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Educational games are an excellent tool for parents who want to inspire critical thinking and help children brush up on essential subjects like reading, writing, math, and science. Especially for kids with ADHD and other disorders, educational video games can be a game-changer in keeping a child's attention and helping them learn.
In this article, we'll go over educational games for PC and how the unique features of each can support your child's education.
Educational PC Games For Kids
As a parent, you know how crucial it is to manage your child's screen time wisely. Sometimes called edutainment games, educational video games and PC games are fun games that combine learning with entertainment. The best educational games will differ from child to child based on their needs, age group, and other factors. Review our top picks below to find games that work for your family.
Math Blaster Series
Developed by a former educator named Jan Davidson, Math Blaster has been around since 1983. As the name would suggest, Math Blaster games teach kids math skills while they play. Math problems are worked into the series naturally, so even kids who struggle with or dislike math often find the games fun and use them to brush up on skills. There are Math Blaster games for kids from Kindergarten through 8th grade. If your child's friends play, too, they can be added to your child's buddy list.
The Math Blaster series is owned by JumpStart, an educational company with a variety of games and other educational resources.
Cost:
You can play Math Blaster games for free on the website or pay for a membership to access more learning opportunities. A monthly membership costs $.799, but you can also opt for a "forever" membership for a one-time fee of $29.99.
World of Zoo
If your child likes animals, World of Zoo is a great game to try. Featuring over 40 different animal species, kids get to create and customize their own zoo, interact with animals, and learn animal facts through national geographic fact cards. World of Zoo provides hours of play, with achievements, unlockables, and mini-games.
You can buy World of Zoo with Steam.
Cost:
$14.99.
Note: Joon is an app and game designed for children with ADHD and related disorders. It is a to-do app that gamifies important daily tasks and promotes self-esteem, independence, and motivation in kids ages 6-12+. How does Joon work?
With audio buttons available, kids can use Joon regardless of reading level. The game has an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars in the App Store, with over 3.9k reviews from parents like you. Even better, it's backed by child psychologists, occupational therapists, and other professionals.
Click here to try Joon for free.
Typing.com
Typing.com is a free program that teaches users how to type. Users can choose from beginner, intermediate, and expert-level lessons. Typing.com offers a range of games meant to increase typing speed, such as Type-a-Balloon and Keyboard Jump. All you have to do to get started is go to their website and click on the "games" tab at the top of the page. Users can make a profile with login information if they'd like to use the lessons on typing.com continuously and track their progress along the way.
Cost:
Typing.com is free to use. If you would like to go ad-free and get other additional features, you can opt to pay for the premium version of the website.
CodeSpark Academy
CodeSpark Academy is a game created to teach children STEM early in life. In the game, users learn coding and problem-solving skills through puzzles and other activities. CodeSpark Academy is geared toward users in the 5-10 age range, and kids can use it even if they don't know how to read.
Cost:
CodeSpark Academy offers a one-week free trial once you sign up for a membership. After that, you will be charged for the membership plan you selected when making an account.
Minecraft Java & Bedrock Edition For PC
Minecraft is a well-known world-building game that tasks players to gather resources, make tools, and explore. Minecraft is largely thought of as a game designed solely for entertainment purposes, but playing Minecraft can help children brush up on a wide array of necessary skills. Kids will learn problem-solving, reading, collaboration, math, and creative skills while they play.
Cost:
Get the base game for $29.99 or the deluxe collection for $39.99.
Starfall
If your child is in Kindergarten-3rd grade, Starfall is a great website to try. With Starfall games, kids can learn everything from their ABCs and how to spell simple words to more advanced reading, writing, and math skills. Kids can start playing a game of their choice in a number of seconds once they access the website - no download or purchase is required.
Cost:
Games are free to play on the Starfall website, but parents can buy additional teaching content and tools.
Magic School Bus Series
Magic school bus began as a book series in the mid-1980s, but what the majority of today's adults remember are the TV show episodes and magic school bus games that came about in the 1990s. You can still share these educational video games with your kids today, whether you purchase the CD version or download them on a website like OldGamesDownload.com.
Popular items in the Magic School Bus game series include:
- The Magic School Bus Explores The Solar System (the first game in the series)
- The Magic School Bus Explores The World Of Animals
- The Magic School Bus Explores Inside The Earth
- The Magic School Bus Explores The Human Body
- The Magic School Bus Explores The Age Of Dinosaurs
- The Magic School Bus: Whales And Dolphins
- The Magic School Bus Discovers Flight
- The Magic School Bus Explores The Rainforest
Cost:
Dependant on retailer.
Zoombinis
Zoombinis is another game you might remember from your childhood - though you may remember it a bit differently. Released in 2015, Zoombinis is a re-creation of a puzzle game from the 1990s called Logical Journey of the Zoombinis with enhanced graphics and other features. Zoombinis features an array of challenges designed to teach deductive reasoning, math, and hypothesis testing with mini-games and puzzles to keep kids engaged. It is a great game to promote logic and problem-solving skills.
You can buy Zoombinis with Steam.
Cost:
$9.99
Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?
Developed by The Learning Company, Carmen Sandiego games are a fantastic fit for parents seeking secretly educational PC games. Kids will learn about historical events, geography, and different cultures while they work to track down the main character. Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? also helps kids improve reading, math, decision-making, and critical thinking skills effortlessly.
You can buy Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? and other Carmen Sandiego games with Steam.
Cost:
$9.99
SplashLearn
The SplashLearn website has over 700 games for students in Preschool through 5th grade. The games on the SplashLearn website are categorized by grade level, and they are meant to teach kids reading and math skills. According to the website, kids who use SplashLearn over 4x weekly show learning improvements of over 77% in the first two months.
Cost:
SplashLearn offers a free trial for parents and their kids. Once the free trial period is up, plans start out at as low as $5/month. Teachers can get SplashLearn for their students for free.
Kerbal Space Program
Kerbal Space Program is a great educational game for children interested in space. With Kerbal space program, kids build bases, space stations, and spaceships while they explore the universe and solar system. Kids will learn about science, critical thinking, and other necessary skills to use in school and beyond in any of the game modes available.
Cost:
Kerbal Space Program costs $39.99. However, you can buy Kerbal Space Program Complete Edition for $59.99. Both are available for purchase on the Kerbal Space Program website.
ABCya.com
ABCya.com offers a ton of educational games to choose from, including those that help children learn science, math, typing, language arts, and other skills. Much like Starfall, kids can start playing in a number of seconds once they access the website. However, ABCya.com features games geared toward kids in Preschool through 6th grade and above. You can sort through games by subject, genre, grade level, or theme.
Cost:
Children can play games on ABCya.com for free. However, parents can opt to purchase a monthly, yearly, or annual subscription plan if they wish to remove ads and access other special features.
Takeaway
Educational computer games are an excellent way to provide kids with both entertainment and learning opportunities. Educational games can teach kids anything from reading, writing, and math skills to history, geographical facts, coding, and more. Look through the PC games in this article to find one or more that your kid will love.
About
Dr. Carrie Jackson, PhD
