Fast Games That Improve Processing Speed

Processing speed is a gateway skill in your brain: every single thing we do goes through it. For many kids and adults, however, slow processing speed is a major cause of stress, learning struggles, and overwhelm in a variety of situations. Before we get to some fun (and fast) games that will get you thinking fast, here are some of the signs of slow processing speed:

• Frequently missing key details in reading, conversations, lectures, or other contexts
• Taking longer than peers to complete tasks
• Slow-moving when it comes to working independently (or even things like getting dressed and out the door in the morning)
• Struggling to keep up with verbal and non-verbal cues in conversations, or having trouble engaging when there are multiple people talking
• Poor reading comprehension
• Slow reaction times, shyness, or needing time to process before they give an answer.

Read more: How Slow Processing Speed Impacts Learning >>

While games alone are not enough to fully close the gap for most individuals, they are a great tool to get your brain thinking faster!

Here Are a Few Great Games to Improve Processing Speed

Note: if you or your child struggles with slow processing speed, many of these games may not feel “fun” at first. We are all inclined to avoid the things that are hard for us, so playing games that are aligned with skill weaknesses may be a challenge at the beginning. Keep at it – with time and practice, their confidence should increase and they’ll become more enjoyable!

Bananagrams

Think a speedy version of Scrabble here! Bananagrams is a great game for players to not only have to think fast but also practice spelling, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills.

Blink

This is a super fast-paced game that will get your brain moving quickly while matching colors, numbers, or shapes on cards in your hands.

Bop-It

This hands-on classic is a great one to get your brain progressively thinking faster and your body moving!

Dutch Blitz

There’s a lot to take in quickly in this game! Players have to keep an eye on their hands, stacks of cards in the middle of the table, and the people around them.

Pit

This one is fast (and loud!) Players compete to be the first to get a full suit of cards in their hands by trading with others… the catch is, you don’t know what you’re getting!

Simon

This is a great one-player game to build working memory as well as processing speed as you remember the patterns the game prompts you with!

Spot It

There are several different ways to play this fast-paced matching game! Players race to find an object that matches on their card with a central card, so it’s a great way to get your brain thinking faster as well as building visual processing skills.

Sushi Go

This fast-paced card game is easy to learn and play anywhere! Pass or keep cards to get the best sushi combo as quickly as you can.

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

This is a favorite for many ages, and it’s also a perfect tool to practice skills like processing speed and working memory!

Cognitive Skills Game Pack

Check out this FREE download for more games to practice skills like attention, processing speed, logic, and more with materials you probably already have at home!