Traditional "Memory Game"

When kiddo was three, Hubbie and I particpated in an NYU ADHD study allowing us (free!) weekly positive behavior modification training for eight weeks. (Yes, by three, it was clear he was impulsive, lacked focus and hyperactive).

One of the great ideas that came from those sessions was that we COULD play games with Tyler. Until then, we had given up on the usual board games (assuming he would not be able to stay with the games for that long). Our psychologist and trainer brought us a simple memory game and we saw Tyler's memory suddenly sharply focus beyond what we thought possible. Finding the matching pair in a grid of cards was simply magical for Tyler. We were amazed that he caught on right away. He also wanted to play over and over again (beating us both many times).

In addition to focus, the game memory requires impulse control (when you need to let the other person take a turn).

When we found memory games for the iPhone, I knew we hit pay dirt. So simple and even easier than cards. (It wasn't always easy for Tyler to turn the cards and put them precisely back into the grid).

He has enjoyed both of these games and even better, they are free!

1. Toy Story Memory Match

This cute app has both timed and untimed options. Levels of difficulty means a choice of 12 or 20 card lay out. Kids can earn wall papers for winning.

If your child likes Toy Story, all the better but other than using the familiar characters for the pairs, it is still the traditional memory game.

It can be played alone or with another player (remember, impulse control practice occurs when someone else takes a turn)

2. Preschool Memory Match

This app has more range as far as ease and variety. It has traditional child oriented objects for the cards and the objects are grouped in themes (music, transportation...).

It also has has a choice of 12, 20 and 30 cards in the grid and objects. The settings and graphics are very nice for a free app.

You can't go wrong with either of these apps and there's no guilt for this mom, since it is no different from playing with cards at home.

Where's My Water by DIsney

One of my son’s favorite apps (and truth be told, one of my favorites too) starts with a sweet story of Swampy the alligator, who lives below the streets in the sewers.

Swampy needs fresh water to take his bath and though it’s easy to “dig” away the dirt at the beginning of the game, the more difficult levels involve obstacles which means a lot of planning and experimenting.

I’ve learned a lot about working memory from the blog ToysAreTools and I’m pretty certain that I’ve been improving my own working memory when I play (shhh, don’t tell my kiddo).

One of the things that impresses me most about this well executed app is that there are a variety of physics involved. Besides gravity (you can’t get the water to go anywhere but across or down) there is shooting water, levers, and waves.

It’s not easy for my son to plan and less easy for him to focus, but this game has drawn him in and he is willing to do both, just to get that alligator his bath water.

I’d suggest this to anyone with a child who enjoys figuring out how things work (kiddo and i spend a lot of time peering into construction sites). It may be too hard for a child under 4 depending on the child. It doesn’t require tilting or a great deal of manual dexterity but in the harder levels, a few moves need to be executed quickly.



For 99 cents of pure fun, click here to get yours.