Card Games

I remember playing many of these games as a child using only a simple deck of playing
cards. For example, Uno was played with the 2s for “pick up 2”, the 7s as “reverse”, and
the aces as “skip”. In Old Maid, we used a joker to replace the old maid card.

 Concentration also known as Memory

 Go Fish
 Happy Families
 Old Maid
 Uno
 Crazy Eights
 Snap!
 Hearts – this was available as a microsoft game but we used to play during our
breaks in Uni.
 Bridge – I read so much about this in Agatha Christie’s novels, that I was determined
to learn how to play the game. I never got very good at it but it sure was fun.
 Poker
 Spit
 Big 2 – I learned this one in Uni and we played it a lot back then, too. For those of
you who are unfamiliar, the rules are here.

We also play Boggle Slam, Clue: Suspect, Angry Birds (the card game).

Board Games
 Basically, any game that uses working memory,
matching details, fast responses, and strategy will do the trick. These are some popular
suggestions:

 Sorry! also known as Trouble

 Battleship
 Checkers
 Chinese Checkers
 Rummy
 Mah Jong – can be played as solitaire or as the 3 or 4 player game. Like Chess, Mah
Jong is also good exercise for the brain.
 Chess
 Minecraft
 Dungeons and Dragons – I remember desperately wanting to play this board game as
a child but never being able to join because I was “a girl”.

We’ve been going to Borders to check out their

broad range of interesting games I’d never heard of before to add to our growing collection:

 Rumis – a good game for developing spatial awareness as well.

 Risk – a strategy game that will also be a good lesson in statistics
  Munchkin – a stepping stone into Dungeons and Dragons for the younger kids. It’s
intended for age 10 and up but we simplified the rules for G2.
 Mastermind
 Blokus – a strategy game that also helps with logic and spatial awareness
 Snake Lake – avoid the mushrooms and get the apples before your opponents do.
 Squabble – a variation on scrabble using the letter tiles from scrabble
 Game of Life – probably not as

More board games to consider:

 Boards games with science themes

 Qwirkle
 Gigamic is a brand with some interesting brainy-type, multi-player board games
 Mensa’s recommended board games

Physical Games

Many of us should remember these games from our childhood…

 Musical statues
 Musical chairs
 What time is it Mr Fox?
 Dodge ball
 Tetherball
 Four square
 Simon says
 Flashlight tag
  Ghost in the graveyard
 Laser tag
 Paintball
 Jump rope – double dutch,

Image Source: Pinterest

Organised sports

Any sports that combines a physical element with a mental element is a good choice for
developing the executive functions. For instance:

 Soccer – exercise that requires thinking (this includes other team sports, like
basketball, hockey, netball, etc.)
 Traditional Martial Arts – exercise that includes character development
 Yoga – exercise that includes mindfulness

Mindfulness and Meditation

 Image Source: Pinterest
Meditation enhances executive control and improves self-regulation. In a study
investigating the effects of meditation practice on executive control, the meditation
group showed greater executive control and more emotional acceptance.

Helping young children with meditation can be tricky, especially if they’re the kind of kids
that need to move a lot. One recommendation is to do the walking meditation:

1. Plan ahead for a 5 minute walking meditation.

2. Establish it as a routine so it is expected every time you go for a walk.
3. Meditation starts with a “gong” – either have a child make the sound, or use a
recorded one.
4. Everyone becomes quiet and gives full attention to the sensation of walking.
5. End the meditation with the “gong”.

There are many variations to the walking meditation you can try. You can also try this one
for an indoor day:

 Give each child a set of jingle bells.

 Set a timer for a few minutes.
 Have the children walk in a circle with the bell trying not to let the bells make a
sound.
More resources for mindfulness and meditation:

 Mindfulness resources for families

 Meditation for children by Shambala Kids
 Guided Meditation for children
 MBSR (Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction) resources

Play

The older we grow, the more we forget the importance of playing. Play, especially the
imaginary/pretend kind, is a key component of Vygotsky’s Tools of the Mind, which has
been credited for helping children develop self-control (one of the executive functions).

