The Mind Olympics is an educational event that brings together children from all over the world in a fantastic championship of thinking games, which is both tremendously exciting and enjoyable. The Olympic event begins with Mind Lab learning groups in schools and extracurricular activities, continues through regional and national playoffs, and finally culminates in the international
championships.
During the various stages of the Olympics, the competitions involve hundreds of thousands of children. Young contenders from all five Mind Lab Olympic continents vie for the honor of representing their countries in an international competition for the world title, bringing the best players together around the games table.
The Olympic Games
The competitive encounter calls for teamwork, resolute determination, and self discipline along with cognitive, social and emotional skills learnt throughout the year in the framework of the Mind Lab program. The championship teams compete in the following four Olympic games: Abalone, Checkers, Quoridor, and Octi.
Abalone – An exciting strategy game requiring in-depth understanding of harmonious structures, unyielding patience, and adaptability.
Checkers – A classic game combining strategy and tactics that requires long-term planning abilities and strong short-term calculation skills.
Quoridor – An original game demanding powers of concentration and analysis, as well as mental resilience and decision-making in conditions of uncertainty.
Octi – A modern game requiring a command of limited resources, planning ability, and a grasp of working with given constraints.
Values and Goals
1. To teach mutual respect, tolerance, honesty and fair play in games and in real life.
2. To unite children from diverse backgrounds in pursuit of a common, shared goal.
3. To put into practice the Mind Lab thinking strategies as well as social and emotional skills.
4. To promote the culture of thinking and game-playing on a global scale.
The Mind Olympics is a wonderful conclusion to an intellectual and emotional journey for all the participants, as well as a formative experience which will have a lifelong impact. One has only to see the mutual respect, extraordinary concentration and patience the young players display to know that this amazing event is fundamental to our aim of giving the next generation the skills they need to create a better and more positive world.