This week I’m happy to feature a guest post by Catherine Ross from Learning is Fun! Thanks, Catherine, for contributing this article. This article contains affiliate links. Opinions are Catherine’s.
My oldest has been a fan of online pet games since he was very young. He’s been asking for a puppy for the longest time , but we’re not giving in, yet. There was a phase when I tried every trick in the book so he wouldn’t spend so much time online, but I gradually realized that he was learning much from these games.
From taking up the responsibility of looking after and caring for his pet, albeit virtually, to sharpening his problem-solving skills based on different challenges that these games threw at him, he was learning new skills. And I stopped complaining.
Education and learning have certainly taken on new meanings in this ever-changing world.
Educational games come in a variety of forms – online games, toys, board games, and more. In this generation of cyber affinity, online educational games have taken an unprecedented lead over the other forms. However, 2015 may sneak in a little surprise with some cool offline educational games that promise to change quite a few equations.
Here are a few of the toys and games that may add the sparkle back in offline games while being both fun and educational.
5 Awesome Educational Games for Your Classroom
- Edu Science Wacky Lab Mind Blowing Science Lab: This is a terrific science lab. Comprising scientific tools like test tubes and petri-dishes, this educational game is tailor-made for budding scientists. The kit comes with detailed instructions on how to carry out 11 experiments and activities, right from making giant crystals to a homemade volcano. Each activity and experiment has a detailed explanation of the science process responsible for it.
- Magna-Tiles Clear Colors: The translucent squares and triangle pieces in the game allow children to build fascinating geometrical structures that help young learners master their motor, spatial and tactile skills. While the educational game can be used as a guided activity or to teach three-dimensional patterns to younger kids, it can also be used to explain equilateral, right and isosceles triangles to older children.
- Qwirkle: Qwirkle is a mind-boggling game for kids. Each set comes with 108 wooden blocks of different patterns, each in a variety of colors. With each turn, the players have to match blocks by either pattern or color and make horizontal or vertical lines. For example, the first player plays a red star, the next player can choose to play a red round (matching color) or a green star (matching pattern) and place it next to the red star. The player playing the third turn takes the matching chain ahead by placing a green triangle (matching color) above the green star or a blue round (matching pattern) below the red round. Qwirkle is ideal for two to four players, and the person with the most points wins the game.
- Gravity Maze: Gravity Maze is an educational game that can be played solo. It has 60 challenges ranging from easy to difficult. The objective of the game is to build a set of towers in different colors so that a marble travels from the start to the end point. Besides building kids’ reasoning and planning skills, the game also improves their patience and problem solving skills.
- Amazing Live Sea Monkey’s Ocean Zoo: Children can explore the magical world of sea animals with this educational game. They will learn how a sea animal affects the sea current, hunts its prey in water, and most importantly how it survives. They will also learn interesting tidbits like why a sea monkey is named the way it is. Children can watch the little sea creature grow and compare its growth to the illustrations in the accompanying booklet.
It is not surprising that kids are drawn to online games which are highly engaging. However, if you feel kids are too engrossed in the virtual world and would like to bring back their attention to offline games, these new educational games may offer the right mix of education and fun to keep kids engaged.
Share your favorite offline educational games that are new on the market!
Author Bio: Catherine Ross is a full-time stay-at-home-mum who believes learning should be enjoyable for young minds. An erstwhile elementary school teacher, Catherine loves coming up with creative ways through which kids can grasp the seemingly difficult concepts of learning easily. She believes that a ‘fun factor’ can go a long way in enhancing kids’ understanding and blogs at Learning is Fun!
