How simple games — many of them already in your home — can strengthen essential cognitive skills while creating memories that last a lifetime.
The Holidays That Stay in Our Memory Are Made of Simple Moments
Every time school holidays arrive, I think about the opportunity we have to create memories our children will carry with them for the rest of their lives. As a mother and educational psychologist, I have come to realize that children rarely remember the most expensive gifts or the most elaborate trips. What stays with them are the moments lived together — the spontaneous laughter, the close game, the unexpected discovery.
At our house, one of our favorite activities is our afternoon game sessions. Checkers, chess, and card games are part of our holiday routine. Every match brings plenty of laughter, some fierce competition, and — most importantly — many opportunities to learn. Without even realizing it, my children practice patience, learn to take turns, develop strategies, handle the frustration of losing, and celebrate victories with respect.
But our holidays go far beyond board games. Whenever possible, we love being outdoors. We take out the bow and arrow, go on family fishing trips, invent sand sculpture contests, and spend hours simply exploring nature. My daughter, now 14, still loves all of these activities — which confirms something I deeply believe: play has no age limit. What changes is only the form it takes.
One of our most memorable experiences began in a completely spontaneous way. During a walk on the beach, she decided to keep some stones she found along the way. Her interest kept growing. Back home, she began researching each stone, identifying minerals, comparing shapes, and discovering their origins. On one of those adventures, she even found a small fossil.
It all started with a simple walk on the beach. Without worksheets, without pressure, and without any obligation, she developed scientific curiosity, observation skills, investigative thinking, persistence, and autonomy. It was yet another confirmation of something I believe deeply: the best learning happens when children are playing.
School holidays represent exactly this kind of precious time — a period when we can slow down, strengthen family bonds, and offer experiences that nourish child development in a natural way. And the most interesting part is that science confirms what many parents already sense in practice: play and games are powerful allies in the development of what are known as executive functions — a set of skills fundamental to learning, behavior, and life itself.
What Are Executive Functions?
Executive functions can be understood as the brain’s “command center.” They are what allow us to organize thoughts, control impulses, sustain attention, remember important information, solve problems, adapt strategies, and make decisions. These skills begin developing in early childhood and continue maturing well into early adulthood.
The main executive functions include:
- Working memory;
- Inhibitory control (self-control);
- Cognitive flexibility;
- Planning;
- Organization;
- Sustained attention;
- Emotional self-regulation.
When these skills are well stimulated, children tend to show greater autonomy, better academic performance, more ease in resolving conflicts, and greater capacity to face challenges with emotional balance. Research in cognitive neuroscience shows that executive functions are more consistent predictors of academic success than IQ alone.
Why Stimulate These Skills During the Holidays?
During the school year, many cognitive stimuli occur naturally in the classroom. During holidays, however, routines change. It is common for children to spend more time in front of screens and have fewer opportunities to face cognitive challenges. This does not mean turning the holidays into a study period — quite the opposite.
Holidays should remain a time for rest — but rest is not the same as passivity. Playing, exploring, creating, and discovering are all part of healthy development. When a child plays a game, builds something, investigates a question, or develops a strategy, their brain continues learning in a joyful way — without even realizing it is developing with every move.
How Strategy Games Develop Executive Functions
While playing a game, children need to think before acting, predict consequences, analyze possibilities, adapt strategies, control impulses, memorize information, and handle mistakes. All of this strengthens important neural connections for learning. Games also promote social skills such as cooperation, respect for rules, communication, and empathy.
- Attention — games require constant concentration to follow rules, observe the opponent, and make good decisions.
- Memory — many games depend on working memory to recall previous moves, strategies, and key information.
- Impulse control — taking turns, thinking before acting, and accepting losses all help develop self-control and emotional regulation.
- Planning — before each move, children learn to analyze possibilities and anticipate consequences.
- Problem-solving — each match presents different challenges, naturally stimulating creativity and critical thinking.
Simple Games That Make an Enormous Difference
Great news: there is no need to invest in expensive toys. Many of the most effective games are probably already in your home.
Stimulates planning, anticipation, and logical reasoning. Every move influences the entire game — a complete exercise in strategic thinking.
Considered one of the most complete games for cognitive development. There is no need to master all the rules at once — learning can happen gradually and naturally.
