With all the news about Covid-19, it’s hard to escape the worry and wonder. "What am I going to do with my child if we have to stay inside for two weeks?!" That’s the number one question we’ve heard all week.

Thankfully, the passionate Lena Grodin, an elementary school teacher turned occupational therapist and busy parent of two, had a couple of ideas for us to keep learning fun + engaging. "I love board games! When I see a board game, I don’t just see fun; I see growth and learning in a playful way. At home and in my practice, we use board games to intentionally teach fine motor skills, visual-motor skills, social interaction and participation, emotional regulation, managing conflict and handling setbacks, learning to be flexible, taking turns and being patient. It’s real-time learning by doing." Here’s a list of Lena’s personal favorites and the skills they teach:

For Younger Kids (ages 2 - 4)

• Sneaky Snacky Squirrel - Fine motor practice
• Button Art - Fine motor and visual-spatial skills
• Candyland and Chutes and Ladders - Turn-taking and self-regulation
• Pop Up Pirate - Fine motor practice and self-regulation

For Older Kids (ages 4 - 6+)

• Yeti in My Spaghetti - Hand pressure control, fine motor and visual motor skills and self-regulation
• Zingo - Visual-perceptual skills and self-regulation
• Hedbanz and Guess Who - Social skills, reasoning and critical thinking
• Jenga and Suspend - Dexterity and strategic thinking
• Qwirkle, Connect 4 and Battleship - Spatial reasoning and strategic thinking

 
(Therapist tip: For extra practice with fine motor control, get the travel-sized versions where possible.)

What a treat to learn what the experts know. Thanks so much, Lena! Keep reading for more fun + educational options and other absurdly fun games.

P.S. For older kids: A fun comic and the hand-washing dance that’s going global. We love how art, music and dance connects us even during these uncertain times.

So clever! 4 separate puzzles, 1 board. Great for visual-perceptual skills.

It's hard to find a smart + fun game for little ones. This is it! Super for developing spatial awareness, coordination, listening skills and connecting actions with words.

Mix and match 4 different maze puzzles. Different skill levels will grow with your child, but they’ll probably always love the cute figurines. That dragon!

A personal family favorite. A workout in creative and strategic thinking. Excellent for developing spatial planning skills.

An artistic riff on old-school phonics that builds creativity and visual-perceptual skills.

Concentration and problem-solving in a travel-friendly game board. Win-win.

Because we always get asked, "Could you please tell us in one single email?" Here you go!

• Uno
• Spot-It
• Sleeping Queens
• Rat-a-Tat Cat
• Slamwich
• Math Dice Jr.
• Story Time Dice
• Storytelling Cards
• Rush Hour Jr.
• Learning Starter Pack Tiles
• Tile-Math Games

Learn better. Play smarter.

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