Solidify Grades with the Best Online Memory Games for Kids

You remember those first big memories – the time you had a birthday party outside or met your pet dog, Arnold, for the first time. You see these as core experiences, but you might not realize that you had to understand them as a child before they could become a part of your self image.

Birth to age five is the primary time when a child develops their memory and their sense of self, but there are many things you can do to help foster that positive growth past that time. One of the easiest and most fun ways to promote better memory is through games that will test your child and teach them fundamental skills.

Memory games for kids are a fantastic way to encourage self growth and build skills that will last a lifetime.

Importance of memory & cognitive development

Memory is the brain’s ability to mentally store and retain info. This skill affects so much more than being able to remember facts from school, or recall a past event such as a birthday. Memory defines how a child thinks and learns and it helps to shape the development of their language skills, ability to problem solve, and how they envision the world. It can even enable kids to start developing entirely new skills like riding a bike.

Let’s take a look at some of the skills that are linked to memory.

Language and literacy

The ability to speak and read is crucial to how a child understands the world around them and develops their memory. And when you tell and repeat stories from the shared past, you are creating a way for your child to gather details about the events and articulate their own feelings. In turn, they will start viewing future experiences with the same kind of introspection. This offers them a way to look inward and understand their own thoughts and self.

Problem-solving

Separate from defining and interpreting their own experiences, kids can also learn how to solve problems through the development of their memory. When a child is faced with an experience or situation with familiar elements, they’re able to draw from their past and use those solutions to help with the present. Kids are particularly good at drawing from these associations and studies show that kids are more successful at recall than adults.

Imagination

You may not realize it, but imagination doesn’t just appear in your child’s brain from day one. Imagination needs to come from stored info that is recombined in a new way to create new information. And kids need to constantly develop that inventory. You can also try to foster that imagination through various things like props, materials, games, or documents of the past like photographs that can spark a connection to memories and form entirely new ideas.

Benefits of memory games for kids

This brings us to memory games, which are a fun and educational way to promote cognitive development for your child.

Memory games also promote neuroplasticity – the brain's ability to change and adapt based on experience. Games can help kids learn how to remember, recognize, and recall info in an entertaining way. Plus, they can also help to improve concentration, strengthen problem-solving skills, and increase memory retention.

Improved concentration

When your child plays memory games, they are required to focus on a specific task. But also, depending on the game, they will be required to remember certain items, numbers, or symbols and apply those details in the given game. Often, they will need to internalize a set of rules, calling for a greater level of concentration. Memory games require that heightened focus that can directly translate to improved attention for your child.

Better problem-solving skills

Focus is one thing, but memory games also create a broader opportunity for your child to be creative and learn problem-solving skills. Memory games give kids the freedom to explore different salutations as they discover how to consistently succeed.

Memory games aren’t just about attention, they also create an opportunity for a child to be creative and learn problem-solving skills. Memory games give kids the freedom to explore different solutions as they discover how to consistently succeed. By playing memory games, kids are required to develop their ability to face and respond to a problem.

Memory retention

It may sound self-explanatory to say that memory games help with the retention of memory, but these games exist as tests to remember details. Individual games rely on the ability to recall info whether it be for the rules or something else entirely related to the experience. Playing memory games can help them read better, retain information better, and recognize patterns of information. It’s been shown that children who regularly engage in memory games demonstrate improved skills in pattern recognition and the ability to conceptualize presented info related to images, maps, and objects.

Considerations when choosing games

There are many options for memory games, but it’s important to select the right one for your child. Make sure to look at what kind of skills are needed with an individual game, and if your child is ready to apply those skills.

Education and age level

When picking memory games for your child, it’s important to consider the suggested difficulty level when it comes to who the games are aimed at. You don’t want to pick something that’s too far above or below your child’s education level in terms of grade and age. And just the same, you want to make sure that it isn’t too inappropriate or could be seen as babyish or boring by the child.

Screen time limits

Along with finding the right games for your child, it’s important to create a set of rules for how your child will play these games. According to the Mayo Clinic Health system, elementary students who spend more than two hours watching TV, playing video games, or on a computer, are more likely to have emotional, social, and attention issues. With that in mind, you should make sure to include some games that don’t include a screen and monitor how long your child plays these games.

Set a routine

Another thing to consider is that like any exercise, building memory requires consistent work. Memory games are only helpful if they’re part of a routine and in moderation. If you let your child play too many memory games, there won’t be room for other learning. And if they don’t play them enough, it won’t adequately help them. This is why it’s important to set a routine and ensure that playing memory games becomes a positive, healthy habit.

The best offline and online memory games for kids

We’ve talked about the potential benefits of memory games as a whole, so now we can talk about some specific examples of games that are fun and educational. Here are some games that kids can play online or offline depending on what you want them to work on and what’s suitable for their needs.

Offline memory games

Offline games are an accessible way to introduce your child to memory games. They’re easy to play, and great to play on the go. Here are three offline memory games to get you started:

Magic Cups: You only need three cups and a ball or coin for this classic game. First, place the cups upside down on a table and place the ball or coin under one of the cups. Make sure to show your child where the object started and then move around the cups. Then, ask your child to recall which cup the item is under. This game tests their concentration and memory.

Sound Chain: Sit down with your child or children, and start by making a series of sounds (things like finger snap, clap, hit the table, pat your head) that you then ask them to repeat in sequence before adding another sound. Keep going back and forth until someone misses.

Flashcard Memory: There are a few different ways to play flashcards. Whether you buy a set of cards with specific matches or create your own, make sure you have a set of cards that have corresponding matches. Then, place the cards upside down in a 2x2 or 3x3 grid formation face down. Go back and forth and try to pick the right card based on their memory of the card placement.

Online memory games

Simon Online - Based on the popular game of the same name, this online game has the player watch a sequence of colors and then asks them to repeat that same pattern. The game begins with only a single color, but it can go for as long as your child can repeat the pattern.

Count the Sheep 2 - This devious memory game asks the player to keep track of the number of sheep going into and out of a barn. It may sound easy, but it quickly becomes tricky as the numbers fluctuate and sheep go missing.

Solitaire - This classic card game offers one of the best and easiest ways to build your child’s memory. In this online game, the player will be tested to build numerical sequences with the cards and solve various problems that come with the deck arrangement.

Memory is a muscle to exercise

These are just a few examples of ways that you can use games to aid in the development of your child’s memory. But it’s important to remember that memory games don’t take full effect unless they are part of a routine. Your child’s memory requires constant care and even a daily game of Solitaire can keep their brain function high and their memory working at its peak.

DISCLAIMER: The games on this website are using PLAY (fake) money. No payouts will be awarded, there are no "winnings", as all games represented by 247 Games LLC are free to play. Play strictly for fun.