Board Games: an actually fun way to teach logic and reasoning skills

By Sarah Cullo, LMP Program Coordinator

Board Games: a fun way to teach logic and reasoning skills 

In the age of the internet we have immediate access to answers for more questions than you could possibly ask. Want to know the capital of Croatia? In 0.88 seconds Google’s search engine produced 133,000,000 results with the answer showcased at the top of the first page. With near instant access to knowledge in theory, the only barrier between me and the answers to all my questions should be the speed with which I can type out the question. But at the end of the day, acquiring a collection of facts derived from each search doesn’t guarantee me any greater understanding, and frankly, it is not that much fun. Something about the speed and the ease with which the facts become available can also make the brain lazy about retaining the information. 

Having access to answers and information is only one aspect to nurturing the development of a child’s intelligence. Discovery and critical thinking skills are developed through experience and strengthened with creativity. How do you help your child build these skills? Well, my suggestion: play a board game. Playing board games is fun, social, and can help to cultivate stronger learning outcomes.

Zagreb is the capital of Croatia. If I wanted to build a train from Bucharest, the capital of Romania, to Zagreb, I would encounter the Carpathian Mountains. I could build my track around the mountains, but that would be a much longer track and demand more resources and time. If I decide to tunnel through the mountains, then I can significantly decrease the distance, however, I would also take on significantly more risk. How do I choose? Well, that depends on my access to resources, competition, time constraints and the level of demand. 

All of the above processes? They are part of the strategy employed when playing the board game Ticket to Ride European Edition. Personally, I will choose to tunnel through the mountain. If my tunnel fails, I will redirect my focus to a different route. Bucharest to Zargreb is only worth 6 points anyway.