Essential Brain Training Games for Kids
Brain training games for kids can be incredibly beneficial for their developing minds. Incorporating brain games into your parenting toolkit can help enhance your child's learning abilities by improving their attention, memory, processing speed, and problem-solving skills. All of which help children perform better in school and support social-emotional growth.
Adding brain training games for kids into your family routine is easy with SimplyFun's library of educational games that can be played in 30 minutes or less. Plus, our games cover a wide range of academic subjects like math & STEM, reading & language arts, social science & studies, which can help support what your child is already learning in school.
Ready to unlock your child's full potential? Keep reading for our list of essential brain training games for kids!
Memory Games for Toddlers
The first five years of a child's brain development are crucial. In fact, did you know that 90% of a child's brain develops by age five? That is why starting with a baby brain game and working up to cognitive games for kids is essential to early childhood development.
Here are a few memory games for toddlers to help build those early cognitive skills using fun and engaging child memory games!
Memory Games for 3-Year-Olds
These child memory games are perfect for 3-year-olds because they focus on building memory, concentration, taking turns, verbal communication, and following simple directions.
Top Pick for Memory Games for 3-Year-Olds
2-4 players • 20 min • 3 & up
Aargh! is a pirate-themed preschool brain game that helps little ones improve their concentration as they use memory to dig up matching treasures.
More Brain Games for 3-Year-Olds
2-4 players • 10 min • 3 & up
In this preschool social-emotional learning and storytelling game, toddlers take turns spinning the spinner to collect stars and share stories about what makes them feel the emotions found on the faces of the stars.
Tibbar's Little Hands, Big Smiles
1-2 players • 10 min • 3 & up
Toddlers can learn shapes, colors, letters (uppercase and lowercase), and counting with this wooden puzzle set featuring three big puzzles.
1-2 players • 10 min • 3 & up
A charming wooden activity board for toddlers to learn the months of the year, days of the week, the four seasons, and telling time. They'll also love the fun activity disks that will help you and your child discuss the day ahead.
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Memory Games for 4-Year-Olds
By the time your little one reaches four years old, their ability to comprehend simple instructions and retain information is growing stronger. Child memory games at this stage of life should focus on early language development, basic numbers, shapes, colors, and matching. These early cognitive games for kids ages four and up are ideal for early childhood learning.
Top Pick for Memory Games for 4-Year-Olds
2-5 players • 10–15 min • 4 & up
Get your toddler moving as they hop through two games in one. Game one concentrates on building memory and sequencing skills; game two concentrates on building quick visual association skills.
More Brain Games for 4-Year-Olds:
2-4 players • 10 min • 4 & up
Preschoolers explore the ocean floor with their dive team, collecting colorful shells to trade with Shelly, the octopus. A delightfully fun game that teaches 4-year-olds early trading, achieving goals, and collaboration skills.
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Memory Games for Early Elementary Kids (Ages 5-7)
When children enter early elementary school (ages 5-7), they begin to develop longer attention spans and can follow simple instructions, tell stories, and recognize basic patterns. Start them off on the right track with games that help boost sequencing skills, language, and strategy development.
Top Pick for Memory Games for Early Elementary Kids (Ages 5-7)
2-8 players • 10 min • 7 & up
This hilariously fun game gets kids moving while focusing on memory and sequencing. Children use memory skills to repeat the action sequence before performing the action on the card drawn.
More Brain Games for Ages 5-7
2-4 players • 20 min • 6 & up
Help your saber-toothed cat complete a scavenger hunt across the tar pit. Use your memory to avoid the sticky tiles to be the fastest tar tracker and win the game!
2-5 players • 30 min • 6 & up
Building storytelling skills has never been so fun. Tell the story from the beginning during each turn, then add one new sentence to it based on the object shown on the card drawn. A fun memory, sequencing, and storytelling game for kids!
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Memory Games for Mid-Elementary Kids (Ages 8-9)
By the time children reach mid-elementary age (ages 8-9), their critical thinking and strategy skills are stronger than ever! Help challenge the skills they are already learning in school and boost cognitive function with these brain games for kids ages 8-9!
Top Pick for Memory Games for Mid-Elementary Kids (Ages 8-9)
2-5 players • 30 min • 8 & up
Word games are the perfect memory game, and Chalk-A-Word takes it to the next level by incorporating strategy in this fun and interactive spelling game. Players use their letter cards to create new words or add to existing words in play. Spell as many words as possible and earn the most points before the chalkboard gets wiped clean.
More Brain Games for Kids Ages 8-9
2-5 players • 30 min • 8 & up
Players compete as rival diner owners to seat and serve hungry customers. Different food types have longer cooking times, so planning and strategy are everything.
2-4 players • 30 min • 8 & up
Use matching, spatial reasoning, and planning to create multiple matches in this brain-boosting tile game.
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Memory Games for Upper Elementary Kids (Ages 10-12)
Once your child reaches upper elementary, they are more independent and start exploring complex subjects in school. As their academics become more advanced, children of this age risk lagging behind or becoming bored with their school curriculum. To ensure that upper elementary kids become more efficient learners, they can focus on fun brain teaser games that improve memory, planning, strategy, and spatial reasoning skills.
Top Pick for Memory Games for Upper Elementary Kids
2-4 players • 30 min • 10 & up
Players use their memory to gather and collect an amalgam of ingredients to create the most potent potions in this wizard game that help kids build strategy and planning skills.
More Brain Games for Ages 10 and up
2-4 players • 30 min • 10 & up
Players exercise strategy and spatial reasoning to be the best stargazer in the galaxy as they add, remove, and swap star tokens to create stellar patterns.
2-4 players • 15 min • 10 & up
Players race their opponents to find the shape that fits the geometry clue. Everyone must agree the shape is a match or flip the card to check the facts. Shape Whiz is a great way to learn geometry & measurement in a fun and engaging way!
Memory Games for Teens
As children enter their teenage years, it becomes crucial for them to start contemplating their future and work towards developing both hard and soft skills that are in demand by future employers. Our recommended brain games for teens aid in the development of STEM skills like spatial reasoning and soft skills like strategy and planning.
Top Pick for Memory Games for Teens
2-5 players • 40 min • 12 & up
Although not classified as a 'memory game,' Triage tops our list of 'brain games for teens' as players use brain-boosting skills like strategy, decision-making, and predicting to rescue civilians in a disaster zone.
More Brain Games for Teens
2-6 players • 30 min • 12 & up
Players roll the dice to strategically move across the wooden gameboard while also blocking the movements of their opponents. This fun brain game strengthens spatial reasoning and probability skills.
2-4 players • 40 min • 10 & up
Playing Matter helps children develop spatial reasoning skills, situational analysis, risk assessment, and perspective changing. Players compete for score tiles by strategically placing elements and markers. The player who has the highest value element that is adjacent to a score tile will win those points, and the player with the most points at the end wins!
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Why Brain Training Games for Kids Are Essential
While kids are often encouraged to move their bodies and develop their muscles, daily brain training should be equally important. Brain training games for kids also go beyond just being fun and educational. Board games also help children develop healthy relationships with winning and losing. They also help provide children with social-emotional learning and the essential soft skills they will need as they mature and enter the workforce.
Looking for more cognitive games for kids? Check out a few of our most popular blog posts!
This blog was originally published on October 15, 2023. It was updated on July 29, 2024.