Games are serious business

When it comes to increasing intelligence and rehearsing for IQ test taking there is nothing better than games. There are many different forms of game playing and all of them can help your child develop their curiosity, intelligence and creativity.

A good game also can help your child develop a competitive spirit which creates the type of desire needed to "ace" something like an IQ test. It teaches your child that rationalizing, strategizing, remembering and making decisions can be fun rather than an obligation or a chore that tires them out.

There are many types of games that can be played that can enhance your child's intelligence quotient. For example, when you encourage little children to play "pretend" with toy cars or dolls you are also developing their dexterity and motor skills at the same time. Playing make believe also strengthens your child's ability to rationalize and use their imagination.

Board games are also a very healthy and important option for your child. They may seem old school and boring but they really can help a child develop important academic skills like mathematics and spelling.

For instance a game like Scrabble can really help a child expand their vocabulary while a game like Monopoly can help improve math skills. Social skills can also be developed through the playing of board games. Your child will learn patience, working with others and how to "play fair" and "play by the rules."

Yet another important thing to understand about board games is that many of them are based on remembering trivia. This is true of a game like Trivial Pursuit. A child can easily assimilate and absorb information needed to pass an IQ test while playing one of these games.

Even more importantly a family that plays a simple board game together is interacting and engaging in discussion. They behave socially in a way with each other that they never would if they were just doing something like watching TV or a DVD. In this situation the child is just not learning from the game - they are also learning from you.

When you child is older or more advanced intellectually you can also play games like chess or Risk. These are games that require strategy and planning and that will help broaden their understanding of how the world works.

Almost every game of chess differs from the previous one which teaches your child adaptability and to use logic to win. Chess also teaches a kid to view a problem from many angles rather than just one angle. This helps your child understand that there are many approaches to solving problems and that often the most obvious approach is not the most effective one.

Games of card playing, like Poker, are also interactive and teach your child math skills as well as how to strategize in order to win. If you play with fake money you can also teach your child a bit of financial management.

Most of all the value in playing a game like Poker is that it teaches your child "when to fold." It is about teaching your child to choose his or her battles wildly as sometimes it is better to fold rather than play through a game to see how it turns out.

Games that require strategic thinking encourage flexible thinking and this in turn improves your child's ability to quickly solve problems.

Children also benefit from puzzle games like Sudoko and spelling games like Crosswords. Solving problems keeps them alert and sharp. If the game is memory based then it can help them develop a photographic memory.

There is no question that games can play a significant part when it comes to developing your child's mental acuity but it is also important to not that the most effective games are those that require thinking and reasoning., Games of skill are fun but they are not as effective as those that use the mind to win. The idea is to not relay on repetitive actions and hand to eye coordination in every game you play by choosing the most mind challenging games to play on purpose.