Everybody eventually reaches the age when their memory — what’s the word? oh, right — slips. You go from knowing it all to asking what movie you saw whats-his-face in most recently.
Brainwaves, from Thames and Kosmos, helps build up the memory of kids ages 8 and up. It comes in three different versions: the Astute Goose, the Brilliant Boar, and the Wise Whale. Each game works in a different way to improve logical thinking, permanent memory storage, and information processing.
The artistic card games each have a playtime of about 15 minutes and require one to five players. The game helps engage kids’ motor skills, as well as their social interaction and emotional intelligence by matching or finding cards — solo or as a team.
All three versions offer different levels depending on the ability of its players. Kids can also choose the regular game (a solo mission) if they want to test their memory skills on their own, or they can collaborate to win.
The Astute Goose requires remembering what criminals were wearing, while the Wise Whale and the Brilliant Boar are more of matching games. In the Brilliant Boar, players must match the cards in their hands with what is pulled from the deck — without looking at them. The Wise Whale is challenging in a different way: Kids may need to match the creature or the color.
Notepads are included so kids can keep track of scores, and parents can encourage kids to keep the papers when they’re done playing to see how they measure up next time.
A section of the rulebook is dedicated to explaining the science behind the games. Be sure to read the rules to each game to tailor the game to your family.
The games offer a unique way to improve a kid’s memory decades before it begins to fade. For parents, it may even help to give a new chance to remember whats-his-face’s name.
