At Logos Nursery School we have a large number of extracurricular activities for the little ones of the house. In this sense, one of these activities is chess for children, which has many benefits for them. And, besides being really entertaining, chess improves intellectual development, social skills and emotional state of children.
As we have mentioned, the earlier a child learns to play chess, the more and better skills he/she will develop. That is why, if you are looking for the ideal after-school activity for them, you may want to learn more about its advantages and how to teach chess to children.
Advantages of chess for children
At Logos Nursery School, a nursery school located in Las Rozas de Madrid, we believe that extracurricular activities are the perfect plus for the education of our students. This is the case of chess, an activity with which the kids not only have fun and are entertained, but also acquire multiple benefits:
Strengthens logical thinking
Students who play chess have to constantly put their logical thinking to the test. They must learn new techniques, strategies and tactics relevant to the game which, in turn, also provide them with skills for school subjects such as mathematics, language or social studies.
Stimulates attention
Generally, playing chess improves concentration and attention span, especially in the case of children. In fact, children who play chess will be more likely to remember and store more information in the future.
Improves social behavior
Chess is one of the children's favorite games, so students never have a hard time interacting and making friends while playing chess. Students who play chess get to know and communicate with other children who also play chess.
Encourages commitment
Winning a game of chess can be a challenge for children, so it is common for their level of effort and commitment to increase. The desire to learn continuously is characteristic of those students who love this discipline.
How to teach them to play
As you have seen, chess in children brings great benefits for their education and mental and emotional development. It is also true that if you are thinking about teaching a child to play chess, you may not know where to start. Therefore, in Logos Nursery School we give you the keys:
Remember, children learn by example
The game of chess can be quite complex, even for some adults. That is why trying to teach your child a master class on technique and rules is the least indicated.
Instead, the example is your best option, so if the child sees that chess is played in his environment, his instinct to learn and his curiosity will be activated instantly.
Teach them that winning should not always be their goal.
Keep in mind that associating victory with learning can generate certain frustrations in children. Children should learn by playing, so the most important thing during these activities is that they have fun in order to progress.
At Logos Nursery School, our motto "you learn by playing and you play by learning" is the methodology we use in every chess session.
Use your imagination
As we have mentioned, chess can be a complicated game even for adults. So, in the case of children, an ideal way to teach the rules of the game is through the use of imagination.
For example, you can invite your child to think of the board as the scene of a battle between two kingdoms. The pieces will have to support each other to defeat the other side. There will be kings, queens and horses... Your child's imagination will run wild!