Games like Snap, Rummy, Uno, or memory challenges develop attention, planning, and mental flexibility in a fun way for the whole family.
Excellent for developing logical reasoning, memory, and organization. Easy to learn and rich in strategic possibilities for all ages.
Stimulates spatial perception, creativity, and problem-solving. Challenges children to think visually and abstractly using just seven simple shapes.
Strengthen planning, visual perception, attention to detail, and persistence. Can be done alone or together as a family activity.
Child-adapted versions develop mental organization, memory, and logic in a progressive and engaging way — perfect for ages 6 and up.
Teach children to think before acting, strengthening planning, self-control, and persistence when facing challenges.
Outdoor Games Are Strategies Too
Not every strategy happens sitting at a table. Our favorite outdoor activities during the holidays also develop a wide range of cognitive and social-emotional skills.
- Bow and arrow — requires concentration, motor coordination, emotional control, and persistence. Every attempt is a lesson in self-control.
- Fishing — teaches patience, observation, sustained attention, and anxiety management. One of the most complete activities for building self-control naturally.
- Sand sculptures — stimulate creativity, planning, cooperation, and problem-solving. Each sculpture is a project that demands thinking before acting.
- Nature exploration — observing plants, insects, shells, and stones awakens curiosity, scientific investigation, and the ability to ask questions. That is exactly how my daughter’s interest in beach stones began.
These experiences show that the best developmental opportunities often arise spontaneously — and that our role as parents is simply to create the space for that to happen.
The Role of the Family
More important than the game itself is who is playing alongside. When parents join in, children feel that the moment truly matters. They learn by example, ask questions, develop language, and build emotional memories that will stay with them for life.
It may not be the checkers match or the sand sculpture contest that they remember most. It might be the sound of dad laughing after losing a move, mom cheering during a fishing trip, or the pride of showing off a special stone found on the beach. These are the moments that strengthen bonds and build a childhood rich in meaningful experiences.
Less Screen Time, More Real Experiences
Technology is part of our reality and can offer learning opportunities when used in balance. However, no screen replaces hands-on experiences. Handling game pieces, feeling the texture of sand, shooting an arrow, examining a stone, or assembling a puzzle engages the body, the senses, the emotions, and the mind all at once.
It is precisely this integration — between movement, emotion, thought, and relationship — that makes learning so meaningful and lasting. What enters through the body and emotions is remembered in a way that no screen can replicate.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age are strategy games recommended?
Simple games like dominoes and memory can be introduced from age 4. More elaborate games like checkers and chess are generally suitable from ages 6 to 7. The most important thing is to adapt the rules to the child’s level and respect their learning pace.
What if my child has no patience for board games?
Start with faster, more dynamic games like card games or short memory matches. Patience is a skill that develops gradually — and games themselves help with that process. The most important thing is that the experience feels enjoyable and pressure-free.
How much time per day is recommended for strategy games?
There is no fixed ideal time. Sessions of 20 to 40 minutes are already enough to generate cognitive benefits. What matters most is consistency and the quality of the interaction — playing with genuine presence and attention is worth far more than playing out of obligation.
Do digital games offer the same benefits?
Some digital games can stimulate cognitive functions, but physical games have additional advantages: they promote real social interaction, develop motor coordination, teach emotional regulation in a face-to-face context, and create shared emotional memories. The ideal is a healthy balance between both worlds.
How should I handle my child’s frustration when they lose?
Frustration is part of the game — and it is precisely there that one of the most important lessons happens: emotional regulation. Validate the child’s feelings, normalize losing, and celebrate the effort. With time and practice, they will learn to handle defeat with much greater ease and resilience.
Final Thoughts
Holidays do not need to be filled with expensive or elaborate activities. Often, the most meaningful moments come from simplicity: a game of checkers, a card game, a fishing trip, a walk on the beach, or an afternoon building sand sculptures.
While playing, children develop skills that are fundamental to life — attention, memory, planning, self-control, creativity, and problem-solving. More than preparing them for school, these experiences prepare them for life itself.
If there is one investment that is truly worth every minute, it is quality time spent together as a family. After all, the holidays pass quickly — but the memories, the lessons, and the bonds built during those days can stay with our children forever.