 Playground – for younger children, any playground play that develops their physical
skills, like balance, coordination, climbing, etc. helps with the development of the
executive functions.
 Imaginary/Pretend – children learn a lot through this kind of play because it requires
them to take on the role of another person or character and inhibit their own natural
responses as they assume that role.

Image Source: Pinterest

Drama, Music and Dancing

 Drama and Theater is an extension of imaginary/pretend play that increases the

stakes with an audience being invovled.
 Singing acapella style or in a choir are two terrific exercises in inhibition because
children need to focus on their own parts and not be distracted by the others who are
singing a different part. This is especially tricky when they do not have the melody
line.
 Learning to play an instrument and playing as part of a group.
 Dancing – the structured kind where the dancers are required to hold the
choreography in their minds as they move in time with the music.

Story Telling

Story telling is a great activity to help young children develop their executive functions.

 Tell stories in a group

 Make a book with pictures
 Act out their stories
 Tell them in a different language
 Use picture cards as writing prompts

Check out: Writing resources to encourage the reluctant writer.

Cooking

Cooking is another great activity for young children because they need to use working
memory to follow the instructions, focus their attention when measuring and counting.

Brain Games
  Puzzle books – mazes, crosswords, logic
puzzles, memory puzzles, wordsearches, etc.
 Jigsaw puzzles – children need to match the shape of the puzzle piece and the image
on the puzzle pieces together by holding the images in their minds (good for
developing working memory).
 Logic games:
 Smart Games
 ThinkFun
 Mindware
 Brain teasers
 Digital brain games:
 ThinkFun
 Brain training apps
 Games for focus
 Working Memory Games
 Games for executive functions
 Sparky’s Adventures
 Jungle Memory

How Board Games Help Kids Learning Issues

Many children are best able to express and challenge themselves through play. Games can
encourage growth and teach valuable life skills to children of all ages. The right types of
games are especially useful for kids with ADHD, executive functioning issues or similar
learning challenges.

For ADHD kids, outdoor, physically active games are great. But when weather or other
circumstances prevent this, board games can be a good substitute. Games that are less
complicated and low-tech can work often better for ADHD kids. High tech games can be
over stimulating and can lead to frustration.

There are a number of popular board games that can help with:

 Memory and attention

 Anticipating consequences
 Anticipating success and dealing with failure
 Solving problems and staying organized

When selecting a game for kids with ADHD, there are several important considerations:

 Pacing – games that move quickly are better

 Strategy – games with an element of strategic thinking to provide the right level of
challenge
 Multiplayer – games that can be played as a family help build relationships

Some Board Games to Consider

Additude Magazine recommends these classic board games to help ADHD kids’ develop
and enhance their social and cognitive skills.

The Memory Game (Milton Bradley): This game helps increase attention span and
memory. Players must match their cards with others that are turned face down. If you
turn a card face up and it doesn’t match your card, you have to put it back face down. The
challenge for players is to remember the cards that have been put back down, so you can
pair them with your cards when matches come up. Whoever gets the most matches wins.

Chinese Checkers: Chinese Checkers is simple, yet it requires a bit of strategy. The
challenge is to get your men from one end of the board to the other. Children will learn
over time that if they problem solve and think ahead about where they are going, they can
get there much more quickly.
Chutes and Ladders (Milton Bradley): Chutes and Ladders is an excellent way to help kids
build frustration tolerance and get over failures quickly. The objective is simple: players
move along a trail toward the top of the board, climbing up ladders or sliding down chutes
when you land on them. Frustration can result from landing on a chute and going from
leader to loser instantly.

Clue (Milton Bradley): Clue is the classic crime solving game where players determine who
committed a crime through a process of elimination. Children must think about the
information they have and don’t have. They must use that information to solve problems,
rather than act on their feelings before thinking about the consequences. With Clue,
children learn quickly that impulsive actions usually are counterproductive. The game also
gets kids to practice organization and prioritization skills.

The Impulse Control Game – As players make their way through a maze of roads on the
game board, they face a series of questions: Should I take the short but hazardous route,
or the safe but longer route? What might happen if I exceed the speed limit? Is the easy
way the best way? Players must choose their routes carefully and anticipate the
consequences of their actions. In this way, the game teaches kids the skills they need to
manage impulsive behavior.

