Why do educators use educational games with young children?

Educators utilize educational games in preschool settings primarily because they serve as an effective teaching device to stimulate a child's interest in learning. By incorporating these games, teachers can provide targeted training in essential areas, such as elementary language skills, which helps improve both comprehension and speech.1

Beyond specific skill acquisition, the use of play is rooted in the understanding that children construct and test their knowledge of the world through multisensory experiences. This approach is supported by the developmental psychology of Jean Piaget, which emphasizes that environmental opportunities to engage with the world are critical to a child's growth. Furthermore, progressive educators like Caroline Pratt and John Dewey championed play as a means for children to practice problem-solving, develop social relationships, and even explore democratic citizenship within a classroom community.21