So, we all obviously know how awesome Whole Brain Home Education is, I mean that's why we're here, right?
But, have you also heard about #Gameschooling?
Gameschooling is just a cool name for using games as a part of your child's education... And with so many amazing games out there, we think this is a pretty cool way of boosting logical thinking, teaching new skills, learning new information and giving them a really fun education!
Now, Gameschooling could be used for both console/online gaming AND board games, but for the purpose of this post, we're gonna stick to the board/card/dice type.
So, here is a list of our favourite games and a little bit of information about each!
We'd love to hear your game suggestions too!
Enjoy!
1. Abandon All Artichokes.
This is a great game for planning and strategy play.
... All Artichokes isn't your garden-variety card game! A bumper-crop of prickly produce has overtaken your patch, and there's only one choice: abandon all artichokes! Prune your deck by harvesting fresh vegetables, each with a special power that lets you swap, discard, or compost cards. You need luck, strategy, and a green thumb to grow a winning hand!
2. Carcassonne.
Carcassonne is a hugely popular game and for good reason!
It's great!
... Fairly easy to learn, with plenty of strategy to keep it exciting!
... Inspired by the medieval fortress in southern France of the same name, Carcassonne is a tile-laying game in which players fill in the countryside around the fortified city. Players choose from tiles that depict cities, roads, monasteries, and fields; each new tile placed creates an ever-expanding board on which players can then add their followers.
3. Dino Dump.
We all know that most kids love dinosaurs and find poop hilarious, so a game that combines the two is always going to be a winner!
... To win, you must lose all your Dino Cards as fast as possible. Get caught with any in your hand at the end and you’ll have to wear the scratch-n-sniff, dino-poo sticker!
4. Evolution
Evolution is a very cool game in which you create creatures, grow them and their population and evolve them!
Careful not to go extinct! Eeep.
... Evolution is an award-winning board game where 2 â 6 players adapt species in an ever-changing ecosystem with hungry predators and limited resources. Traits like Hard Shell and Horns will protect you from Carnivores, while a Long Neck will get food that others cannot reach.With over 12,000 different species to create, every game becomes a different adventure.
5. Sleeping Queens.
Sleeping Queens is a strategy game in which you have to wake sleeping royals in order to win.
It's great fun!
... Pancake Queen, the Ladybug Queen and ten of their closest friends have fallen under a sleeping spell and it’s your job to wake them up. Use strategy, quick thinking and a little luck to rouse the slumbering royals.
6. Chess.
I don't think we need to describe this one... It's the most famous game in the world and is hundreds of years old.
7. Block Ness
This game led to us looking up the Lock Ness Monster and talking about evolution and environmental adaption. I love the discussions we have while playing games, it’s a great opportunity to come together and chat.
... The Block Ness monsters are finally rearing their heads but there’s just one problem - the loch isn’t big enough for everyone! Each turn, players must add a piece to their monster following placement rules. They then move the head or the tail of their monster to the new piece.
8. Takenoko
This is a super cute game where the aim is to grow a bamboo garden to feed a panda and keep the emperor of China happy. It led to lots of discussions around history, panda's and growing things.
The pieces are so cute and tactile and it’s just so lovely to play!
9. Taco, cat, goat, cheese, pizza
This is the perfect game if you need to cheer everyone up!
It's absolutely hilarious and will have everyone laughing.
It's also great for boosting quick thinking skills!
... Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza! Keep these five crazy words in mind. As soon as there is a match between a card and a spoken word, race against each other to slap your hand on the central pile of cards. The last one to do so must take them all. Be quick to be the first to get rid of all of your cards. But watch out! Your mind will play tricks on you. This addictive game is as unique as its name!
10. Colt Express.
This is another highly tactile game and my children have spent many hours playing imaginatively with the pieces after we have finished playing a proper game.
... Colt Express, you play a bandit robbing a train at the same time as other bandits, and your goal is to become the richest outlaw of the Old West.
11. P is for Pizza
This game is a great one for learning letters and getting kids thinking! It’s fantastic for early phonics skills but also great fun for older kids.
Even the adults enjoyed it at our last games night!
... Tuck into this fast-paced Big Potato P For Pizza Game. The aim of the game is to shout out a word that links to the letters shown on the card. Make this the new family game.
12. Ticket to Ride.
We have the European version but I think they’re all equally fun. This is another one that builds those strategic thinking and planning skills.
... With elegantly simple gameplay, Ticket to Ride can be learned in under 15 minutes. Players collect cards of various types of train cars they then use to claim railway routes in North America. The longer the routes, the more points they earn.
13. Uno
Such a simple game but so much fun.
... UNO, the classic card game of matching colours and numbers that is easy to pick up & impossible to put down, now comes with customizable wild cards for added excitement! Players take turns racing to get rid of all their cards by matching a card in their hand with the current card shown on top of the deck.
14. Scrabble
Another timeless classic, perfect for anyone working on building a vocabulary and spelling skills. Counting the points is also fantastic for building maths skills.
This game does it all.
15. Story Dice
There are many different versions but we recommend starting with the classic original.
... Roll the dice to create your very own story... Careful though, this one is highly addictive!
- Top tips for Gameschooling -
Don’t get bogged down in the age recommendations or the rules... It’s just important that everyone is having fun!
By making exceptions for younger players it’s possible to make any game work for the whole family, littles may just need you to change things up slightly.
Many board games have amazing pieces that are fun to play with.
Of course, lost pieces are less fun... so we always had a designated game spot.
That way if any pieces went missing, we knew where to look and they were usually easy to find!
It’s ok not to finish a game! The aim of Gameschooling is to have fun and some games are LONG.
When the kids are looking bored and done, count the points you’ve collected so far or work together to agree on a winner.
- Final point -
No matter who tells you otherwise...
Avoid Monopoly like the plague – It brings out the worst in people, causes arguments and lasts so long that any parents head will be throbbing by the end of it.