My hubby and I grew up playing video games so it was only natural that we have a few gaming consoles in the house. We still enjoy playing video games with each other and we just introduced Wii games to my toddler. Yes, I know she’s a bit young – but think of the first time you picked up your older sibling’s Nintendo controller. You probably weren’t older than five!
I LOVE fantasy and role playing games, but for children 8 and older I think video games can be used as educational tools to higher level thinking. Can you tell I’m a teacher?) We had the opportunity to review 3 new games that recently came out and I love that they are all problem solving games where children really need to use their noggin to play! I really believe that children should spend more time playing outside and less time in front of video games, especially during the summer when they are home, but on days where it is raining or just too hot to spend outdoors they need activities that will keep their brains working. ThinkSMART Games has started their “Stay Sharp Summer” initiative and here are their hottest titles this season:
Labyrinth for Nintendo DS is based on the popular board game. Logical thinking and problem solving skills are essential in playing this game. There are 5 settings and 14 characters to choose from. Players can play in single player of multiplayer mode for up to four players.
Scotland Yard: The Hunt for Mr. X (DS): The chase is a-foot! Scotland Yard is searching for Mister X in London, New York, Berlin, Paris &Amsterdam. Deductive thinking and procedural logic are key as players aid the famous detectives in the capture of the elusive Mr. X. This game is a bit tricky – but will keep little hands busy for long plane or car rides this summer!
Crazy Machines for Wii: Think outside of the box and push the boundaries of creative thinking as you utilize random objects (anvil, rolling spheres and more!) to build a variety of increasingly complex contraptions that cause chain reactions. Big picture thinking, big fun and big points await in the construction of Crazy Machines! This one happened to be mine and hubby’s personal favorite. I personally feel it is a very challenging game and I love that it makes you think on multiple levels in order to achieve your goal for that segment.
For games that keep those little noggins working all summer long, check out ThinkSMART! You can connect with ThinkSMART Games on Facebook to stay up to date on their latest announcements!
Disclosure: I received samples to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own.