What are board games so beneficial in the development of young children?
Well, it has got do with the very nature of the game. Many video games (such as shooters, racers, etc) are ‘twitch’ games. They rely on the player to react quickly to game events on the screen. Many times, it is an impulse reaction. If the other virtual car is heading for your car, you must quickly swerve to avoid it. There is not too much intellectual analysis required to drive the car the track – you see and you react immediately
A board game involves the player moving pieces on a board according to a set of rules. Some games are based on pure strategy, while others may contain an element of chance. Games usually have a goal that a player aims to achieve. A typical board game represented a battle between two armies, where the goal is to defeat the opponent in terms of pieces, winning position, or accrual of points.
It is the strategic element of board games that is so beneficial for young players. Each move must be considered. Players are allowed time to think before they move a piece. They must weigh up the pros and cons of each potential move. They need to assess the strength and positions of their opponent’s pieces. All these activities require considerable thought and actively engages the player’s brain. This occurs for each player movement, so it gives the brain a good mental workout over the course of a full game.
Video games are often labelled as being a time-wasting, mindless leisure activity. This is not true for strategic games such as board games. A young player will only succeed in a game through careful planning, analysis, and strategic resource management. These games offer real-world education value and they are fun to play!
Mindframe Arena is loosely based on the classic board game chess. This 2000-year-old game is still popular today as it is easy to learn yet has considerable strategic depth. Rather than having a lot of pieces on the board, players only control 5 pieces at any one time. Also, the game character (pieces) design was influenced by modern movie and game culture. They are bright, colourful and appealing to younger players.
If you are looking for an intellectually demanding game for your children that is also bright, colourful and fun, you can download Mindframe Arena for free from Google Play (Android) or the Apps Store (Apple)
Apple App Store Page