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Sneaky Educational Games (That Don't Suck)
AveryZoe
September 1st, 2010
S
ummer is over, pal, so just put down the beach towel and back away before someone gets hurts. Yes, I know, the last "official" day of summer is September 21st, but everyone knows that summer is really over when the kids go back to school. No more lazy days at the pool/beach, no more sleeping in and hanging out with your friends. Oh, and the kids are kinda bummed too. Now that the harsh reality of a new school year has been thrust upon you, the inevitable pressures of competition set in as well. After all, no one wants their kids lagging behind. Also, every parent secretly thinks their kid is the best (it's required), so you might as well reinforce all that genetic superiority with some sweet educational games.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Come back...oh, I get it. It's educational, so your kids will hate it, right? Look at the title, dude. These games don't suck. And since I'm a parent myself, they are all Ds games. Small, portable, and can be plugged into headphones--I see a quiet commute in your future.
Peggle: Dual Shot
This is one of those sneaky little games that looks fun and colorful and doesn't hint at education at all. Your kids will think they are shooting little balls at pegs to clear levels full of color and fun characters. At second glance though, all that calculating optimum angles and velocity to hit certain pegs smacks an awful lot of physics. Can you say vectors boys and girls? (Just don't say it in front of the kids. Remember, it's a "fun" game.) *Insert sneaky parent laugh here*
Math Blaster in the Prime Adventure
Okay, okay. This one actually has the word "math" in the title, so it may be a tougher sell for the kids. But once you get them to try it, they'll love it. Robots, flying, shooting--your bloodthirsty children will love it. Plus, just look that witty sense of humor. Math Blaster? Prime Adventure? Get it? AHAHAHAHAHA!
Crosswords Ds
ZOMG! Your children will learn actual words! With vowels! While there are tons of crossword games out there, most of them are too hard for most kids (even teens), or are too easy to hold their attention for long. Crosswords Ds has a pretty cool way of getting around this. In addition to setting difficulty level you can change the size of the puzzle as well. Kids can start out with a simple 4X4 puzzle and work their way (and their vocabulary!) up. The game also requires them to write the words in by hand, so their penmanship will be getting a workout too. There's even a lefty mode-a definite plus in a game that requires writing.
Learn to speak "Insert Language Here" for Ds
These games are just flat-out cool. Spanish, French, German, etc.--your kid can pop in the game and literally be speaking in tongues within minutes. These games use the microphone on the Ds to actually correct pitch and pronunciation. Awesome.
Sudoku
See, there's like a grid, with boxes inside boxes and there are numbers in some boxes and others are blank, and you have to figure out which number goes where. There is a method to the madness though, and the object is to get each column, row, and sub-grid contains all the numbers from 1 to 9. Um...I'm totally awesome at it. (I pretty much suck). It is challenging, but kids who like math will really enjoy working on these puzzles, and kids who are intimidated by numbers can become more comfortable with them in a fun setting.
Interactive Storybook
The Interactive Storybook contains a series of books on the Ds for kids. This is aimed at younger kids, and helps them get excited about reading by giving them interactive games and activities for each page of the stories. There are even some fun mini-games to keep them busy.
Tetris
You take shapes, and you manipulate them to make the best possible combinations. Strategy, skill, accelerating pace. Tetris really keeps you thinking, and helps develop quick decision-making processes. Tetris also has the bonus of being a game *you* are probably good at. You can be all cool parent, telling your kids how to play and pointing out great strategies.
Scribblenauts
Scribblenauts is a great game on so many levels. Kids absolutely love it, and it has some great potential for education. Scribblenauts is very free form-players are presented with challenges, but there isn't really any "right" way to solve them. The kids are free to use their imaginations to come up with innovative ways to solve the problems. And it's a great spelling tool too. The kids have to write in the objects that they need, and they have to be spelled right. Sure, you'll hear "How do you spell..." 5 million times, but they'll be absorbing every word.
Video games often get a bad rap as electronic candy that lures kids into over-indulging, and parents who let their kids play games are often looked down on as lazy or uninvolved. But video games have been shown in many scientific studies to be very effective learning tools. Their methods of building skills upon skills, and requiring solving smaller puzzles before moving on to more advanced problems can help kids develop problem solving skills and enhance what they are learning in the classroom. These games aren't meant to replace teaching or parental involvement (sorry, you're still on duty), but they *are* a fun way and effective way to learn.
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