Over the years, board games have been cast aside in favor of mobile games, but people have not realized board games’ benefits. While board games are entertaining and a great way to spend time with friends and family, they also help people develop many essential life skills.
While card and video games are great ways to have fun and relax, board games mainly focus on placement of pieces and have a heavy emphasis on strategy, as opposed to card games, which are mostly based on luck. Video games have an online aspect, for more complex play, but lack the social element from in person games.
Mentally stimulative games, such as chess, are often regarded as a useful way for people to enhance their cognitive abilities, but they aren’t the only type of games that are helpful. Clue, Apples to Apples and other games that are mostly viewed as fun, instead of helpful, are proven to enhance many necessary skills.
Multiplayer games are particularly helpful for younger children. A study conducted at Pontificia Universidad Catolica highlights that six weeks of consistently playing board games can build up children’s basic mathematical skills, such as their concept of numbers, by 52%. These games include the multiple moving parts that are key to helping children improve mentally. Playing board games does not only prove to be helpful for younger children, but they can also benefit people who are older. Board games are useful in different ways, proven to advance problem solving and to be a helpful outlet for creativity. Although older people cannot develop mathematical skills from board games as younger children do because they already have these skills, board games can benefit older people in other ways. These games are simple to understand and players subconsciously practice decision skills and problem solving while playing. Board games have simple directions that allow people to easily play and benefit from them, without the repetitiveness of doing math problems or playing the same level on a video game hundreds of times.
“Integrating modern board-games into classroom activities is far from playtime. It actively supports the development of executive functions and basic academic skills in language and math among primary students,” a study conducted by Nuria Vita-Barrull, Pablo Sotoca-Orgaz, and Rosa Ayesa concluded.
People enjoy playing games and associating with other people. Timothy Bergeron, the Drawing and Painting teacher at Walpole High School, is someone who appreciates the beneficial effects or board games. Bergeron is part of the Dungeons and Dragons club, a game that focuses on role-play aspects. D&D is one game that focuses on the creative side that board games can enhance.
“I think people are able to get to know each other through their own creativity, which is kind of fun,” Bergeron said.
Studies from the U.S. Department of Education have proven that playing board games has the effect of improving people’s ability to think differently. People can easily improve their flexible thinking by playing board games. The human brain’s ability to adapt and change is a way to show a human being’s creative abilities.
Board games provide an easy way to help people of all ages become more confident. People feel included when they are playing board games, which leads to an increase in their self-confidence. Similarly, it is a way to develop a sense of individuality.
“I enjoy when board games become more of a conversation as opposed to, I have to win this game,” Bergeron said.
From Sorry to The Game of Life, all board games are easy and fun ways for people of all ages to better themselves without even noticing, while also having fun.
