If your family is anything like mine, you also love family game nights! Christmas break is an ideal time to break out the hot chocolate and some favorite games! Below you will find a list of some of my family’s favorite games and how they help to address various skills!
BATTLESHIP is a great game for working on executive functioning skills, visual scanning, and fine motor skill/dexterity.
Tip: Make this harder by taking the pieces and hiding them in theraputty or playdoh. Before starting the game, they must dig out their pieces as this helps with fine motor strengthening.
TWISTER: Who doesn’t love this famous game? Twister involves spatial awareness, bilateral integration, strengthening, coordination, following directions, and balance.
Tip: If this game isn’t already hard enough, make a rule that they can’t have two body parts on dots directly next to each other or before the spinner spins everyone has to hold the position for 10 seconds.
PERFECTION: No matter how often I play or how old I get I still jump when that timer goes off! This game addresses fine motor skills, visual scanning, and hand-eye coordination.
Tip: Does your child have a hard time reaching across mid-line? If so, put the pieces on different sides of the board. Have them reach across with their opposite hand to pick up the pieces. Have them play this in a crawl position for added proprioception and upper body strengthening benefits.
JENGA: If you have played Jenga, you know the suspense of the game! This game works on many skills such as executive functioning skills like strategy and impulse control, fine motor skills such as pinch strength, hand-eye coordination, and social/emotional skills.
Tip: For an added challenge, play this game in a tall kneel position at the coffee table work on postural control and balance.