Do you have a favorite thinking game? As a child, I loved to play games that were puzzles, something that challenged me not physically but my mind. We used to do simple things like create objects out of clouds or figure out what would happen if too much water was added to the mud pie. However, it seems that many children in our society today are not interested in these types of games. Now they just do what the Game Boy tells them to.

Playing a Game Boy game recently, I found it amazing that the game was so simple that it would often tell me what to do when I was lost or perhaps not sure what to do next. Now, I’m not a regular player nor do I know if this is common, but what happened to the fun of trying to solve the puzzle? How do you get through the door or find the missing object? Keep trying until you do it, right?

The good news is that you don’t have to let your children’s brains explode! You can offer them computer games that are more challenging for the mind instead of time fillers. Games like Mah Jong encourage people (including children) to develop a plan to solve the problem at hand. This plan is one that will keep you focused on the goal ahead and keep your brain trying to figure out the next move. There are hundreds of others using all kinds of skills, including problem solving.

So what does all this mean to you? Should you give your child these brain teasing games and take away the games he currently plays? Unless you want them to hate you, we don’t recommend it. But allow them the ability to access these games and they may often be drawn to them. Children’s minds are like sponges that soak up whatever is thrown at them. So, they no longer find their own puzzles to play. That doesn’t tell me they don’t need those problem-solving skills.

Have you ever been in an environment where a child just can’t do anything for themselves? They need mom or dad to tie their shoes. They need mom or dad to fix their problem with friends. They cannot solve their own problem. This is a big problem and one that parents need to be aware of. Can computer games that encourage problem-solving skills really help? They are not the complete answer, but they can be part of the solution.

What you can do is provide games like puzzles, word, math, and even card games that kids can play on the web or download to their computer. These will help strengthen your skills to solve problems, deal with reactions, and prepare for the unknown. Guess what? It’s also a really fun thing to do with your kids! Make it mean something even more by playing with them!