Old fashioned games can be some of the best teaching tools. Take Jacks, for instance. I'm sure some of you remember those little metal multi-pointed, landmines with the bouncy red ball we played with as kids. Well, I found a set of Jacks made from plastic and were about ten times bigger. Coupled with an idea I had from watching my toddler play a game on http://www.pbskids.com/ I came up with a game that I believe is better than anything a child can play on-line. And the reason being is because my child is interacting with me, not the computer.
The Jacks come in a variety of colors and the first thing we did was learn those colors. I would throw the ball up and call a color and my 3 year old would grab the colored Jack I named before I caught the ball after one bounce. It's great fun. The interaction between my child and I involve laughter, cuddles, tickles, communication, and learning colors. You can add variety to this game by substituting plastic alphabet magnets and numbers. You could even write simple two and three letter words on index cards.
Best of all, I get to spend time with my kid and he'll remember the fun times we had together, over the time he spent in front of the computer. Don't get me wrong, computers are great tools for education, but it is a tool and not a substitute for being a parent.
Until next time, hug your kids and play!
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