The intelligence of a child does not depend only on genetic predispositions, but also on the number of connections between neurons. Because of this, the period up to the child’s seventh year of life is the most valuable for creating new connections (synapses). Whether the child will reach their full potential later in life depends on the early stimulation of neurons.
A child who shows a desire to learn and progress should be supported. In everyday activities, parents can encourage children to think creatively in various ways. Every event, even seemingly insignificant situations, can be used to set tasks that encourage them.
Here are six game suggestions that aim to help children reach their biological potential as much as possible.
Scavenger hunt
Nowadays, children often get too many presents, so it is understandable that sometimes they don’t even look forward to them. You can immediately give them a gift or a small thing like a chocolate bar or a candy, but if you put the object in a hidden place, you can make an interesting game out of it.
When you give the child a task to find these hidden objects, this can remind them of a game of searching for hidden treasure. The joy lies in the fact that they will get something, but not knowing what, creates a feeling of suspense. The children are excited that they’re looking for a hidden gift, and then they are even more excited when they find it. Last but not least, the feeling of happiness that they needed to put in effort and commit themselves to finding the gift, has a special value for the child.
This exciting emotional process is more important than the feeling that the child has when you give him the reward.
Involve children in your activities
If you are watching a TV program with the audience in the studio, you can ask the child to find a man with a mustache in a grey suit or a woman in a blue dress. You can participate in the game together with the child by solving the tasks the child gives you.
Car activities for children
When driving a car, the journey can be interesting and children can increase their power of observation if you play games with them.
If the child knows the letters of the alphabet or knows how to write properly, you can ask them to guess from which country the vehicle in front of your car is (based on the letters: D – Germany, H- Hungary, I- Italy, E – Spain…)
Then, you can play:
- who will be the first to see a man in uniform,
- who will be the first to see the blue bus,
- who will recognize the brand of the car coming to meet you or going behind you,
- who will be the first to say the name of the sign that appears,
- who will guess from which city the car is, that bypassed us.
Looking for similarities with known shapes
Taking a walk or spending quality time in nature is a suitable environment for obtaining knowledge through play. Clouds, canopies, even ponds look like animals. It is even better if these objects remind children of animals that don’t even exist. This way, you increase their creativity and ability to play with words and associations. It can be useful for children to come up with the names of non-existent animals and plants on their own – this opens the door to thinking outside the box.
Learning new words
Ask the child if he or she knows the meaning of a lesser-known word such as microscope, photocopy, lightning rod, fountain pen, diversion, amphibian. Then, try to explain the word to him. When explaining, the child should be encouraged to think and conclude independently. If necessary, do it with a drawing, so that the child understands the meaning behind the word.
As an example, the word microbiology comes from two words: micro (which means small or small) and biology (the science of living beings), which means the science of small living beings.
Games in the park
If you are sitting with your child somewhere in the park, tell them that you saw a dwarf or a unicorn hiding in sight. Have the child give him a name and let them try to guess where he is, by asking questions. Answer only “yes” or “no” until the child finds it. They will ask you questions like: “Is he big, is he fluffy, can he fly?”.You don’t want them to speculate, but focus on asking the right questions that can actually help them find the answer. Gradually discovering where the imaginary dwarf or animal is hiding, can help them develop their imagination and learn to ask precise questions.
Encourage children to invent a game that will entertain all of you. If they see that you’re serious about it, they will realize that they are facing an important task. Is there anything more inspiring than creating a new game?
To stimulate imagination, creative thinking and speech development, you can play a game where you start the story, then the child continues it, adding new, interesting details and so on until both of you get bored.
Conclusion
If a child is immersed in playful activities, they acquire knowledge faster, improve their memory and also develop a specific way of thinking and reasoning, which significantly increases their intellectual abilities.
A child’s success in life largely depends on the engagement of parents, grandparents, older siblings, who are a crucial part of the child’s daily life. . Precisely because of this, the family is the most important teacher, until they are old enough to go to school and expand their knowledge with the aid of formal education.