UNPLUG,
PLAY &
LEARN ®
Your essential guide to the educational powers of playing board games with your children.
Foreword
Research from a range of disciplines, including neuroscience and developmental psychology, confirms that children have basic developmental priorities. Play and frequent ping-ponginteraction with parents and carers provide these necessary opportunities to support this basic need of children.
hese developmental needs T haven’t changed over the years, but in our busy always-on-lives and the omnipresence of technology and devices have made it increasingly more challenging to preserve uninterrupted time for these basic (and essential) priorities. It is more important than ever that parents recognise, value, prioritise and cultivate more opportunities for completely digital free play within the family. That’s why I love Hasbro’s Unplug, Play and Learn Guide. The socialisation, fun and learning benefits that playing board games provide is grounded in science and research and are a realistic, practical and fun way that parents and carers can build a regular digital free opportunity into their regular routine. So make sure you carve out some time to unplug, play and learn with your children! Dr Kristy Goodwin is a digital wellbeing and performance speaker, researcher and author of ‘Raising Your Child in a Digital World’ and mum to three boys.
How to use your Guide Every page in the Unplug, Play & Learn Guide will connect you back to ellaslist, where you’ll find detailed reviews from real mums, tips and so much more.
Click to discover more on every page
CONTENTS 4 What playing board games
12 Real life lessons Monopoly
6 Games for fine motor skills
14 Games for family bonding
8 Games for literacy
16 Thank you
does to your brain
teaches kids
10 Games for numeracy
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What Playing Board Games Does To Your
BRAIN
Monopoly Research* suggests this classic board game can improve brain function and prevent Alzheimer’s. *JAMA Psychiatry, 2018
Guess Who
Cluedo
This fun game for the whole family teaches problem solving, process of elimination and critical thinking.
This classic game combines problem solving with imagination, giving our brains a great workout while having fun.
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Games for fine motor
SKILLS
Jenga Stacking the bricks requires all their concentration and coordination to build the Jenga Tower without causing it to collapse.
Porcupine Pop
Operation
Kids will love the suspense of this exciting game as they try to be the first one to make the porcupine’s spikes pop.
Nothing tests fine motor skills like a game of Operation. Even the slightest wobble will cause the patient’s nose to light up!
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Games for
Y C A R E LIT
V K
A
Q
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Game of Life If your kids think they could “adult” better than you, this is the game for them! They’ll have fun reading the various twists and turns that life takes, and they won’t even realise that it’s teaching them a new word or sentence.
Trivial Pursuit Family
Scattergories
Kids will want to do their homework beforehand! Great for reading skills with age appropriate questions.
Roll the dice and use the letter to create a word that fits within a set of categories – so many literacy lessons in one game!
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Games for
Y C A R E M NU
+ =
X
Monopoly This classic board game teaches lifelong numeracy skills such as budgeting, saving money and investing it too. Your kids might even learn a thing or two about the true value of money – essential skills in this relatively cashless society we live in!
Yahtzee
Connect 4 Shots
A great game for teaching number placement, counting and addition. Kids can improve their maths while having fun!
In this fast-paced, rapid-fire fun version of the original game, kids will learn simple addition, fractions, patterns and counting.
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Real Life
LESSONS Monopoly Teaches Kids
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Budgeting Learn the fun way with Hasbro’s new Monopoly Voice Banking game – a good lesson for this cashless society we live in.
Location, Location
Never Give Up
They may cost more to buy but in the long term, your return on good location investments can be like winning the lottery!
Just like when you are trying to win the game; be patient and if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
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Games For Family
G N I D N BO
Mouse Trap  Work as a team as you scurry around the board collecting cheese, but watch out for the trap.
Monopoly Junior Teach kids the basics of the classic game through buying/ selling zoos, pizzerias, ice cream parlours and more.
Twister
Hungry Hippos
This is a definite winner for getting the family together – literally! Kids learn their left from their right. Great for days when sitting still just isn’t an option.
Kids of all ages love the crazy speed of grabbing coloured balls with their Hippo’s chompers. It’s a classic boredom buster.
Game of Life Junior
Cluedo Junior
It’s just as fun as the mature version but with cooler adventures, hello Chocolate Factory!
Get the family sleuth-ing together for a night of team work and thrills.
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S I T WHA Unplug & Play? ellaslist’s brand new initiative aims to inspire families to create a little more unplugged time in our busy 24/7 digitally connected lives. Try a screen-free Sunday, explore a new location or dust off an old board game one night a week and start a new family tradition. You’ll find a range of new and exciting ideas each week at ellaslist.com.au/unplugandplay But this isn’t about us, we want YOU to be part of the Unplug and Play challenge. Spend some quality time with your family and share a photo on social media using the hashtag #ellaslistunplugandplay for your chance to win a swag of ‘unplugged’ prizes. So go on, give your kids the ultimate present – your time. @ellaslist
@ellaslist
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