How Complex Board Games Can Affect Brain Development

Early child development can be influenced in many ways. The way children learn and play, as well as their environment, plays a role in who they become as adults, their intellectual development, and their overall levels of adult success. Often, people assume that the development of a child’s intellect depends solely on traditional learning that is done in a classroom or through at-home studies. But everything a child experiences can be either beneficial or detrimental to their brain development. 

One such area that is often ignored when it comes to a child’s cognitive development is play – that is, the right kind of play. Childhood play has a vital role in sharpening brain skills because of the way it stimulates connections between a child’s nerve cells. Motor skills such as coordination, writing, walking, running, detailed hand work, and the use of small tools can all be greatly affected by childhood play.

One area you might not usually consider when it comes to intellectual development is board games. Let’s take a look at exactly how complex board games can affect brain development.

How do board games help child development?
Board games used to be a staple in many family gatherings. Playing a game together as a family is a way to bond and have a good time. But in today’s day and age, the board game is often saved for rainy days (or COVID lockdowns), usually remaining untouched in a box in the garage or attic because of the high prevalence of technology. Ignoring board games altogether can be a mistake when it comes to your child’s brain development, though. This is because of the beneficial affects board games can have on your child’s brain and the way they learn and grow throughout childhood.

Different areas of the brain are stimulated during board game play. For example, when board games involve strategy as a main pillar or objective, the frontal lobe of the brain becomes stimulated and further developed. The frontal lobe is tasked with helping the development of executive function skills such as planning, organizing, and decision-making. The hippocampus is also stimulated while playing board games. This area of the brain contains gray matter; when the hippocampus is strengthened, it can increase the level of gray matter in that part of the brain, which leads to better memory, spatial navigation, and orientation.

Other areas of the brain that can be affected by playing board games are the nucleus accumbens, the part responsible for processing stimuli in relation to good or bad experiences, and the amygdala, which is responsible for processing emotions. Research has shown that children who were experienced in board game play had an increase in their gray matter in the nucleus accumbens, which led to them having more positive experiences as well as a higher level of enthusiasm. Board game play often leads to a decrease in gray matter in the amygdala, which in turn reduces stress and encourages overall feelings of calmness.

Benefits of board games in early childhood
Playing board games while your child is young can also be a great way to jumpstart their development, because even at a young age, the brain is sponging up everything it can. For example, playing simple board games can help your child’s development by increasing their ability to identify colors, count the spaces to take when it’s their turn, and develop a better level of dexterity and hand-eye coordination. It can also help children learn patience while they wait for their turn, as well as the importance of following rules in various situations.

Younger children who are beginning to develop language skills can also benefit from regular board game play. By encouraging your child to play a game that relies on reading, writing, and relaying information, you can help them sharpen their language skills further.  

Do board games make people smarter?
Because of the way playing board games stimulates and changes the brain, these games have been shown to increase intelligence in those who play them frequently. This type of play can be seen as a mental workout because of the way it sharpens several different skills all at one.

The competition aspect of board games plays a crucial role in the increasing of intelligence because most people, even children who are not so competitive, will want to win. This desire for the reward of coming out on top makes children more eager to develop and use the skills required, such as logic, critical thinking, reasoning, and mental math abilities.

Board games for child development
There are plenty of board games that can be used to help encourage better brain development in your child. Each game will have its own benefits depending on the type of game it is. Some examples of board games that are great to play with your children include:

• Chess. Depending on your child’s age, chess is an ideal game to help increase both logic and mathematical ability. By adding some games of chess to your child’s routine every week, you can help them get a better grasp on counting, arithmetic, and strategy.
• Mastermind. Mastermind is a code-breaking game that can help to increase your child’s reasoning and critical thinking skills.
• Scrabble. This classic game helps with your child’s language skills by encouraging them to spell and read various words based on the blocks they have. It can also help their critical thinking while they decode the random letters to create new words.
• Clue. Clue is another classic game that can be great for child development. Children must use deductive logic and critical thinking to solve the mystery and win.
• Monopoly. A classic game everyone has in their collection is Monopoly. It’s fun, but also a great way to sharpen your child’s strategy and math skills. 

 Board games are not just entertaining – they can be an excellent addition to your child’s weekly routine if you want to sharpen their skills and help further their brain development.

Featured image by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash