The Little-Known Secret To Helping Your Child
Develop Smarts Faster – Educational Games (Part I)

The first three years of your child's life is extremely important. The human brain develops faster during these three years than at any other time.  

Talk about developing smarts in babies and young children and most parents would think “Books, books books!”. This is a shame. Because true learning takes place not through cramming, but by mental simulation. Books are merely one way in which children can learn.

Educational games are another often-overlooked way of achieving this. They are fun and engaging, naturally attracting the attention of young children while stimulating their growing minds and imparting useful skills.

Just some of the games available include puzzles, flash cards, board games, building blocks, and matching cards. When used well, these educational games can teach children everything from linguistic skills, mathematical skills, thinking and problem solving skills, to an aptitude in creative imagination.

So you see, complementing book learning with these tools gives your children a head start – many parents are far more interested in the one-dimensional approach of cramming book knowledge into their young children.

These games are also a good way for you to bond with your young children. They will have a fun time learning and you will enjoy watching them learn, grow and have fun.  

Here are some games and how they can help your child develop:

Educational games that develop basic practical skills

There are games available that make life less mystifying for young minds. This one, for example, teaches toddlers how to read a clock.

Educational games that develop visual skills

Another type of skills you would want to develop is visual skills. This is increasingly important: just look at the commercial success of well-designed products compared to those that are similarly competent, but less attractive. (Think Apple products) These products do not design themselves. The world needs well-paid designers to create them.

To give your child a head-start in visual skills, you can start them off with games that stimulate their visual intelligence, such as the matching cards available here.

Have your child play them, and you might just find yourself paving the way for the world to receive its new world-class architect, or visual artist, or film director.

Educational games that develop story-telling skills

Oral and story-telling skills are often neglected in places that strongly emphasise academic achievements – like Singapore. Such skills are actually vital in persuasion. Without them, even the most intelligent person would find it hard to persuade people around him to adopt a new idea, or to buy into a new venture. This is why many top world leaders in politics and business excel in these skills – it's how they got to the top in the first place. Just think of powerful people like Richard Branson, Warren Buffet, Steve Jobs, Winston Churchill and Bill Clinton.

To help your child develop story-telling skills, you can use story cards like these.