Much has been said and written about the benefits of strategy games. The first thing that is totally clear is that children enjoy them! They like the fact that they are in charge of their own destiny and not subject to the luck of the roll of dice or the dealing of cards. The complete opposite would be true of say, Bingo!

 

What of the benefits? Strategy games encourage planning, decision making, calculation, use of logic and forward thinking amongst other skills. Children who enjoy strategy games tend to be successful at mathematics and the sciences.

We are not asserting that playing strategy games will improve IQ or any other measure of mental strength but any use of thinking skills for children (or adults) must be a good thing.