Educational games offer a brilliant way to make learning enjoyable while imparting valuable skills. From enhancing problem-solving abilities to fostering creativity, these games provide numerous benefits. Uno is a family favourite in our house, and it’s been great to watch the kids strategic skills develop over the years of playing it. Not to mention their competitive streak! Here’s a look at some of the best educational games for kids, what they teach, and their benefits.
1. Minecraft
What It Teaches:
Do you even have kids if you’ve never heard of Minecraft? Minecraft is more than just a building game; it promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. Kids can explore subjects like maths, history, and coding through interactive and engaging lessons.
Benefits:
- Encourages creativity and imagination.
- Enhances spatial awareness and geometric skills.
- Fosters collaboration and communication through multiplayer modes.
2. Uno
What It Teaches:
A healthy desire to annihilate the other players! Uno helps children with number and colour recognition as they match cards. It also teaches strategic thinking and social skills like turn-taking and following rules.
Benefits:
- Improves numerical and colour recognition.
- Develops strategic planning and decision-making skills.
- Encourages social interaction and sportsmanship.
3. Monopoly
What It Teaches:
Buy Mayfair and the stations! And if my childhood is anything to go by, how to cheat! Monopoly introduces kids to basic financial concepts such as money management, investment, and economic strategy. It also promotes critical thinking and negotiation skills.
Benefits:
- Teaches financial literacy and money management.
- Encourages strategic thinking and planning.
- Enhances negotiation and social interaction skills.
4. Boggle
What It Teaches:
So they can play Countdown in their University years! Boggle is excellent for enhancing vocabulary and spelling skills. Players must find words in a grid of letters, promoting quick thinking and word recognition.
Benefits:
- Improves vocabulary and spelling.
- Enhances cognitive flexibility and quick thinking.
- Promotes friendly competition and engagement.
5. Scratch
What It Teaches:
How to be far more tech savvy than their parents! Scratch is a coding platform for children aged 8 and up. It allows them to create games, animations, and stories while learning programming basics.
Benefits:
- Introduces coding and computational thinking.
- Enhances creativity and problem-solving skills.
- Encourages logical thinking and project planning.
6. Snakes and Ladders
What It Teaches:
The basics of a board game starts with Snakes and Ladders! Snakes and Ladders is a classic board game that helps young children with counting and number recognition. It also teaches the concepts of luck and chance.
Benefits:
- Enhances counting and number recognition skills.
- Teaches patience and the idea of taking turns.
- Provides a fun introduction to the concepts of luck and chance.
7. Pokémon Go
What It Teaches:
Pokémon Go combines physical activity with augmented reality, encouraging kids to explore their surroundings. It promotes strategic thinking and teamwork.
Benefits:
- Encourages physical activity and exploration.
- Enhances strategic planning and decision-making skills.
- Fosters teamwork and social interaction.
8. Hangman
What It Teaches:
Hangman is a simple yet effective game for improving spelling and vocabulary. It also encourages critical thinking as players guess letters to form words.
Benefits:
- Improves spelling and vocabulary.
- Encourages critical thinking and problem-solving.
- Provides a fun way to practice language skills.
9. Battleships
What It Teaches:
Battleships is a strategic game that involves guessing the location of the opponent’s ships. It enhances spatial reasoning and strategic planning.
Benefits:
- Improves spatial awareness and strategic thinking.
- Encourages logical reasoning and problem-solving.
- Promotes patience and focus.
10. Duolingo Kids
What It Teaches:
Duolingo Kids is a language-learning app designed for young learners. It uses interactive and engaging methods to teach vocabulary and grammar in various languages.
Benefits:
- Makes language learning fun and engaging.
- Enhances cognitive development and memory skills.
- Encourages global awareness and cultural appreciation.
11 Free online Games
There are a wealth of free online games available for kids to play. These are my go to if my kids are struggling with something at school. Maybe it’s money, or negative numbers. If I sat and tried to teach them, pandemic experience tells me that it would not end well. But if I sit them in front of a game on a computer they are more than happy to have a go. And as a bonus no one ends up crying!
A couple that we love are:
Imagine tetris, but the blocks falling contain a number. You have to match the number on the screen. So for example the number on the screen could be a 6. So you click any tetris block numbers that add up to to 6, for example 3+2+1. As soon as your complete a calculation another appears. It’s great for building arithmetic skills and encouraging kids to do quick maths in their head.
Create ice creams to match the customers order. The play speeds up as you progress. This game is lots of fun and builds on co-ordination skills and memory. Plus you have a goal to work towards in unlocking everything on the counter as you progress.
The additional bonus with these games is that there are no ads or ‘in app’ purchases. They are just fun educational games the kids can engage with.
Conclusion
Educational games are an excellent way to make learning fun and engaging for children. By incorporating these games into their routine, parents can enhance their kids’ educational experience and teach essential skills such as problem-solving, creativity, and strategic thinking. Games offer numerous benefits that go beyond traditional learning methods.
