5 Educational Apps for Kids That Are Fun To Play

The famous song writer Andy Williams said it best, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year”. Depending on what part of the world you are in you may experience snow, ice, blazing temperatures, rain, cool air or a combination of both. Whatever the weather may be outside one thing remains, it’s Christmas time and kids across the world are ready to play with the games they love most.

For years, many parents have debated the impact playing video games may or may not have on the development of their children’s brains. Many experts suggest that playing video games could be detrimental to a child’s cognitive learning experience while others have found research that supports that playing videos could actually help improve brain development.

Whichever side of the debate you are on it’s important to do your own research.

When trying to determine if video games are appropriate for your children it’s also important to know that it is highly suggested that you offer your children a healthy play diet which means balancing physical activity with screen times. If the weather is cold in your local area physical activity may include finding fun and exciting indoor activities that get your children’s limbs moving including things such as: basketball, trampoline parks, kid’s yoga and the list goes on.

After reading several pieces of online commentary and debate we have found several video games that are not only entertaining but informative and educational and are guaranteed to give your child skills that they can transfer into their daily lives.

Fish School HD

Age Group 2-5

If you are a parent to a busy toddler or child who has not yet transitioned fully into formal education then perhaps you should consider introducing them to Fish School HD. This game can easily be downloaded on Apple and has been designed with your little one in mind. This educational and entertaining game is sure to be a hit this holiday season with your little one. Gone are the days of having to sit through numerous episodes of children’s programming in order to teach your child skills such as numbers, shapes and colors. The game also teaches children a valuable lesson in differences by teaching kids to identify what things make each fish look different from each other. Once the game has been completed children then have the opportunity to rest their little brains by watching the fish react to their mouse clicks.

Many parents (myself included) love this game because it teaches children some of the basic curriculum that they may or may not learn while in pre-school. If your child isn’t currently in pre-school this game has been proven to give the needed skills necessary to help your little one flourish at capacity amongst their peers in non traditional/educational settings.

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Balloony Word

Ages 6-10

A spin on an old classic has been introduced to Apple and it’s sure to be a hit with your older kids. Instead of the typical use of Hangman, Baloony World features Gordon the Gorilla and Kendra the Kangaroo. Each character hangs from printed balloons and their survival depends on players as they guess the words based off letters they select. The game offers a variety of categories including fruits, vegetables and a host of others.

Each wrong guess causes a balloon to be popped and brings Gordon and or Kendra closer to their demise. This game which can be repetitive in nature is both educational and dramatic for those kids in your life who are looking for something a little more action oriented.

While this game was designed specifically for children between the ages of 6-10 this game could also prove to be fun for adults who are in need of a mental break especially if you are already a fan of hang man. This game has also become a fan favorite for those parents who have a hard time keeping their children occupied with indoor games especially during the colder months of the year. Hook up your computer, your tablet or phone and let your children have a blast with this one. You’ll be amazed at just how much work you will be able to accomplish with this one game alone occupying your child’s time.

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Magic School Bus

Ages 6-10

In the early 90s one of the greatest educational televisions shows was born, the Magic School Bus. The television show took children through an educational journey each week while going on field trips with Ms Frizzle and her students. Many of these field trips were often science and math related.

The Magic School Bus game by Scholastic is no different. This educational game that can be downloaded to your PC tests children on their math and science skills through quizzes and other exciting games.

For many years many experts have often discussed the lack of learning opportunities focused around the sciences and maths and I amongst other parents also agreed that there weren’t many programs available to encourage our students to do well in those subject areas. After giving the Magic School Bus a try for my own children I have seen their math and science curiosity soar through the roof. It brings the lessons of science and math down to a level that only children would be able to understand make it a hit not only for my children but for me as a mom.

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Stack the States

Ages: All

Learning all 50 states can definitely be challenging. Especially, as a kid with a short attention span. Stacking the States is here to help. It doesn’t matter if you have Apple products or are a lover for all things Android. This game asks you basic trivia questions that will allow you to stack states up on each other every time you answer correctly. What makes this game even more entertaining is that it adds faces to each one of the states making the states a bit more interactive. No other game on the market makes geography fun quite like this one.

My household takes pride in being of a competitive nature. Because of this the game has been a hit in our home with not only our children but with my husband and I. This game gives you access to up to 6 profiles which makes this game a perfect competition for families looking to join in on some indoor holiday fun together. Not only will adults love watching their children learn, they’ll also enjoy relearning some of those things they may have forgotten from their high school geography courses years ago.

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Dinosaur Park Math

Ages: 8-12

Are your kids huge Jurassic Park Fans? Do they love watching National Geographics and learning all they can about Dinosaurs? They will be sure to love Dinosaur Park Math and so will you because it’ll finally pull those kids away from the television. Available on both Android and Apple this game focuses on a plethora of Math subjects including: subtraction and addition with a few dino facts here and there. The job of each player is to unlock the pieces of the dinosaur by solving each math problem. It is highly suggested that you play along with your kid initially in case they get frustrated by some of the tougher questions.

Because I am an advocate of teaching math in fun and exciting ways I absolutely love this game. Not only does it give my children an opportunity to rest their eyes from all that Dinosaur stuff on television it also allows them to combine their passion with learning math. Throughout the game there are a few difficult questions that I must admit would have stumped the 8 year old me; however, the challenge in finding the answers to the questions proved to be exhilarating for my children.

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Now that you have been given some of my favorite educational games for students during the Christmas holiday let me know what games are on your list.

What games have been a hit with your kids and which ones have been a bust?