Gifted children are naturally curious and ready to take on challenging tasks. Since their minds need more stimulation, gifted children become bored easily. Parents of gifted children can struggle with finding creative activities to keep their curious minds entertained.
But there are ways to keep your gifted child entertained! Explore some games that will keep even the most intelligent young minds preoccupied.
Invention Boxes
Gifted kids excel in activities that encourage them to explore their creativity. Create an “invention box” for them and see what they create. Fill an empty box with assorted supplies:
- Yarn
- Googly eyes
- Beads
- Pipe cleaners
- Stickers
- Popsicle sticks
- Construction paper
- Non-toxic paint
You can give them a suggestion or prompt to get their minds moving or allow them to explore on their own to make a creation.
Tangram Puzzles
A tangram puzzle is a set of geometric tiles made from only seven triangles. The kids turn the tiles to create pictures of animals, people, and unusual shapes. While these are a staple in many teachers’ classrooms and used in gifted child assessments, kids can play with them at home to keep their active minds occupied.
Strategy Board Games
Some board games are more complicated than others. Most are great for children of all skill levels, but gifted children can benefit from heavily strategic board games. But what are strategy board games? There are a few you might recognize and some you might not:
- Blokus
- Chess
- Quarto
- Abalone
- Mancala
- Othello
Culture Field Trips
Expose your gifted child to the many different aspects of our culture! Visit museums and aquariums to learn more about art, history, and science. Buy tickets to theater performances and concerts and discover what music or plays interest them. Taking them to see different art forms will expand their horizons!
Learn Languages
The younger we are when we learn a new language, the easier it is for our brains to absorb the information. Learning the basics of a foreign language can keep your gifted child occupied. Apps like Duolingo are gamified to make it seem like a fun game as opposed to learning.
Depending on your child’s interest, they might naturally gravitate to one or two of these five ways to keep your gifted child entertained. Introducing them to something today could evolve into an interest that lasts their entire lifetime!
