Taiko no Tatsujin: Pop, Tap, Beat helps kids practice and improve the following skills:

Focus: Blocking out distractions.

The game screen in Taiko no Tatsujin is very busy and colorful, with characters dancing and moving about and points earned and drumming streaks accumulating on screen as well. If the player loses their focus and finds that they are looking all over the screen, they might miss notes or lose their rhythm all together and need to start the game over. For players who struggle with focus, starting on the easy mode and increasing the transparency of the background can make it easier to focus on the notes until they are more comfortable with focusing on just the notes.  

Working Memory: Recalling and retaining information in our minds while working. 

The player needs to use their working memory skills to remember what portion of the drum they need to tap in order to successfully earn points and keep their drumming streak going. They need to remember this while actively drumming to the beat of the song so there is very little time for processing; the player needs to access the information they need and apply it right away. This gets increasingly hard as you move up through the difficulty levels of the game. For players who struggle with working memory, completing the tutorial and then playing several songs on easy mode can help build up the working memory skills needed to successfully play this game.