Fun Introduction to Chess for Kids

I can’t play chess.  I never really learned how.  Don’t get me wrong, I understand the movements and how the game works – how to win and all that shindig.  But I’ve never actually learned how to play.  So when Baloo (6) wanted to learn to play I said “Sweet, good luck with that”.  Except, I didn’t really mean it because if he wants to learn something, I’m all us figuring it out together.  So I bought a set that would teach us to play.  There are tons of options that all look great, so I’ll link to them here:

Until we receive that, we need to work on the names of the pieces, their movements, and the general technical aspect of the game!  And that’s where this pack comes into play!  It’s a fun and simple introduction to the chess pieces so when you start to actually play, they already know a little bit.

I’m calling this a kindergarten pack but I think it  could be a fine introduction for older kids as well!  It’s just meant to be very simple.

There are more pages than listed here, but this is my favorite one.  There is a separate page for each pieces and it details how they can move.  All with a handy little grid!!  I love the visual of how they can move since “vertically” and “horizontally” don’t always illustrate movement well for children!

Another page works on the names of the pieces.  It’s hard to see here but there is a cut out with the names and you match it to the pieces.  I find that knowing the correct names helps when learning to play.  Otherwise you’ll find yourself saying “the horse thing” and “the castle tower thingie” over and over again.

And I promise you, if your child turns up to a chess tournament talking about the “castle tower thingie”, not many people will be impressed.  (This totally didn’t happen to me as a teen when I knew very little about chess…nope).

Download the pack for Chess here!