Benefits of brain teasers for kids of all ages

A brain teaser is a type of puzzle that usually requires unconventional or out of the box thinking to solve. Most of us have done these in childhood. Teachers use them in primary classes where puzzles, join-the-dots, jig-saw, Rubik cubes, introduce an element of fun in the class while sharpening the student’s mind. Brain teasers are also enjoyed by adults, while playing with friends, on family game nights, as office team building or ideating exercise. But did you know that brain teasers offer a lot of benefits? Read on to see how they can help your kids.  

Train us to think fast 
When kids exercise their mind to solve puzzles, it teaches them to think on their feet. Just like exercise builds muscles and strengthens bone, brain teasers build a sharper mind that moves quickly. Look upon it as a gym session for the brain! 

Help build trouble shooting skills  
Attempting a few brain teasers regularly helps in improving problem-solving skills, memory, and ability to learn. Unlike reading and writing, puzzles are a challenge that invites children to think actively about all the ways in which they can solve these.  

Brain teasers can also be relaxing  
Solving a brain teaser is immensely satisfying. When a kid sits down with a puzzle at the end of a tough day at school and solves it, the feeling can be oddly relaxing, though he or she has worked hard at thinking out solutions. Some schools throw in brain exercises unrelated to the syllabus in activity classes. These have the same effect of refreshing the brain.  

Sharpen thinking skills 
All brain teasers, from cute animal puzzles for primary level kids to language or Math twisters for teenagers, to creative thinking challenges for late teens and adults – all of them have one thing in common – they need thinking out of the box. And this builds a different kind of thought process where calming down, going step-wise, being alert and looking at a problem from all angles leads to increasingly better results.  

So, encourage brain teasers when your kids have time. It might be a better idea than an hour on social media.