20/21 - Gameschooling

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One of the things we spent doing more this year than ever before was playing games! Of course, while video games such as Breath of the Wild and Minecraft had their place in inspiring different problem-solving and creative skills, the kids discovered a love of board games as well. 


Games like Hoot Owl Hoot, Mancala, Ticket to Ride, Sequence, and Dragonwood helped Chase learn to count and do simple addition and subtraction. These games inspired teamwork, strategic thinking skills, and logical thinking in all the kids.



Proof and 24 were two math games that brought out the fun side of math - River and Austen were able to further establish math skills they were already familiar with, such as multiplication and division, and also be introduced to new concepts and tools like parentheses and brackets, and multiplying fractions. These games called for multi-step problem solving and logical thinking. 

Other logic games they enjoyed were Mastermind and chess. The games Silly Sentences and Upwords helped with language arts and spelling skills. Animal Upon Animal is a fun game that encouraged problem-solving and teamwork, as well as fine motor skills for Chase.

Ocean Bingo and Bird Bingo found a place in their scientific curiosity, and we almost always followed up these games with more research into different types of animals, their sounds and patterns, habitats, and different ecosystems.

 



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