Bop It games are small, battery-powered games that have several different sound effects. Over the years, more than a few of these games have been developed. They all work on the same basic premise: there are a series of actions that need to be taken, all after being verbally instructed by the computer-generated voice. There are a number of options and levels of play, and the more you play, the faster directives will come and the more difficult the game will become. In the end, the computer voice will reward you and give you your score or make fun of you when you do wrong.
For most Bop It games, there is a middle section which is where the “bop” comes in. Other actions include twisting, pulling, and sliding. There are other game options that may tell a player to pass the toy to another player, such as a modern variety of the old hot potato game. If you don’t pass the toy to another player fast enough or if the other player drops the game before you call and perform the next action, the game will ring and that round will end.
Studies have shown that games improve hand-eye coordination, as well as thinking and reasoning skills and even memory retention. Students who have these skills will have much better grades overall. Hand-eye coordination is also important to help them with athletics at all levels.
Using Bop games as a way to reduce stress during long study sessions not only resets the brain so you can focus on what you’re doing, but can also improve concentration and listening skills. Those benefits also extend to adults, who may find that they are better able to retain knowledge after they have played this or similar games than on days when they did not. Working your brain now can keep it healthier in the future, which can lower your chances of age-related memory decline.
But don’t bother telling your kids about all the healthy benefits of these games, they won’t care. Also, if you tell them that they’re actually good for them, they’ll ditch them or use that information against you every time you tell them they need to ditch them and do their homework. Sure, you don’t want to let the kids sit around for hours playing their Bop It games, but since there are real benefits, you do want to let them do it from time to time.