Online Games – Photo by Robo Wunderkind on Unsplash

Movement restrictions during the Covid 19 pandemic vary in different countries. But for kids who continue to be on a lockdown, the situation can take a toll on their overall well-being. Thus the need to find ways to help ease the impact in children’s lives. One of the things that can be done is to optimize play and learn opportunities at home. This includes finding online games that entertain and educate kids while on lockdown. These are available in sites that offer a variety of games for kids as well as those that exclusively offer educational games.

Are online games good for kids?

Online games are tools that people use to entertain themselves or to enjoy the indoor play. Its benefit or harm depends on how you use it. If used properly online games can actually be beneficial for kids. Spending time with online games that entertain and educate kids can even offer more benefits compared to watching TV. This is because online games are more interactive and often entail the use of a skill or combination of skills. There are plenty of ways to make sure that these games are used for the benefit of your kids. Parents can check out sites like UK Safer Internet Centre, Ask About Games, Roblox Parents Guide, and others for guidance. There are also sites like Childline Online that kids can visit to get tips on how to make smart and safe choices while playing online.

What are the benefits of playing games online?

Whether online or not game activities are recommended in the learning and development of children. When kids are confined indoors the most accessible games are those that are available online. There are lots of online games that entertain and educate kids at the same time. Each offers its own set of benefits. In general, these games can help kids in the following areas:

Practice reading and following instructions. Every game has its own set of rules and instructions that players need to understand and apply in the game. Players can read them or go to the tutorial mode to learn how to play the game. These tutorials make it easier for kids to understand the rules of the game and enjoy their experience better.

Develop concentration, organization, and time management skills. Some online games require multiple tasks or goals that need to be accomplished within a time limit. An example is the Puppy Pile Up: Match 3 in a Row Game. This is a Connect 3-inspired game featuring cartoon puppies wherein you have to match 3 or more puppies of a kind in a single pass and earn points and see how many points you can earn in 60 seconds.

This game requires kids to be focused on the task at hand to make sure that goals are accomplished. It also requires planning and organizing steps needed to meet the goal before the clock expires. Such mental practices of these skills can make it easier for kids to apply them in real-life tasks.

Test problem solving and decision-making skills. Should you go up or down? Left or Right? Which target do you want to hit first? These are some of the game decisions that players often face when engaged in online play. In Odd Squad Obstacle Course: Kids Driving Game, children will learn simple machines, strategies, and decision-making.

Each decision would of course have an impact on the outcome of the game. As such players must carefully analyze the problems and decide on the course of action that will give them the best outcome. Without realizing it the kids are actually honing their problem-solving and decision-making skills just by playing the game.

Build resilience and manage emotions. A lot of online games entertain and educate kids to have different sets of challenges that players must overcome in order to move to the next level. While some are easy there are also difficult ones that may take several attempts before they can be accomplished. These types of games can help build resilience in kids especially if there are adults who encourage them to keep trying and never give up. On the other side of this is that it may also cause frustration on the part of the child. This is because emotions are also at play when kids engage in online games. They get a sense of accomplishment when goals are achieved and may feel some disappointment when they lose or fail in the game. This is why it’s important for parents to guide their kids in choosing and playing games online.

Where can I find online games for Kids?

You can find plenty of games online with a quick Google search. There are sites that feature new games for kids and adults on a regular basis as well as online games that entertain and educate kids. There are also game apps that solely focus on educational games designed for specific age groups. Given the wide range of options, it is always prudent for parents to guide and monitor their child’s game activity to ensure that they are getting only the best benefits of online games.