Connect 4

The take

Quick rounds and clear rules make this a strong first strategy game for early elementary kids. They start by reacting move-to-move, then gradually learn to plan two and three steps ahead. It also gives frequent low-stakes reps for winning and losing gracefully. Caveat: younger players can get frustrated until they understand blocking strategy, so coach lightly at first.

Discovery context

Play best-of-three sets and talk out one decision each round: "I blocked this column because you had three in a row." Keep advice short so kids still own the game.

Why we recommend it

Planning two moves ahead — the core skill here — is concrete prefrontal cortex practice for 6–8 year olds whose executive function is still consolidating. Kids start reactive (block the obvious threat) and gradually shift to proactive (build a fork). That progression is visible and fast: round two usually looks meaningfully different from round one.