Posted by Kids are like sponges – always learning, always listening. It’s a blessing and a curse. It’s beyond delightful for watching their wonder at everything, and hearing new things they’ve learned at school. But sometimes it’s less great when they’re picking up err, unhelpful language or can use the TV better than you.
But I have recently found a brilliant new way for my kids to learn while they don’t even realising they’re learning. Plus they get to use my laptop to do, which they love!
The website Plays.org is packed full of games that will delight kids of all ages (and adults too). And most of the games all have a bit of an educational twist, too. It is completely free to use and there are so many different types of games to choose from, no matter what sort of genre you like or indeed what stage you are at in your life either.
Games for younger kids
My younger son loved playing the Dinosaur Train Dino Dive game. It’s really easy for little hands to get to grips with. You simply click on the size of dinosaur you want to jump into water, and see how much the water levels go up by.
The challenges get steadily trickier – the different dinosaurs move the water level up different amounts, and you have to get give targets of where you get the water up to.
This was great for gently introducing the idea of volumes without them even realising they were learning. And they got to try to use a mouse trackpad properly – which might sound silly, but is an important skill for children to learn these days. The times we live in, hey?
Creative games to play with kids
If you’ve got a kid who likes getting crafty, there are some great games on Plays.org for them too.
Our child enjoyed the Molly of Denali Beading Art game. This game is really clear, and takes you through getting your virtual craft materials together from a list, and then methodically creating a picture using beads within the game.
It’s really simple, so is satisfying for a child as they can easily “make” something that looks really good with a few clicks. Even as an adult this was quite relaxing to do. It has become a regular favourite to play in our household.
Games for slightly older children
There’s a series of games on Plays.org called Odd Squad. I especially loved the Map Reading Navigation Game, which appealed to my geeky love of map reading!
Two kid presenters guide you through a game, weaving your way through a magical land to find creatures. There’s a simple map and a key, so you can see where the creatures are hiding. Then off you go creature hunting.
This was really fun, especially seeing which animal would emerge from the bushes when you used the button to “call” them.
What kind of games do you like playing with your kids? Are you a fan of online games? We would love to know via the comments below…