As a parent who spent my childhood playing outside with friends and being creative, it’s saddening to see kids today spend all their time glued in front of a screen. One thing that has succeeded in getting their attention away from the phone is the Sudoku intelligence game board.
Sudoku is a fun and simple puzzle with straightforward rules and no hidden pitfalls. It can be played by kids and adults alike, depending on how big the board game is. However, it’s the benefits on a young child’s mind that caught my attention.
Take a look at this fun video from our 1st round of toy tester program! Hope our little testers have found their way to beat the game and enjoyed their family time.
Why Kids Can Benefit from Playing Sudoku
1. Sudoku teaches critical thinking and decision making
Much like any puzzle game, the child must develop some spatial awareness and pattern recognition to place the tiles in the right place. This means thinking through things, weighing their options, and making a decision, whether it’s correct or not. The best thing about Sudoku intelligence game board is that you can stop the game at any time and come back later as it will remain as is since it comes in a non-slip grip design.
Since it’s easy to pack and carry, you can take the game with you during holidays. Also, our sudoku game is prised as a great game for grandparents and your little ones so bring it to grandma’s place as well.
2. Build focus, concentration, and attention to detail
Kids have difficulty concentrating on one thing for long, and Sudoku is one of the best ways to build focus. The game requires utilizing different facets of the brain and calls for a great deal of concentration and patience. You have to learn through mistakes, trial and error, and perseverance which will come in handy as a student and an adult.
3. Improved IQ
Sudoku requires a lot of brainpower every step of the way. Much like body muscles, exercising the brain with such puzzles improves its working capacity and even memory.
How to Teach Kids Sudoku
- Start simple
Ideally, you should only teach Sudoku to kids who can identify numbers, so anywhere from age 5 is okay. Start with a simple 3x3 grid and teach them what are rows, columns, and the difference between horizontal and vertical. Our Sudoku intelligence game board allows for different levels so the child can start with a shallow grid and progress with time.
- Identify the rules
The only objective of Sudoku is to fill in the missing numbers in a logical manner. The rules include;
- You must use each digit only once in each column, row, and block
- Upon completion, each row, column, and block will contain all the digits, depending on the size of the grid.
- Have the child place the tiles on their own
Once you have taught the rules and demonstrated with an example, let the child start doing the puzzle on their own. Let them know it’s okay to make mistakes and correct themselves. You'll be surprised how fast they adapt and start using their logic. You can try changing up the completed digits to see if they can reprogram the brain to a new pattern.
- Move on to larger grids
Once the child has mastered a 3x3 grid, move on to a 4x4 and then a 6x6 slowly as their brain expands more and their understanding of the game gets better. You can go through the process again and again until they have mastered the grid.
Enjoy Game Night as a Family
The benefits of Sudoku puzzles on a young brain are innumerable. However, it’s also a fantastic game for grandparents and grandchildren to play together as they both need the brain exercise. Teens and pre-teens who have passed the age of playing with blocks and other toys thoroughly enjoy this brain teaser and its competitive nature.
The fact that the game is a great distraction from TV and phones is also a great plus, and we get to spend more time together as a family connecting over a game. Between the chessboard and the two intelligence games in the game board, there is never a dull evening in our house.
Explore the product here. A fun family game to bring your family closer.