Educational games are an excellent alternative for children who do not prefer to learn through pen and paper instructions. In addition, learning games also serve as a complementary mechanism to conventional educational structures. EDUCAUSE, a non-profit educational organization, suggests that a vast body of literature has shown that game-based learning activities can help young students develop different life skills and competencies. In addition, the 21st century is the era of digitalization, and the impacts of the same have also trickled down to the education sector. The way kids absorb knowledge has transformed from a strictly classroom-driven approach to a relatively boundless field where the online and the ‘offline’ combine in unique ways. Therefore, in today’s times, it is imperative to engage children in educational games as much as possible to ensure their overall development. So, without further ado, let us look at the top educational games for your children that can contribute to the betterment of their mental and physical faculties.

Top 8 Educational Games For Your Children To Play At Home

1. Prodigy Math – Age: 6 to 14

As the name suggests, Prodigy Math is an engaging, fantasy-based math game used by more than 100 million students, teachers, and parents from all over the world. The game is curriculum-aligned and offers content from every important topic relevant for grades 1st to 8th. The game’s objective is to help every student enjoy the process of learning Math and bring out the fun in the discipline. Players have to create their customized math wizard, after which they compete in math battles against in-game characters. The premise of the game is simple, and any child can quickly get the hang of it. Research conducted by a school reveals that students who played Prodigy Math mastered the subject with 68 percent more efficiency on average than those who did not play the game. Prodigy Math is available on Android Play Store, App Store, and Amazon. It is free to play but includes paid membership plans.

2. Hangman – Age 8 to 10

It is an educational game that has been in the picture for a long time and continues to help children with vocabulary. The players get a category along with several blanks that represent letters in a word from the category. As they guess the letters, a monkey begins to appear with every incorrect answer. Likewise, getting the word accurately also leads to some graphic monkey action. Kids can play against themselves in one version and against a classmate or someone online in the second version. Hangman is an incredible educational game to build vocabulary and facilitate the creation of neural pathways in the brain.

3. Word Scramble – Age 6 plus

It is a web-based educational game for children, which also helps with vocabulary and linguistics. The premise of the game is exactly what it sounds like. Thus, Word Scramble is a word game wherein letters are jumbled up in the wrong order, and the player has to detangle them and accurately assemble them. The game fosters the development of logical skills and spelling rules as young children continue playing the same. Consequently, the diction of children also strengthens over time.

4. Start With Arts – Age – 7 plus

It is an educational game that fosters artistic intellect within young minds. The game allows the players to venture into a journey of creativity and visual learning with its three personal Art Guides feature. Named Tickles, Furnace, and Ruby, the Art Guides walk kids through four foundational courses related to Art as language, message in Art, line, and shape. Start with Arts also consists of a stimulating ‘Creativity Builders’ project catered to nourish and water creativity, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking capacities among its young users. Each game lesson is aligned to Creativity Express, an award-winning visual arts curriculum created by professional educators and Disney animators. Start with Art is free to use but also comes with in-app purchases.

5. PBS Kids Games – Age 2 to 11

It is an educational game that helps children absorb essential knowledge about Social Sciences in a fun and interactive fashion. The game stars some of the children’s most beloved characters that walk through the players in exploring different cultures, identities, environments, governance, science, and much more. It is noteworthy that PBS Kids Games encapsulate diverse mini-educational games where kids can learn about various topics related to the social sciences, from disasters to the solar system to the democratic system and so forth.

6. Eat & Move-O-Matic – Age 4 plus

It is an educational game that encourages young people to learn about and practice healthy habits and active lifestyles. Developed by the New Mexico State University Learning Games Limited, Eat & Move-o-Matic come with 35 activities and 80 foods that enable children to constantly discover new things about their favorite dishes and also receive healthy eating tips. The game is available on the Apple App Store for free.

7. Toca Lab – Age – 4 plus

It is a learning game that helps in the development of scientific faculties within young minds. The game is based on the premise that playing games jumpstarts imagination, and therefore its games have an open-ended approach that encourages children to experiment and make novel connections. The games developer company – Toca Boca – creates digital toys from the perspective of children. Toca Lab is free for download on Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Amazon App Store.

8. Robot School: Learn to Code – Age 7 plus

It is an educational game that helps children learn the basics of coding. The players have to help Robbie the Robot, who has crashed his spaceship in a faraway galaxy, by building his fuel levels. The game comprises drag-and-drop programming instructions that allow young children to learn how to code in a fun and engaging way. Children can learn procedures, loops, and conditional instructions and realize how fun and accessible coding can be. The game is available for download on Apple App Store and comes with a free and paid version.

So, there we have it, the top eight best educational games that your children can play from the comfort of their homes.