What this thinking game trains
Who Went Away?: Reptiles is a working memory game from the Think & Remember track for children age 5-6. One picture walks away. Which one? The game is slow on purpose: research on preschoolers finds that strategy and memory games grow executive function, while quick-reaction games do not. There is no timer and no wrong buzzer; a wrong tap gets the name of what was tapped, then a glow on the right answer, then Golu points.
Why it fits age 5-6
By five or six a child can plan two steps ahead and check their own answer, so this is the longest version of the game.
How to play
Golu speaks every instruction in your child's first language, with the picture names in both languages. Five rounds make a marble. If it feels too easy or too hard, the same game exists for other ages on the brain games page.
If it feels too hard or too easy
Change the age under the ⚙ grown-ups button and the same game gets easier or harder. Nothing is ever marked wrong: a wrong tap names what was tapped, then the right answer glows, then Golu points at it.
The same game without a screen
The Harvard Center on the Developing Child recommends exactly these games as everyday play. Try it with real things: line up three things, ask your child to close their eyes, hide one, and ask who went away.
Now do it for real
When the screen goes off, do something with your hands. Try ⚖️ Make a balance — an easy science experiment for ages 4-6, with every step read aloud in your language. You will need a hanger or a ruler, two cups and string, small things to weigh; nothing that needs a trip to a shop.
There are 56 more on the things to do at home page, and free printable worksheets if you would rather have something on paper. Ten minutes on a screen and twenty minutes off it is a good shape for a day at this age.