Usually, people have an idea of kids lazing around all day on video games - not learning anything at all. This is so far from the truth!
Video games, while fun to play, can be educational at the same time. In this blog post you’ll discover some fun games which children can try out and learn at the same time for both consoles and mobile devices.
An image of the Scribblenauts mega pack video game
ScribbleNauts offers a fun experience with characters called Lily and Maxwell. ScribbleNauts is a fun puzzle solving game where children can use their imagination to solve puzzles – did you know that ScribbleNauts has over 22,000 objects for children to choose from? This will no doubt strengthen their vocabulary, literacy skills and problem-solving ability. Not to mention that children can also play with their favourite DC comic superheroes.
2. Numbala(Nintendo Switch, Apple Appstore, Amazon Appstore, Google Play)
An image of Numbala
Numbala was developed based on scientific research at the University of Torún. This game increases children’s understanding of number relations without them even realising. While they’ll be having fun experiencing a sidescrolling shooter, they’ll be learning maths in a visually appealing way.
3. Professor Layton(Nintendo DS/3DS/Switch, Apple Appstore, Google Play)
An image of the Layton Series.
If I could recommend any game within this list, this would be it. Professor Layton is a classic Nintendo puzzle-solving game. This brilliant and charming puzzle-game takes place with archaeologist and professor Hershel Layton where you will solve a wide variety of mysteries. Not only does this improve your child’s memory, this also teaches them valuable logic skills through a series of minigames. My personal recommendation would be Professor Layton and the Azlan Legacy.
An image of Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
Creativity is a very important skill for children to have, and this game certainly encourages it. Drawn To Life is an action-adventure platform game which allows children to truly express themselves. This game features a drawing tool which allows children different colours, brush types and stamps. This game allows for the ultimate artistic freedom. My recommendation for this one is Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter but if your child enjoys Spongebob, there’s a game for that, too.
5. SimCity(PC, Nintendo Wii/DS, Playstation, Apple Appstore, Google Play, Amazon Appstore)
An image of the mobile game, Simcity: Buildit
SimCity is a game that allows children to build their own city. It starts out simple but evolves into a complex experience. This game teaches children concepts like city planning and about the environment(as well as natural disasters).
6. Minecraft(PC, Nintendo Switch, Apple AppStore, Google Play, Amazon Appstore, Playstation, Xbox)
A recent image of Minecraft
No list like this would be complete without mentioning Minecraft. Minecraft is a famous game created by Mojang. The main “survival mode” teaches children how to survive the night by exploration, crafting and learning what they need as they go. However, it also features a “creative mode” to encourage children’s creativity skills by allowing them to create whatever they want using blocks. To top it all off, Minecraft can also teach children programming skills by allowing them to edit the game’s code so that they can create or change whatever they want!
In short, video games can be truly educational and engaging at the same time. If your child is interested in video games, why don’t they try and create their own? Educademy offers free online Summer camps and courses about getting started on creating their own video games.
Author: Sophie Dillon