4 Simple Activities That Improve Your Child’s Spatial Intelligence
From the archive. This post was first published on the original Green Eggs and Moms blog and is kept here as it was.
Did you know the spatial intelligence is a great indicator of a child’s success in the following areas: science, technology, engineering and mathematics?
This is what Gwen Dewar, Ph.D. from ParentingScience.com says. As parents, our objective is to provide all the tools necessary for our kids to succeed in life. So, if you want to improve your child’s spatial intelligence, these fun activities can help.
But hold on a minute…
What is Spatial Intelligence?
According to Wikipedia, spatial intelligence is “the ability to mentally manipulate 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional figures” or simply, shapes.
Professionals who require great spatial skills are: surgeons, engineers, designers, architects and sculptors. Others who use this too are chess masters and hikers (when they try to visualize their location).
So, what can you do to increase your child’s spatial skills without boring them to death? Read below.
Fun activities that improve spatial intelligence.
1. Jigsaw Puzzles
KidiMedia.com.If you own an iPad, KidiMedia has the perfect app for your budding architect. It has jigsaw puzzles, as well as other games that can improve your child’s spatial skills. It only costs $1.99 and already comes with 400 different games. Quite a bargain, ey?
3D Puzzles. If you prefer your kid to hold actual puzzle pieces, this is perfect. The fact that it’s 3D makes it a whole lot cooler, wouldn’t you agree? You can purchase both Robotime Large T-Rex and the Giant Pirate Ship from Amazon.com. Another bonus? Jigsaw puzzles improve hand-eye coordination as well.
2. Tetris
This old game provides more than just fun. There’s an iPad app called Tetris which costs about $7.99. If that’s a little too much for you, opt for the free online game at http://www.freetetris.org/game.php.
3. Maps
Maps are a great way to improve spatial skills. Of course, don’t just hand your child a city map and expect him to enjoy. You can play a hidden treasure game by making a simple map of your home and marking the spot where a special toy is waiting to be found.
Remember to make the map simple for younger kids and more detailed for older ones. To create a pirate-themed map, you can go to http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/pirates/mmap.html.
4. Photography
Angles, shapes and sizes are all ingredients of a photograph, making it an excellent activity that improves spatial skills. If you want to go a step further, enroll your child in a photography class over the summer.
You may also read 13 Lessons to Teach Your Child About Digital Photography from http://www.digital-photography-school.com.
Who says learning has to be boring? These 4 activities are fun and easy ways to increase your child’s spatial intelligence. Enjoy! Source:ParentingScience.com, Improving spatial skills in children and teens: Evidence-based activities and tips
Photos (all from Creative Commons):
Shapes – garryknight
Tetris – totalaldo
Map – ralphhogaboom
Camera – BigTallGuy