Training planning skills with quick games
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by not knowing how to organize yourself?
Sometimes we have so many things to do that we don’t know where to start. Without planning, tasks can pile up and cause stress. But what if you trained your planning ability in a fun way? There are quick games that can improve this skill without you even realizing it.
Planning: the brain’s strategy board
Imagine your brain is a chessboard. Every move you make must be thought through in advance, taking into account the opponent’s possible plays. If you get ahead and plan well, you increase your chances of success. Planning helps you allocate time and organize the steps needed to reach a goal.
Quick games to train planning
Playing activates the prefrontal cortex and improves the ability to organize ideas. Here are some 2-3 minute games that can help you:
1. Tower of Hanoi (board game or app)
- Disks must be moved from one rod to another, following specific rules.
- To solve it, you have to plan each move in advance.
- Improves mental organization and problem-solving.
2. The word maze (no materials needed)
- A starting word and an ending word are given. Players must find intermediate words that connect them logically.
- Requires thinking in sequences and planning intermediate steps.
3. Dobble (fast board game)
- You must find the matching symbol between two cards as fast as possible.
- Trains mental speed and the ability to prioritize visual information.
4. The master plan (no materials needed)
- One player proposes a simple goal (for example, “organize a surprise party”).
- The others must write down, in logical order, the steps needed to achieve it.
- Helps develop strategic thinking and organization.
Why do these games work?
These games force the mind to structure information, prioritize tasks, and anticipate solutions, training planning in a dynamic and fun way. In addition, they can be played at any time, such as active breaks between classes.
Conclusion: Play to plan better.
Planning doesn’t mean doing everything perfectly, but rather organizing yourself to reduce stress and improve performance. Incorporating games into your routine can help you improve this skill in a practical and effortless way.
Which game could you try today to train your planning?
Sources
- Diamond, A. (2013). Executive Functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135-168.
- Miyake, A., & Friedman, N. P. (2012). The Nature and Organization of Individual Differences in Executive Functions. Psychological Review, 129(1), 49-74.
- Dawson, P., & Guare, R. (2018). Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary Executive Skills Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential.