Engaging children in games and activities where they get to improve their memory skills and concentration is a wonderful and positive action towards their future. These games are full of fun and perfect not only for the children, but for adults as well. They can be a perfect recreation activity that has a little bit of educational undertone. You can use playing cards, puzzles, or toys for playing such games. Fun Games for Children Some of the most common games include memory test, concentration, Chinese whispers, word associations, mismatches, and communication; and that's what we will do here today. For the purpose of this article, we have compiled some interesting and thought-provoking games for everyone to take part in. Concentrate, Like There's No Tomorrow You can play the concentration game using a deck of 52 playing cards. Match up the pairs by memorizing the location of each card. Let's Test Your Memory The memory test can be played with a single child or a group of kids using a pen and a paper. Arrange a tray with a selection of 5 - 20 common objects, such as pencil, key, spoon, button, coin, etc. Cover this tray with a cloth before you bring it in the room. Let the kids have a view of the objects for 1 - 2 minutes and then cover it again. Ask the children to write down the list of objects that they have seen. A child writing the longest list from his/her memory is declared winner of the game. When you are playing individually, you can change the game by removing one object and asking the child to identify which object is removed. Chinese Whispers The kids are asked to sit in a line or a circle so that they can whisper a word or phrase to the person sitting next to them. The first player is given a short phrase that he/she whispers to the neighbor in a low voice. The neighbor then passes the message through the whispers. The game continues until the message is announced by the last player. The message received by the final player is often quite different from the original message. This game has no objective and no winner. It offers a good exercise to judge the memory, listening capacity, and power of gossip. Exchange of Associated Words Word association is somewhat similar to Chinese Whispers, but spoken aloud. The children are asked to sit in a circle. The first child starts by saying any sentence in the story. The next child repeats the sentence and adds some information to that sentence. In this way, the kids continue to remember the previous sentences and build up a story with their additions. This game can be altered by working through the matching items or alphabets to the first letter to each child's name. This game not only improves the memory, but also encourages the child to be creative in story-telling. Mismatched Objects Divide a small group of kids into two teams. One team goes out of room, while the other team does the mismatching by changing the objects in that room. After 3 minutes, the first team is allowed to enter the room. They are given one minute to spot the mismatches. The points are given on the basis of identification of mismatches. The team having the highest score is declared the winner. Communication is Key You can choose to play this game indoors or outdoors. It tests their listening and communicating skills. The children are given a plastic container, filled with exactly the same Lego blocks. They are allowed to sit back-to-back; one is named a caller and the other is a listener. The caller explains the listener about how to put together the pieces. The listener makes sure about what he/she has understood. Once all the pieces have been used, the caller and the listener compare the structures to confirm about their communication. This game can also be played with felt and felt board, or paper and pen. Memory games offer an opportunity to exercise their brains and help to improve their memory as well as their language and concentration skills.