Splashy Dots helps kids practice and improve the following skills:

Planning

Developing a systematic approach for setting and achieving goals.

Splashy Dots provides an excellent opportunity to practice the cognitive skill of problem solving. The game is simple to use and deceptively easy. When a game board first opens up, the player will see many different ways to connect the dots. The trick to being successful, however, is to examine the board from the point of view of the one constant: how to connect the dots while following the rules of the game. To solve the problem presented by each board, the player must connect the dots (without going diagonally), starting at the black dot, and ending at the open circle. To be successful, the player must solve the problem for each level's set of unique dots. Planning multiple steps ahead (like in chess) is necessary in order to solve the puzzle quickly and move on to the next level. Without exercising the planning skill, the player can get stuck on a level and be unable to advance.

Self-Control

Managing our actions, feelings, and behaviors.

Impulse control is another skill kids will need to employ to be successful at Splashy Dots. The player cannot just move the black dot in whatever direction they want. They must control that impulse and take a moment to use their planning skills in order to find the correct path from black dot to open circle. If they don't, they will be unable to solve the puzzle and may use up all their hints on easy levels, rather than saving them for harder levels down the road.