JEDDAH, 8 January 2008 — Enhancing children’s social, emotional and thinking skills through playing MindLab games was the message that Shamim Bundagji highlighted yesterday at Dar Al-Fikr Schools.
She explained to mothers that at the heart of MindLab, the most productive way of learning is through fun and hands-on experience and that game playing provides the perfect tool. “We all need games to sharpen our minds... I’m so passionate about education because I’ve worked in the field for 24 years. Plato said that not by force shall the youth learn, but through play,” said Bundagji, owner and promoter of MindLab KSA.
The program is designed for children between the ages of 4 and 14 and is suitable for typical children, gifted and talented children, and those with learning and behavioral challenges.
MindLab captures children’s attention and goes through their hearts to their minds. For instance, through Connect Four children learn the “traffic light” principle: “red light” to stop and think about what their opponent is trying to do, “orange light” to gather as much information as they can and look at all their options before choosing the best one and, finally, “green light” to act.
“It helps children understand how to apply winning strategies such as these to games, and most importantly, to life,” said Bundagji.
The schools’ programs director Mariam Sani brought the idea to Dar Al-Fikr Schools. “If our students — boys and girls — can learn by playing, then half of our job is done,” she said.
Sani believes that today’s busy lifestyles had children occupy much of their time online leaving no time to develop key skills through face-to-face interaction with their friends and peers.
She said MindLab engages children with board games, puzzles, social and card games to captivate their attention and systematically help them develop crucial skills including: critical thinking, decision making, problem solving, self discipline, anger management and communication, to name a few. “MindLab brings communication between different schools in Jeddah through competitions held at the end of every year. The winners compete internationally with others through the MindLab Olympics,” said Sani. “The purpose of the MindLab Olympics is not only to finish the year in an exciting way but also to provide students with a chance to put the MindLab etiquette, teamwork and thinking skills into practice.”
Apart from Dar Al-Fikr Schools, the program is currently implemented in Jeddah International School as an after-school activity and in Coral Mall every Thursday morning as a Color Me Mine program.
The MindLab Group was established in 1994 and is the recognized leader in the field of thinking development. More than 1,000,000 students participate in the program, which is so effective that 90 percent of schools participating incorporate it into their core curriculum where it is taught alongside science, math and reading. Further information can be found on www.mindlab-ksa.com
