The Bop It games are small, battery-operated 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 number of actions that need to be taken, all after they are verbally prompted by the computer-generated voice. There are a number of options and levels of play, and the more you play, the faster the directives arrive and the more difficult the game becomes. In the end, the computer voice will reward you and give you your score or make fun of you when you get it wrong.
For most Bop It games, there is a center section which is where the “bop” comes in. Other actions include spinning, pulling, and sliding. There are other game options that could instruct 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 quickly enough or if the other player leaves the game before the next action is called and taken, 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 get 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 that you can really focus on what you are doing, it can also improve concentration and listening skills. Those benefits extend to adults as well, who may find that they are better able to retain knowledge after they’ve played this or similar games than they were on the days when they didn’t. Working your brain now can keep you healthier in the future, which can reduce 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 mind. Also, if you tell them that they are really good for them, they will abandon them or use that information against you every time you tell them to leave them and do their homework. Sure, you don’t want to let kids sit for hours playing their Bop It games, but since there are real benefits, you should allow them to do so from time to time.