At a young age, we introducing infants to some form of puzzle games, knowing that the colors and shapes of these very simple puzzles stimulate the baby’s learning.  Knowing this, it is surprising that many adults seem to forget that these basic concepts can be carried into adulthood, giving children a chance to learn materials better and possibly receive better grades in schools.  As an educator, I have spent a great deal of time studying the cognitive processes of children and how certain activities stimulate their learning.  One of the best ways that has been proven to stimulate learning is having children play puzzle games.

Through most of these puzzle games, kids start learning the process of elimination, the ability to find patterns in numbers and shapes, and how to use other reasoning skills to accomplish certain tasks.  In many cases, children do not even consider these games to be a form of learning since a true puzzle should be both fun and entertaining.   It is amazing how some simple puzzles can help children through different learning processes.  For example, crossword puzzles help children memorize skills, as well as learning the proper spelling of words, connecting each word with the appropriate clues that are provided.   As adults, we typically do not think of these games as educational, but for children, they can increase their ability to think logically through different situation, both in school and out.  Sudoku, another game that many of us love, is also a great game to play with children since this number puzzle encourages children to learn the process of elimination and to find patterns as they try determining the answer to each of these difficult riddles.

If children are introduced to puzzle games early, they also develop a love for them since they will learn to enjoy these mental challenges.  Once children have reached an age where they can use a computer, we should encourage them to play these puzzles while they are doing other activities, such as talking to friends.  With the bad publicity that many video games receive from the press, it is amazing that games are able to survive.   The reason that they have survived is due to a great deal of research that has proven that video games, especially puzzle games, actually do encourage student learning. 

As this series of kids puzzles progresses, I will be going over multiple children’s web sites and their games, talking about the benefits each game can have for children, as well as its difficulty and entertainment value.  As stated in a previous article, do not be surprised if you find yourself playing many of these games. 

If you would like to experiment with some different types of games, here are some examples of puzzle that are mentally stimulating by encouraging children to use spatial, logical, analytical, and cognitive skills…


Sudoku

Crossword Puzzles

Word Search

Hangman

Matching Games

Paradigm Shift Games

Jigsaw Puzzles

Color matching