Strong Willed Child vs Strong Willed Parent

 Strong Willed Children vs Strong Willed Parent

Ya, that’s me. I realized it a long time ago and I am still shocked when I’m in the middle of one big power struggle.

I want to share a few tips I have learned along the way.

Tip number 1 -

No one likes to be told what to do - adults and children alike.

1. Strong-willed kids are experimental learners.

Isn’t that interesting, I think because… well, I am a painter, a clay maker, a bare foot in the sand girl. I am a kinesthetic learner. I love hands-on projects. I love to experiment! Hmmm. 

Thinning about this, I have a child who is exactly like this!

These kids want to jump in the puddle to find out they get wet - so LET THEM!  Have a bag of clean clothes and socks tucked away in the van at all times with these kids. Be prepared and give them license to be themselves.

Let them learn through experience instead of trying to control them. Don’t use your relationship to influence their decisions. Use your love and patience ot watch them learn on their own and be there with the hug, the towel or the understanding ear after it all goes down. 

Some examples:

-”I know it’s cold, and you don’t want to wear a coat. I am going to wear my coat, how about we just put it in the car for a ‘just in case.?’

-I’ll bring an extra set of clothes, socks and boots, cause I have a feeling we may want to test the nature around us.”

-”Do you want to leave now or in 10 minutes without complaining?” Make a deal, let them decide, give choices and validate big feelings while sticking to the deal.

If you have ideas, please feel free to share more.

Until next time…

Stay Wild, Stay You!

Board Games Teach Math!

 Board games - math?

Math worksheets are tough. Many kids cry over math, as do many parents. If only there was a better way? Guess What? There is! 

Gameschooling! 

Using board games to learn, practice and build skills in a no-pressure way will open up your math world and bring you joy. If the game does not go the way you want, you can always start over and try again. Not ready to buy? Try different board games at local board game cafes before buying.

In BC, Canada, Lower mainland area: Boardwalk Cafe (Abbotsford), Warcraft Games (Mission), The Raving Gamer Bistro (Langley) Rain City Games (New West and Vancouver) Bastion Games (Chilliwack)

Get rid of the math power struggles and create bonding between family members and friends. I’ve created a wonderful list of games to get you started with all the math concepts written down for you, so you can pick and choose what skills you want to work on. 

If you're already a “Gameschooler,” feel free to add your favourite games and the math skills that apply to them. Have fun and keep gaming!

A starter math board list with suggested ages. If you want to add your favourite game and how it helped with math skills, please feel free to add it. 

In general when ALL GAMES are played with others you will learn and develop:

• Social emotional

• Reflective Thinking

• Turn taking

• Social Skills (Listening, Speaking, Turn Taking)

• Planning

• Problem Solving

• Decision Making

• Logical Thinking

• Healthy competition

• How to Deal with Mistakes

• Delayed Gratification

• Emotional Intelligence

• Cooperation

• Resilience

 

 

 

Catan - ages 10+ or jr 7+

• Resource management

• Probability (where best place your settlements before game begins)

• Negotiation

• Trading

• Values

• Chance (dice)

• Analysis (current environment on how it impacts your chances of winning)

• Tracking and Planning (observing other players and how to interfere with their goals)

Sushi Go - ages 8+

• pattern work

• times tables

• Addition

• Grouping

• Algebra

 

Fish Stix - ages 4+

• Pattern work

• Adding to 10

• Grouping

• Sorting

• Organizational skills

• Counting 

• strategy

Money Bags -ages 7+

• Money math

• Grouping

• Adding

• Subtracting

• Estimating

• Chance (dice)

 

Chess - ages 7+

• Focus

• Attention

• Concentration

• Predictability

• Probability

• Logical thinking

• Planning

• Foresight

 

Monopoly (note) theme games allows you to learn more

Bug-Opoly  insect facts

Dino-Opoly dinosaur facts

Etc…

Monopoly - ages 8+, or monopoly jr 5+

• Invest

• Grow savings

• Relestate concepts

• Allowance / payday

• Savings for setbacks

• Decision making

• Goal setting

• Chance (dice)

• (with monopoly jr, you can ‘act out’ the toll booths)

 

Pandemic - ages 8+

• Geography

• Cooperative skills

• Coordinate with others

• Strategy

• Sorting

• Pattern

• Chance (cards)

• Learning about scientists 

• Diseases and chance to research real diseases and vaccines and scientists who develop them

 

Mastermind - ages 6+

• Computing

• Psychology

• Design

• Hypothesis-testing

• Interpretation of results

• Critical thinking

• coding

 

Robot Turtles - ages 4+

• Coding

• Rotation

• Multi-step problem solving

• Computational thinking

• programming fundamentals

• Listening

• Follow direction

• Strategy

 

Ticket to Ride - ages 8+

• Geography

• Judge

• Predict

• Probability

• Strategy

• Tracking

• Planning

• Chance (cards)

• Analysis

• Resource management

• Patterns

• Problem solving

• Grouping

• Adding

• Times Tables

 

Laser Maze - ages 8+ or jr 6+

• Coding

• Rotation

• Angles 

• Reflection

• refraction 

• multi-step problem solving

 

Sum Swamp - ages 5+

• mental math

• recall

• speed drills if wanted

• turn taking

• subtracting

• addition

• evens and odds

• Chance (dice)

 

Minecraft Board Game - ages 10+

• Resource management

• Probability (where best place your build structures for max gain)

• Negotiation

• Strategy

• Values and counting

• Analysis (what action to do - how it impacts your chances of winning)

• Tracking and Planning (choose mob, weapons, build or structure -see what is available or how to mess up other players)

• Turn taking

• Social Studies - resources

 

High Seas Adventure - ages 5+

• Addition to 10

• Counting

• Symbols

• Waiting and following directions

• Symbols

• Chance (dice)

 

Race Around the Clock - ages 7+

• Time on clock readings

• Problem solving

• Time elapsed scenarios

• Calendar skills

• Chance (spinner)

 

Place Value Safari - ages 5+

• Place value for 1’s, 10’s, 100’s

• Make Change

• Chance (dice)

 

Batman - ages - 8+

• Collect evidence

• Follow directions

• Counting

• Chance (dice)

• Addition

• Subtraction

• Symbols

• Organization

• Clockwise and counterclockwise directions

• Reading

• Collecting and Sorting

 

Frog Pond Fractions - ages 5+

• Basic fraction beginner skills

• Reduce fraction to simplest form

• Identify fractions

• Equivalent fractions

• Strategy thinking

• Spatial recall

• Group dynamics

• Cognitive and development skills

 

Pickles to Penguins - ages 8+

• This linking picture game thinks outside the box. (literally)

• make connections between picture cards

• Colour matching

• Pattern likeness

• Compare and contrast

• Sorting

• Building vocabulary with over 900 new words

• Compound words

• Colours, shapes and comparative values

• Following directions and rules

• Social Skills

• Abstract thinking and explanations of through process

Forbidden "Island" / "Desert" / "Sky" - 10+

(3 different games)

(join the team to do or die on a mission to capture 4 treasures and leave the island, or dig in the desert, or create a machine to reach the sky)

• Strategic thinking

• Share cards or information

• Problem solve together

• Cooperate to complete your mission

• Chance

• Probability

• Analysis (current environment on how it impacts your chances of winning)

• Tracking and Planning

• Observation Skills

 

 

Feel free to add your favourites and the math concepts you learn from them.