with flexibility and balance. For younger children, Dr. Seuss Super Stretchy ABC game is a similar game that also gives kids practice with letter recognition. Kids can play hopscotch to work on number recognition and gross motor skills like hopping and jumping. For fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, Jenga is a game in which players pull out wooden blocks from a tower without knocking it over.