If you’re a parent who’s worried about your kids getting enough learning time right now, you aren’t alone. The pandemic has impacted kids in a major way, and most moms and dads are struggling to find ways to keep their kids engaged with distance learning and off of Nintendo Switch or Netflix for most of the day. One easy solution? Make learning fun by investing in some educational games.
Are educational games worth it?
Whether it’s an old fashioned board game or an engaging new app, educational games are an easy way to reinforce basic skills and lessons kids need to practice without making it feel like they’re being asked to do more schoolwork. Through play, kids can brush up on their reading skills, practice spelling and math, and discover important new concepts related to health, science, social studies, and more.
Qwirkle
This easy game is fun for the whole family. Qwirkle is a game for ages 6 and up that challenges players to create rows by matching wooden tiles that contain different colors and shapes. It sounds simple enough, but it actually requires a great deal of focus and strategy to win. This game is a favorite for many people because it helps the younger kids learn shapes, colors, and matching. At the same time, it challenges the whole family’s critical thinking and problem solving skills. There’s also a scoring system to help kids squeeze in some extra math practice.
Dictionary.com Word Puzzle
Snag the free Dictionary.com app to access Word Puzzle, an addictive word game that challenges players to guess 10 unique words from a random selection of scrambled letters. This game is ideal for older elementary learners, middle schoolers, and high schoolers. It will help them practice spelling and challenge them to think quickly to find the hidden words. And if they spot a brand new word they have questions about? They can always check out the definition and etymology just by heading to a different part of the app.
The Scrambled States of America
Work on geography, reading, and spelling with The Scrambled States of America, a card game that lets players compete by challenging them to identify unique facts and features of the 50 states. Players race to read clues and find the matching state cards to solve the puzzles. The game can be played by kids 8 and up. There are also alternate rules to create an easier version for younger kids and early readers.
Prodigy Math
This math app helps kids in first through eighth grade boost their math skills by integrating math into a fun fantasy-style game. Kids can learn new concepts, complete drills, and play games to unlock special accessories. The game is also adaptive and tailors the games and lessons to match kids’ abilities. It’s free to play, but you can also purchase a membership to unlock additional game areas and get rid of ads. Memberships start at $4.99/month.
Blokus
Blokus is kind of like a multi-player version of Tetris that reinforces basic geometry, critical thinking, and spatial skills. Players ages 7 and up try to get as many of their shapes to fit on the board as possible while blocking their opponents. The rules are super simple, and a game can be played in just 30 minutes, making it ideal for kiddos who have a short attention span.
Dictionary.com Crossword Puzzles
Middle schoolers and high schoolers can learn new words and challenge their language skills each day with the free Dictionary.com crossword puzzle. Available online, our daily puzzle explores language through fun trivia that relates to geography, food, science, pop culture, and more. Players also get to decide if they want to tackle the puzzle in regular mode or challenge themselves to playing in expert mode.
Once Upon A Time
Once Upon A Time is a storytelling card game for kids ages 12 and up. Players draw cards that show different objects, places, characters, and events. Each player also holds an ending card, and the goal is to strategically interrupt, take over the storytelling, and attempt to steer the story towards your ending. Instead of zoning out in front of the TV, kids can dream up their own epic adventures. It’s an engaging way to help them exercise their creative muscles, and get them thinking about the elements of a story.
TABI Learning
This learning app lets kids in third through fifth grades follow the fictional journey of siblings Tammy and Billy as they travel through time and space. Along the way, kids learn important science, math, social studies, and reading concepts, and have the opportunity to complete over 180 different learning games and activities. The app was developed by educators and provides kids with a handy checklist of learning activities every time they play. It is free to download for a 7-day trial, but does require a $7.99 monthly subscription after that.
Code Master
You don’t need a screen in order to learn how to code. Code Master is a logic-based programming board game where kids have to figure out how to beat each of 60 levels and collect special power crystals by playing action tokens in a specific sequence. It’s made for ages 8 and up. One of the best things about the game is that it can be played with only one player, so kids don’t have to interrupt parents who are busy working or doing other things.
Looking for more? Check out these learning games for different ages as well!
