Start with the skills you want to practice
When you pick a game with a purpose, playtime becomes an easy way to support development—without feeling like “work.” At The Playful Otter, we review games through an occupational therapy lens to help parents, teachers, and OTs quickly spot what a game is really practicing.Our quick game-picking checklist
- Age + attention span: Can your child stay with the game long enough to enjoy it?
- Motor demands: Does it require pinch/grasp, two hands together, or bigger body movement?
- Thinking demands: Is it memory, planning, problem-solving, or flexible thinking?
- Social fit: Cooperative vs. competitive—what will help your group have the best time?
- Frustration level: Is there a way to simplify rules or shorten rounds if needed?
Common skills games can build
Great games create repeated, meaningful practice—turn after turn.
- Fine motor: picking up cards, turning small pieces, using dice
- Visual perception: matching, scanning, figure-ground, spatial relationships
- Executive function: planning, working memory, inhibition, shifting strategies
- Social-emotional: turn-taking, coping with losing, teamwork, perspective-taking
- Language: describing, asking questions, following multi-step directions
Easy ways to adapt a game for success
If a game is almost right, small tweaks can make it a great fit:- Play open-hand (cards face up) to reduce memory load.
- Use fewer cards/pieces or a shorter path to finish faster.
- Try co-op rules (everyone vs. the timer) for kids who struggle with competition.
- Offer choice (“Do you want to roll or move the piece?”) to keep engagement high.