Some might think Chess is just a game, but it's not! It can be a brain exercise, a lesson in patience, or even their first taste of real strategy. Every move matters, and every decision has a consequence. But the beauty of chess is that it’s not just about winning… It's about thinking, learning, and growing.
At Story Time Chess, we work hard to take the game beyond the board. Instead of dry, complicated rules, kids meet characters with big personalities, each teaching them something new. Through storytelling, they don’t just memorize moves, they UNDERSTAND them. Here’s some of the benefits of this awesome game.
It’s no surprise that chess boosts skills like memory, focus, and problem-solving—all things that help kids in the classroom. In fact, studies show that kids who play chess score higher on math and reading tests than those who don’t. It makes sense: chess teaches patterns, logic, and patience—just like a good math problem. The University of Memphis found that students who learned to play chess saw their problem solving skills increase by 50%!
Take King Chomper, for example. Our stories explain King Chomper moves one slow step at a time, and of course our hungry King gobbles up pizza slices as he takes those steps. Kids have a blast hearing and experiencing the story, but they are not just listening, we are training their brains to do all sorts of stuff. Like recognizing patterns, thinking ahead, and enforcing key math and reading skills, just to name a few!
You might not think of chess as a way to help kids with language, but it actually strengthens their ability to plan, explain, and think things through before they speak.
That’s where Queen Bella comes in. She moves swiftly across the board, making friends and solving problems along the way. Her story encourages kids to be bold and articulate—whether that’s explaining their next chess move or telling a story of their own.
Losing is tough. But learning to lose gracefully is an incredibly valuable life skill. Chess has this special way of explaining how “bad moves” are not a mistake, but an opportunity to improve. Not a failure, but an opportunity. In Chess, one bad move does NOT mean the game is over. It just means it's time to rethink and readjust! And even if you “lose”, you gain so much from playing through the game.
Take Bea and Bop, the cheerful Bishops. They love their diagonal moves, but they also have to be careful—they can’t always go where they want. Their story helps kids see that frustration is part of learning, and setbacks aren’t the end of the road.
Chess is all about choices. What happens if I move my knight here? Will the person I’m playing against see what my plan is? Through this very simple chess concept, kids start to learn to think ahead, first one move, then two, then even more! This is an essential skill outside the game, teaching you how to weigh the risks and rewards of what is laid out in front of you. This helps from school, to social situations, and even helps with all those big job opportunities that will come their way someday!
Enter Clip and Clop, the Dancing Knights. The Knights are such a unique chess piece, because they move unlike every other piece on the board! (Which means sometimes they can feel tricky to master) But, when kids DO master them, they learn a key ingredient to success… thinking outside the box! A skill they will no doubt need for the rest of their lives.
Picture this, sitting across from your opponent, who is equally trying to figure out your plan, find the right moves, and make hard decisions. Now picture your kid sitting there doing the same thing! It takes a lot of confidence to stand toe to toe with someone else trying their absolute hardest to take you down. Chess teaches the important life lessons to TRUST yourself. That risk or chance you take in chess, that leap of faith, is what makes someone learn how to be confident. And if you can be confident in a chess game, who knows what you are capable of later in life!
That’s the lesson of the Rooks, the board’s steady guardians. They move with confidence, never wavering, and kids who play with them start to feel that same certainty in themselves.
No one is a chess master on their first try. (Or their tenth. Or even their hundredth.) Chess can teach patience. But how? Because the only way to be successful in chess is through persistence and making those small steps in hopes that they will lead to a big result. And whether that be in sports, schools, or anything else, you need those things to find success.
That’s why kids love the Pawns! Yes, they may start as the smallest piece on the board, but during the game they inch closer and closer to the other side. And when they get there? BOOM! They become the best pieces on the board. Almost as if the potential for greatness was inside of them all along.
Chess at its core is not about Kings or Queens, or even checkmates or winning! It's all about learning lessons. And when a child learns that lesson, they learn to think, adapt, and most importantly BELIEVE in themselves. And then you take learning through stories; That helps them have the lessons stick in a way that only happens through experiencing another world. And when you put both of those things together? That’s where you get Story Time Chess. The meeting point between theory and creativity. (And of course we make it effortless and fun!)
So, if your child wants to sharpen their mind, boost their confidence, or maybe just have a great time playing a game filled with adventure, chess is a great place to start.
Ready to bring chess to life for your child? Let’s get started!
