Welcome to Wellness Wednesday!!! May 20, 2020 Brought to you by the New Martinsville School Counselors Mr. West & Miss Clark Let’s Learn about Board Games and Card Games! This week we wanted to encourage you to try something different. It’s time to unplug and enjoy playing a fun game as a family! We have decided to talk about Board Games and Card Games. There are many benefits to sitting down and spending fun quality time as a family playing different types of games. We have listed some games for you to check out and have also provided you with some information on how board games and card games can be very beneficial for kids and adults of all ages. It is very important to take a break from the following: Your phone Video games YouTube Social Media The Internet We hope that you will give one of these games a try and have lots of fun with your family! Parents/Guardians information Playing board games increases brain function. Playing stimulates brain areas that are responsible for memory formation and complex thought processes for all ages. Engaging in play assists in practicing essential cognitive skills, such as decision making, higher level strategic thinking, and problem solving. What are the benefits of playing board games? Here's the top health benefits of board games: Have fun and feel good. ... Family time. ... Memory formation and cognitive skills. ... Reduces risks for mental diseases. ... Lowers blood pressure. ... Speed up your response. ... Reduce stress. ... Grows your immune system. These are some of the most popular family board games. Monopoly. Ages: 10 years + (Junior version from 3 years +) ... Scrabble. Ages: 8 years + ... Upwords. Ages: 8 years + ... Scattergories. Ages: 8 years + ... The Socially Speaking Game. Ages: 8 years + ... Perfection. Ages: 5 – 10 years. ... Catch Phrase. Ages: 12 years + 8 Ways Board Games Teach Life Skills Logic & Strategy. Many games promote strategic and logical thinking. ... Focus & Attention. Following directions, taking turns and planning strategies all require focus and attention. ... Patience. ... Collaboration. ... Critical Thinking & Problem Solving. ... Resource Management. ... Creative Thinking. ... Negotiation & Communication. More Detailed Benefits of Playing Board Games 1. Board games offer opportunities for early learning. Even simple games help young players identify colors, count spaces, and develop hand- eye coordination and dexterity in moving cards and pieces around the board. Plus, learning to wait your turn and follow the rules are important lessons that serve kids far beyond the living room floor. 2. They get older kids' brains buzzing, too. Board games are an easy way to encourage healthy brain development in older kids and teens. “Strategy games are useful in helping the frontal lobes of the brain develop”. 3. They boost their language skills. Board games can be a sneaky way of helping school-aged kids work on skills they’re struggling with. 4. They sharpen your child's focus. Board games, when played without interruptions, can help lengthen a child's attention span. 5. They teach the value of teamwork. Board games often offer kids meta-messages about life: Your luck can change in an instant, for better or for worse. But in addition to teaching them that nothing is guaranteed, board games are a good way to encourage kids of different ages to team up and work together — something they'll need to do throughout life. Form teams of older kids working with their younger siblings. 6. Board games are an alternative to time out. The next time you find yourself going through a rough patch with one of your kids, consider playing a board game together instead of sending them to their room. 7. Board games soothe anxiety. They may help anxious kids learn how to navigate friendships more easily. Because they're structured, board games can provide an easier way to build interpersonal relationships with peers, since the child knows what's expected of them. 8. They show kids how to be a good loser. If you're playing with a child who has low frustration tolerance, and losing is difficult for them, allowing them to break the rules at first can make the game more tolerable and fun. 9. Board games are a great way to unplug! The lack of technology required to play board games makes them special. They are a simple way to get quality, screen-free time with the kids — and you might be surprised by how much they love playing. 10. It is always FUN to learn something new! Great games to play as a family for a variety of different age levels. Sorry Scrabble Junior Battleship Checkers Chess Jenga Monopoly Memory Guess Who Connect 4 Bingo Sequence for Kids Scattergories Perfection I Spy Life Clue Hungry Hungry Hippos Candy Land Mouse Trap Operation Pictionary Charades for Kids Tic Tac Toe Trouble Risk Chutes and Ladders Othello Cranium Yahtzee Twister Pop the Pig Zingo Pete the Cat “The Missing Cupcakes Game” Family Feud Kids vs Parents Dominoes Junior Blokus Double Shutter Pancake Pile-Up! Count Your Chickens Baa Baa Bubbles Crocodile Dentist Mouse Trap Pictomania UNO is a Great Card Game to Play UNO-The Card Game UNO is a card game suitable for the whole family. You may already have this one in your collection, but if you don’t, it’s a great one to have and can be played almost anywhere! Objective of the game – To be first player to get rid of all the cards in your hand. Number of players – Two or more. How to play Shuffle the cards and deal seven cards, face down, to each player. The rest of the deck (the draw pile) is placed face down in the center of the table. Turn over the first card in the Draw pile face up to create a Discard pile. The first player (normally the person to the dealer’s left) looks at his/her cards and tries to match the card on the top of the Discard pile by color, number or symbol. If there are no matches, the player must draw a card from the Draw pile. If the drawn card can be discarded, they draw again until they cannot discard a card. Then play passes to the next player. There are several Action cards that can change the course of the game. ‘Reverse’ – changes direction of the order of play. ‘Skip’ – the next player must skip their turn. ‘Draw Two’ – the next player will have to pick up two cards. ‘Wild’ – This card denotes all four colors and can be placed on any card. The player can choose a new color for the next person’s turn. Wild Draw Four’ – This card is just like the wild card except that the next player also has to draw four cards. As soon as a player has just one card left, they must yell “UNO”. If they do not, and are caught by another player, the player must draw two new cards. The first player with no cards remaining is the winner! Educational Benefits of UNO Fine motor skills – holding and playing the cards can be a challenge for small hands. As your child finds the best way to do this, they will develop their fine motor skills and learn to manipulate the cards with control. Numbers and colors – your child will get plenty of practice identifying colors and number recognition Matching – The game teaches your child how to match numbers and colors (visual discrimination). Counting – The counting of cards throughout and at the end of the game provides a fun opportunity to count with your child. Social interaction – Playing cards is valuable interaction with your child as this may be one of the few times, they can view themselves as a peer rather than a small person! Your child will also learn to take turns and engage in friendly competition. Strategy – As your child gets confident with the game of UNO, you will notice them engage their intellect as they not only start thinking about the best way to win, but the best cards to play to prevent others from winning. Get a Deck of Cards and Learn and New Game! Crazy Eights Euchre Spades Hearts Rummy Speed Solitaire (A Card Game to Play by Yourself) School Counselors NMS-Valerie Clark [email protected] NMS-Chad West [email protected] MHS-Robert Gomez [email protected] MHS-Rebecca McClain [email protected] PCE-Jason Bennett [email protected] PCHS-Kelli Meeks [email protected] SLS-Sherry Croasmun [email protected] VHS-Jessica Mace [email protected] LDS-Teresa Sleeth [email protected] HHS-Beverly VanScyoc [email protected] School Social Workers Terri Beaty [email protected] Jacqueline Watkins [email protected] There is a self-referral form which is located on the Wetzel County Schools website. Please fill one out if your child needs any help during this difficult time. STAY SAFE!!! .