Ask HN: Fun mind challenging games for kids under 8

#1

Post by boringg » Sun, Oct 29, 2023, 2:51 PM UTC

I've had a lot of success with games like mastermind, stratego, uno, labyrinth and figure there's a lot of other ones out there but its overwhelming! Video games are coming up soon - but trying to build a base of content beforehand!

Re: Ask HN: Fun mind challenging games for kids under 8

#2

Post by MilnerRoute » Sun, Oct 29, 2023, 4:49 PM UTC

They'd probably really enjoy Wordle (and all the variations, like the math-oriented Nerdle.)

I've always wondered if two people could play a kind of "Hangman", but with five-letter Wordle words. (Kind of like the paper-and-pencil version of Mastermind, but with letters...)

Re: Ask HN: Fun mind challenging games for kids under 8

#3

Post by helph67 » Sun, Oct 29, 2023, 8:45 PM UTC

Spoonbill software has a selection of freeware games which may be suitable. http://www.spoonbillsoftware.com.au/sightedgamers.htm

Re: Ask HN: Fun mind challenging games for kids under 8

#4

Post by ksaj » Sun, Oct 29, 2023, 11:29 PM UTC

A game that I've seen referred to as 321 Word (or nowadays, Say The Same Thing) was certainly entertaining on car rides in my youth.

Here's a video of people playing it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htdtUDepcok

The objective is that you both say a random word. Then both those words together make you think of a different word, and you keep going until you finally both come up with the same word. It goes on really wild tangents, so how you start has nothing to do with how it ends.

Re: Ask HN: Fun mind challenging games for kids under 8

#5

Post by b9r5 » Mon, Oct 30, 2023, 2:46 AM UTC

I think Laser Maze is a lot of fun.

https://www.thinkfun.com/products/laser-maze/

Re: Ask HN: Fun mind challenging games for kids under 8

#6

Post by dyingkneepad » Mon, Oct 30, 2023, 3:36 PM UTC

Learn how to do simple magic tricks and have them figure it out.

Uno works well for us.

Random board games from the public library. Some work, some not, but we don't spend money to figure it out.

8 year-old can already play games like Pokémon Trading Card Game. While that's absolutely a money sink, it encourages them to read and do simple math.