“Number Hive, It’s like chess, but with numbers!” We hear this time and time again from teachers and parents alike.
The benefits of playing chess have really opened the collective eyes of the world recently and it begs the question, does Number Hive do the same thing?
Just as chess offers an abundance of advantages, Number Hive, an engaging learning game, provides students with an array of benefits beyond conventional education. We’ve compiled 12 reasons, like the classic game, Number Hive should be an essential part of everyone’s learning journey.
12 ways Number Hive is like Chess
It’s deeply engaging and fun:
It’s deeply engaging and fun: Number Hive makes learning enjoyable, transforming arithmetic into a thrilling adventure similar to the excitement of chess.
It cultivates critical thinking:
Number Hive also encourages critical thinking, enhancing problem-solving skills, and providing a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.
It’s a low Floor, high ceiling game:
Number Hive caters to learners of all levels, making it accessible for beginners while challenging advanced students, just as chess adapts to players’ skills.
It encourages autonomy:
Number Hive, empowers students to drive their own learning journey, fostering independence and a sense of responsibility.
It builds strong connections in mathematics:
Instead of rote memorisation, Number Hive focuses on understanding the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind mathematical concepts, just as chess engages players in understanding the intricacies of each move.
It drives social interaction:
Number Hive also requires students to engage with others. It promotes communication, interaction, and the development of essential social skills.
Number Hive enhances memory:
Number Hive challenge memory capacity. By strategizing and remembering moves, both games enhance memory skills. Players also need to analyse the board to look for clusters with common factors etc. Making it the perfect brain training exercise.
It promotes concentration:
It promotes concentration: Number Hive require intense concentration. This skill is essential for both the longevity of chess matches and the need to focus during Number Hive gameplay.
Number Hive teaches independence:
Just as chess promotes independence, Number Hive encourages students to become self-reliant learners.
It helps the growth of the brain:
Games that challenge the mind, actually stimulate the growth of dendrites (the organisms that send signals from the brain cells called neurons). As more dendrites are formed, neural communication within the brain becomes faster.
Number Hive finds the common ground between the “creative subjects” and the “STEM subjects”:
It activates both sides of the brain! A German study asked chess players to identify chess positions and geometric shapes and it showed that both the left and right hemisphere of the brain became active during the process. Number Hive works in a very similar way. We look forward to having studies to back this up formally!
It promotes a healthy brain at any age:
Just like keeping your body fit, your brain needs a workout too. It’s like a muscle, and regular training keeps it in top shape. A recent study even found that folks over 75 who engage in brain-stimulating activities have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s. The old saying “use it or lose it” really holds true here. People who make games like chess a habit tend to have fewer memory issues as they age.
Incorporating Number Hive into the educational toolkit, students home learning, or even just playing for fun, mirrors the many advantages that come from learning and playing chess. It’s not just a game; it’s a journey of learning and personal growth