Building Up STEAM Board Games
I’m not talking about board games that are hosted on the Steam gaming platform, or the ones that are about trains, or the ones that have rivers and streams in them, oh wait STEAM not stream. We’re talking about tabletop games that enable STEAM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math).
Tabletop games integrating STEM and STEAM education are probably one of the best ways to get kids to enjoy learning. They can be played over and over and over again, and they’re educational! Actually putting knowledge and skills into practice is the best way to learn, and STEAM board games allow for that.
What can kids learn from STEAM Board Games?
We’ve talked before about what children, or anyone actually, can learn from playing tabletop games. We’ve mentioned problem solving, creative and critical thinking, logic, and cooperation. But there’s more! They can also learn reflective thinking, planning, and strategizing. That’s not all! They will develop emotional intelligence by experiencing simulated competition. This in turn will help them figure out how to deal with mistakes, bounce back, and even learn to defer gratification. If you haven’t noticed before, a person’s competitive nature, or even true character, tends to come out while competing. STEAM board games help teach children how to handle positive stress through play at a young age. So more and more people are recognizing them as priceless educational tools.
Wondering how to get started?
There are over 100,000 board games available nowadays, and more are being made each day. So how do you choose? Just pick any 1 and start! You’re bound to learn and develop some important aspect of the skills mentioned above. Also, if you’re looking for some advice, I’ve got at least 3 articles recommending different games.
Other than that, let me mention two of my all time favorite STEAM board games. Also, as far as I know, most tabletop games aren’t made with the purpose of education in mind. They’re mainly made for fun. But isn’t it nice that they end up teaching us stuff? Okay, done with my tangent, now back to two of my most loved games.
Chess
Not the most popular game in this day and age, but one of the best for developing the brain. It’s one of the oldest games ever at over 500 years of age and is probably the best strategy game around. Also, it was created in India, where this writer is from. Chess exercises both sides of the brain and increases IQ. It also teaches focus, concentration, planning, foresight, logical thinking, and so much more. I can’t praise it enough, if you’re interested in playing but don’t have a set, you can play online for free at chess.com.
Settlers of Catan
Not as old as chess, but probably more popular. One of the OG’s of tabletop games, Settlers of Catan is a multiplayer strategy game that definitely qualifies as a STEAM board game. Basically you’re all settlers on an island called Catan and you’re competing to dominate the island. You’ll build cities, settlements, and roads from basic resources like wood, grain, brick, stone, and of course you’ll have some farming to do too. Did I miss anything?
Oh! You’ll learn about resource management because of course you don’t have an unlimited supply of resources. You’ll also pick up on some negotiation skills because the game makes you trade with your fellow players.
Ranked 373 out of over 100,000 games on Board Game Geek, Settlers of Catan will immerse you in fun while enabling you to learn and develop different skills without even realizing it! Isn’t that just the best way to learn?
So yeah, STEAM Board Games can teach children, and adults to be fair, so many different things that it’s sometimes surprising that they’re fun! Also, the skills you or your children are learning aren’t just skills to be used in school or work, they are skills for life. If you’d like more recommendations or would like to consult with us about board game design or STEAM Education, don’t hesitate to contact us.