Mariella has been playing the game of Uno with us since she was 4 years old, even though the game is rated ages 7 and up. This is because of two reasons. First, I have fond memories of playing the game when I was a kid and still rate it as one of my all time favorite games to play. Second, as a parent, it dawned on me what a powerful game it is in terms of brain development. So, we started her early and figured if she could play it and understand the object of the game at the age of four, then why wait till she's 7 to help her brain develop critical thinking skills.
If you remember Uno, it has numbers and colors and involves matching, patterns, addition, and quick thinking. It is a game of strategy. Every family differs slightly on the rules of play I think, but overall the game plays out until one person plays their last card. It is a lot of fun. So we figured, what a great way to teach her numbers, colors and math! Now, at the age of 5 1/2 she is almost always the undisputed family champion of the game. I love watching her play, knowing that as she looks at the cards in her hand she is actually working through strategy in her mind. She is able to think on her feet, maximize the use of the cards in her hand and she knows just when to play what cards. It is amazing to watch. She gets it.
The reason I decided to mention this is because I noticed how much it has helped our child develop thinking skills and because I think too often we assume that maybe our kids aren't ready for certain things. But I say from experience, try it, go for it. If your kids aren't ready, you'll know. But if they are then you've just opened a new door for them and how exciting is that??
Here are just a few of the benefits of Uno:
1. Logic and Reasoning skills
2. Processing Speed
3. Problem Solving
4. Sustained Attention
5. Short Term Memory
6. Working Memory
7. Visual Processing
There are many other games that are also fun and develop thinking skills too. For instance, we are about to introduce her to Yahtzee, even though the game is rated for ages 8 and up. Scrabble, Skip Bo, and any old card game are also great for learning.
I grew up around old people and we played a ton of games; board games and card games. I was playing things like Kings in the Corner, Rummy, Hearts, Black Jack, Crazy Eights, Solitaire, Pinochle, Skin, Slapjack, War, and various forms of Poker starting at the age of five. Mostly because my great grandparents took care of me during the day and they were Hungarian and Italian and also because I think they didn't know what else to do with me. But, they inadvertently made me a quick thinker and a good player and I have fond memories of gambling at the kitchen table with my great grandma and her best friend. They'd bring little old purses of loose change and clonk them down on the table and when the game started, friendship went out the door. They were serious players. I loved that. But I also loved learning how to play. It felt powerful to know how to play a game and become good at it. And if you can beat an 80 year old Hungarian woman at pinochle, then God bless you that's an accomplishment.
So I say, play games with your kids even if you think they're too young to learn. They might surprise you and hell they might even become better than you. And in the process you get to build fun family bonding time and great memories for your kids. Memories they will get to enjoy for a long time because they will have remarkable brains.