The Benefits of Board Games

Research is showing that board games can help kids develop the intellectual, cognitive and
social skills they need to succeed in school and life. Used in conjunction with therapy or
coaching, they can be an especially effective, simple and inexpensive way to help kids with
executive functioning and learning issues improve in these areas.
bject: Checkmate your
opponent.
Top Executive Function
Skills Addressed:
(1) Response Inhibition-
when your opponent makes a
move that benefits them and
not you-you've got to keep
your cool. You also need to
think about the consequences
before making your move.
(2) Working memory-
Remembering how to set the
board up and the many rules
for each piece.
(3) Emotional Control-
Staying cool throughout the
game so you can stay
focused on the game. Being a
good sport.
(4) Flexibility-Revise your
plan when your opponent
makes a move you weren't
expecting.
(5) Sustained Attention-
This game can be long.
Keeping your focus the
entire time or over a series of
days depending on the
version you are playing.
(6) Plan/Prioritize-Figuring
out the sequence of
moves/steps to reach your
goal.
(7) Organization-Being able
to organize your thoughts so
you can plan/prioritize to
reach your goal.
(8) Time Management-
keeping a pace of play to
maintain momentum and
interest for all playing.
(9) Goal Directed
Persistance-Not giving up
when you keep having to
SCRABBLE
Object: Scoring the most
points
Top Executive Function
Skills Addressed:
(1) Response Inhibition-
Thinking about the
consequences of playing a
certain letter a certain place.
Keeping your emotions in
check.
(2) Working Memory-
Remembering vocabulary
words!
(3) Emotional Control-
Keeping your cool when you
have nothing but vowels in
your rack and when you
win/lose.
(4) Flexibility-Revising your
plan when you see a space
for a great word on the board
and your opponents play
there first.
(5) Sustained Attention-
Scrabble can be a long game.
Keeping focus on the game
and making good plays not
PICTIONARY
Object: Guess the most pictures
drawn by teammates. Get to the final
space on the board.
Top Executive Function Skills
Addressed:
(1) Response Inhibition-Resisting the
urge to say things while you draw or
the other team draws.
(2) Emotional Control-Keeping your
cool when nobody guesses your
picture. Being a good sport.
(3) Flexibility-Adjusting your picture
if you aren't getting guesses.
(4)Task Initiation-Starting to draw
right away so time isn't wasted.
(5) Plan/Prioritize-Before beginning
to draw, have a plan of where to begin
and what to include in your drawing.
Prioritize what piece would get the
most guesses.
(6) Organization-Organizing thoughts
and using the space on the paper/board
effectively.
(7) Time Management-Getting
enough on the board before time runs
out.
(8) Goal Directed Persistance-Keep
drawing even IF you aren't getting any
guesses or correct guesses.
(9) Metacognition-watching and
listening to your teammates reactions
adjust/change the plan.
Beginning with a goal for
certain moves/strategies.
(10) Metacognition-
Watching your opponents
reactions and making moves
based upon past
observations.
quick plays. and guesses and adjusting your
(6) Planning/Prioritizing- strategy while drawing or for future
Planning your words while turns.
you wait. Making bigger
plays first that will allow for
future plays too.
(7) Organization-Keeping
those tiles organized in some
way on your rack.
(8) Time Management-
Keeping moves quick so
momentum continues and
interested doesn't wane.
(9) Goal Directed
Persistence-Not giving up
when someone plays in a
space you wanted
(10)Metacognition-
Checking in with yourself
throughout the game to make
sure you are optimizing your
strategy. Can I change/adjust
anything?1

Pretty AMAZING, huh? Did you have any idea how beneficial games are
for Executive Function skills? Isn't it great that you can help your child/student while
also having FUN?

Would you like more information on popular games and the executive functioning skills
they strengthen/develop? Download our Executive Function game
Guides for ®UNOand ®Sorry! Our game guides are great for parents and
professionals to use while playing the game. They not only help to teach the child
HOW to play the game but also give the parent/professional "scripts" on what to say to
strengthen a particular skill while playing.

Until next time...keep growing and blooming....and what's your favorite game to
play at home or with your students? I'd love to know.