Board Games
Zingo (Ages 3 and older)
This early learning game is a sturdy version of a bingo card and can be played at two levels of difficulty. Pre-readers learn to match pictures and place them on their card while early readers identify sight words and play until they can yell, Zingo! Games can be played competitively or as a group until all players are winners.
Sneak in Math, Strategy, Social Graces and More
The Ladybug Game
by Jan Pierce
Most of us grew up on such board game classics as Monopoly and Clue. We enjoyed being with family members or friends as we built our real estate empires or found out “who done it.” Playing board games is not only fun, but studies show that many of them are educational as well, according to Dr. Gwen Dewar, an anthropologist who specializes in studying the ways children learn. Board games help children learn skills such as following rules, predicting outcomes, detecting patterns, making appropriate choices and solving problems logically, along with social skills such as waiting for a turn, paying attention, and practicing good sportsmanship. Some games are better than others, Dewar says. A game relying solely on luck is not as valuable to learning as a game that requires both strategy and a degree of luck. Here are some board game and the skills these games introduce and reinforce.
(Ages 3-7) Kids love being one of the four color-coded characters and will learn numbers, counting, colors and even some words. They’ll also pick up facts about gardens and gardening.
African Adventure Puzzle and Game (Ages 4 and older)
African Adventure by Talicor blends game and puzzle. Join two characters who are bilingual (English and Spanish) on their journey through the jungle. Players will learn critical thinking, improve memory skills and learn jungle animal facts. This game won the Creative Child Magazine Award in 2010.
Bug Trails
(Ages 6-9) This game comes with six-legged colorful dominoes. Players learn to match colors strategically depending on whether they make a one, two or three-legged match. Great for color recognition, pattern recognition and simple game strategy.
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IMAGINE A SCHOOL WHERE YOUR CHILD LEARNS…
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Now enrolling children ages 15 months – 12 years • www.MontessoriSchoolsofGeorgia.com 42 Atlanta Parent December 2013
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