• Educational games for girls assist in motor and mental development.little girls image by Lisa Eastman from Fotolia.com
  
  Gearing games towards girls is a great way to get them involved and excited about learning. You can put a girly spin on almost any learning game. Think pink, ponies and princesses, and you have yourself a theme. The key is to engage the child, which will encourage growth and knowledge. Think of treats and prizes that she will enjoy, and reward her when she does well.
  
  

Princess Simon Says

• For little ones, learning how to follow directions is a necessary life skill. What better way to do this than a game of Simon Says? Instead of using Simon, though, use Princess. The girl giving the directions will adorn a tiara and instruct her peers by saying "Princess Says." As the game goes along, those who do things when the princess doesn't say so must sit down in their space and wait. The winner then becomes the princess. The girls will love the tiara, and it puts a spin on the game that focuses on them.
  
  

Math Games

• To help develop math skills, play the beauty shop game. Head over to the local dollar store to pick up items such as nail polishes, filing boards, hair accessories and lip glosses. Assign each item a price--to keep it simple, make the prices in amounts of dollars and quarters. Make up some fake money (pink construction paper is perfect) along with plastic coins. Have one girl be the shopkeeper and one a shopper. Have the shopper go through the "store" and pick out three items. When she checks out, the shopkeeper will figure out the total and collect the money. The shopper then becomes the keeper, and a new shopper checks in. Continue this until each girl gets a chance to play both roles.
  
  

Paper Doll Clothes

• Paper dolls can be a great learning tool, not only to learn about different types of clothing but also to learn the color wheel. Get a pack of multicolored construction paper, some safety scissors and some crayons or markers. Cut a doll for each girl out of thick cardstock or cardboard, allowing them to design their own specifics such as hair and faces. Draw a handful of skirts, shirts, pants and dresses on to the colored construction paper, and hand them to each girl. Once the child has her "clothes," have one girl pick a color. Once she picks her color, each child will cut out one of the clothing items on that colored paper and place it on the doll. This will continue until each girl has had her turn choosing a color. You can also mix things up by giving each girl two colors and having them make an outfit out of the colors you gave them. Allow them to draw designs on the clothing with the crayons or markers as well.