Tabletop games (and more recently video games) have a long history of being used for education and development, as well as evaluation and treatment. RPG’s are used to help emotional development and social analysis, abstract and tile-laying games help work with spatial and relational awareness, and cooperative games are great for developing the ability to work in groups.
Most kids games are specifically designed to address one or more of these skills. Even the youngest kids can learn how to take turns or work on their dexterity through games. This history of education-by-doing is highlighted in a new book: Georgian and Victorian Board Games: The Liman Collection. The games themselves are to be donated to the Yale Center for British Art, but have been reproduced in full detail in these fold-out pages. We’re working on getting a copy for the cafe!
