Download The Importance of Board Games

The Importance of Board Games
Those old board games stashed away in a
closet could be key to keeping your mind sharp. Board
games entertain and bring people together through
competitive game play. The many popular board
games include Monopoly, chess, checkers and
Scrabble.
Board games are more than just entertainment.
These games have a beneficial impact on health at any
age. Following are some of the top benefits:
• Laughing is one of the side effects of playing
board games. Laughing increases endorphins,
chemicals that summon feelings of happiness.
Laughing and fun promotes empathy,
compassion and trust with others.
• Having family time without interruptions may
feel impossible since everyone has different
schedules. Playing games with your kids or
friends affords time together and builds
learning skills. Playing a board game after
dinner brings family members closer and
strengthens family bonds.
• Kids who play board games have shown
development of cognitive skills, like problem
solving. Two areas of the brain (hippocampus
& prefrontal cortex), responsible for thought
and memory formation benefit from playing
board games. These benefits extend well into
old age.
• Board games have also been shown to reduce
cognitive decline associated with dementia
and Alzheimer’s. Board games exercise your
mind, keep it strong and helps your mind hold
its power.
• Maintaining or lowering your blood pressure
is another benefit of games. Laughing, along
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with the release of endorphins helps muscles
to relax and aids the circulatory system, thus
lowering your blood pressure.
Chess or checkers may also help you locate
those hard to find car keys without searching
the entire house. Scientists have found that
people who regularly played video games
were faster at finding lost items than those
who didn’t play.
A board game is a healthy distraction and an
excellent way to relax. An online survey found
that the majority of board game players did so
to unwind, relax or play to relieve stress.
Being negative, stressed-out or depressed can
impair your immune system and your ability
to ward off disease. Laughter and enjoyment
that comes with board games releases
chemicals that fight stress and boost the
immune system. A board game may give rise
to genes that activate brain cells that
contribute to longevity and immunity.
Board games may help children develop
reasoning skills, logic, critical thinking and
spatial reasoning. Children that play different
types of board games can increase verbal and
communication skills. Attention skills, the
ability to concentrate and focus for longer
periods of time are additional benefits of
board games.
Since board games use fine motor skills to
pick up or move pieces, improvement in
coordination and dexterity may be evident.
Regular practice can improve these skills,
which is important for kids, people with
physical and mental disabilities, the elderly
KaraLee and Associates, P.C.
1308 South Main Street ▪ Plymouth, MI 48170 ▪ 734-451-3440
www.karaleeandassociates.com
This information is the opinion of Robert W. Cohen, BS, MS, MBA: Writer for KaraLee & Associates, P.C. Educational Library
and recovering accident victims.
Occupational therapy treatments include board
games for recovery as well as classrooms for special
needs that help improve muscle and nerve function.