HABA is best known for its games for younger gamers, and those can start as young as 2 years old. How do you pick the right game that will work for the toddler you have in mind? It really depends on the little gamer and what skills you’re hoping to build with them. Hopefully this guide will help you pick the right titles for you and your growing gaming buddy.
This guide is organized to give you a quick understanding of
what skills each game helps develop in children aged 2-4 years old. All of
these games will encourage a child to learn and practice taking turns, playing
a game by the rules, and using fine motor skills. But some games are better for
certain skills than others, and that’s what this guide is wishing to highlight.
You can find more information about each game over in the
Games Section on HABAusa.com!
Helpful Terms:
Co-operative Game – The game is played together, where everyone will play together on the same team, as it were, and win or lose together. These games are particularly great for teaching children about winning and losing, and how to behave in either outcome.
Competitive Game – The game is played with each player on their own “team,” with usually only one player being declared the winner. These games are best for children that already understand the concept of winning and losing, and are great for teaching about friendly competition.
Finer Motor Skills – The game features elements that encourage more specific physical movements or placements, beyond picking things up. This might take the form of putting things in a specific slot, using a cardboard spoon, or driving a toy vehicle around.
Die Rolling Skills – The game features a die that players will roll on their turn, and act upon the outcome of the die roll. Rolling dice is an important skill for helping develop fine motor skills and muscle control when tossing or rolling objects. It also helps prepare them for future games that use dice.
Colors, Shapes and Image Matching, and Memory development are other skills that are worked on in certain games, so those skills are also highlighted in the image below.
Next Steps
If your gaming buddy is ready for something a little more involved, or something for a little older gamers, check out these great HABA titles that are perfect for pre-school aged gamers.
Little Bird Big Hunger (Competitive game that encourages paying attention to everyone’s turn.)
Unicorn Glitterluck Cloud Crystals or Dragon Rapid Fire (Roll and move games with shiny crystals that encourage counting and an understanding of quantities.)
Barnyard Bunch (Cooperative game that is about working together to keep all the animals home.)
Color It! (A competitive coloring game that is great at encouraging further development of the finer motor skills needed for writing.)
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