Getting Started with Educational Games

When I think of gaming, I immediately think of the blood and gore type video games like Call of Duty and Resident Evil. However, gaming can also be used in the educational setting but many parents are wondering if gaming, even if it’s educational is good for their kids.

Many studies have shown that children do learn from education video games, especially strategy-based games. Young children may also find these games to be entertaining and fun, meaning they’re having fun and learning new skills at the same time! One of the drawbacks to video games, educational or not, is it can lead to obesity if played too often. If you find your child spending a bit too much time in front of the TV, you may want to limit their video game time. So, like many technologies these days, moderation is the key!

So, where can you find good, educational video games? Education video games can be found and played on PCs, many gaming system, as well as handheld gaming systems. Older students may benefit from the “Brain Age” games, or city/historical civilization building games such as Zoo, Rollercoaster Tycoon, or Sid Meier’s Civilization series. I found a list of the top 10 FREE education video games that would be great to use in an education setting. I didn’t have time to play them all, but they all sounded pretty cool! You might also want to check out some of the user comments on this article as well because they also give some recommendations for good educational video games that didn't make the list.