This month, a quiet interest in the chessboard turned into a shared journey of learning, thinking, and collaboration for children in School age 3. It began when the boys noticed the chess set neatly arranged on a table. At first, they were simply intrigued by the look of the board and the detailed pieces. “What’s this one called?” Jaxson asked, holding up a knight. “Can this one jump over the others?” Chayce added. Kayleb was already trying to set the pieces up in a line, mimicking the pattern he’d seen. Sensing their interest, I sat down with them and introduced the basic pieces and their movements. Each child responded in their own way—Chayce was full of questions, Kayleb wanted to test the moves immediately, and Jaxson listened carefully, soaking in the rules. Over the next few days, the trio returned to the board often. Sometimes they played together; sometimes they just practiced the moves. There were plenty of giggles, occasional disagreements (“You can’t move there!” “Yes I can!”), but also moments of genuine teamwork as they helped each other remember how the pieces moved. One afternoon, Chayce proudly explained to Kayleb, “The queen can move any way, but the bishop goes diagonal!” Kayleb tested the idea and nodded thoughtfully. Meanwhile, Jaxson tried setting up a trap with his knight, and when it worked, he quietly said, “I didn’t think that would actually work.” What was most exciting wasn’t just their growing understanding of the game—it was the way they supported each other, took turns, and respected the structure of the game. Even when someone lost a piece or made a mistake, they were learning to stay calm, think ahead, and try again.
