Keep Your Mind Sharp With These 4 Strategy Games

When it’s time for school to start again, kids have to swiftly switch gears from fun in the sun to academics. For many young learners, educational opportunities are sparse during the summer months, which can make for a jolting back-to-school transition. Research has shown that the brain is like a muscle, and skipping mental workouts for two to three months at a time means even the smartest kid may struggle to get acclimated once school is back in session. But don’t just take our word for it: Research going back as far as 1906 revealed that students tend to perform significantly worse on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they did before school let out.

With homework being often long and tedious, picking tasks that are both fun but intellectually stimulating can ease the transition back to school. That’s where games that make you think from FreeKI Games come in.

Board Games

Board games have been enjoyed by both children and adults for centuries. As well as being a ton of fun, many of them also make you think. Examples of strategy games include Monopoly, Sorry!, Yahtzee and Mahjong. These games really test your analytical and forward-thinking abilities—one wrong move and your winning play could go up in smoke. For a new twist on the traditional Mahjong, head to freekigames.com and check out Sweety Mahjong. The rules are the same (match tiles to reveal the ones underneath and gain points in the process), but the tile designs are a whole lot tastier!

Physics Games

No child wants to think about physics in the summer, right? You’d be surprised how quickly that changes once pandas are involved. A kid playing the free online game 3 Pandas will be too busy helping the panda family escape from wily Pirates and jump off bouncy caterpillars to realize he or she is applying the principles of physics.

Tower Defense Games

In addition to being one of the most enjoyable thinking games that FreeKI Games has to offer, Grub Guardian was also the very first to establish direct ties to players’ Wizard101 accounts. Players win by placing defense guardians along different courses and successfully protecting their grub from enemies. Strategic thinking is a must, which makes this game a great way for kids to exercise their brains—and train their Wizard101 pets in the process.

Time Management Games

There’s nothing like working at a busy movie theater to keep your brain sharp and focused! Playing as concession stand employees Mary and Jake, kids advance in Cinema Panic by serving hordes of customers as quickly as possible, making sure to prioritize those who are growing impatient or have complex orders.

FreeKI Games presents a win-win situation for children and their parents: Kids have fun playing, while parents can rest assured that their children are learning something along the way.