It’s been more than a year since this global pandemic scale has broken out. People had to stay inside their homes, numerous lifestyle changes had to happen, kids had to stop going to face-to-face classes and adapt to a different kind of learning style instead. Virtual classes and video calls are becoming a part of the new normal, significantly bumping their screentime during these times. In a span of 1 and a half years since this pandemic started, a lot of things have changed, and as a mother, it scares me the most.
The kids are starting to feel more bored than ever, with the repetitive and mundane tasks they have to do on a daily basis, I felt that my 7-year-old daughter’s childhood experience has been affected the most. We love going outdoors, she likes playing with her friends, and even misses her besties from school.
While I know that some moms aren’t comfortable with kids and screen time, I personally felt that this time around, I can make an exception about it. They don’t get to do much – we don’t have a large backyard so she can endlessly run around, and without siblings, she needs a different form of entertainment. Sure, we still play pretend, dress up her dolls, build a fortress made out of blankets and play tag, but one thing that I’ve found to be helping her cope up with all these shenanigans is being able to let her play online games.
Isn’t It Too Risky?
According to one of UNICEF’s reports Growing Up in a Connected World, there’s a small percentage that children may experience adverse reactions while using the computer, a gaming console, or anything related to any digital and online experience. However, these adverse reactions aren’t closely and directly related to the number of hours they’ve spent online. Instead of focusing on tracking the hours spent online, parents are strongly advised to track their “activities” and the different kinds of “content” they are exposed to.
With that being said, even though we’ve allowed our daughter to stay connected, we make sure that we control the content that she can watch, play, and the people she can talk to virtually. I and my husband have also set strict “gadget” hours. This way, our daughter can still enjoy technology and give her just the right amount of time to enjoy both online and offline activities. At the end of the day, it’s all about maintaining balance.
Kid-Friendly Online Resources and Games
ABC Mouse
A few years back, when the pandemic hit, I’ve wanted to find different online sources that will combine both games and learning, and I stumbled upon ABCmouse.com. Children can listen to both music and books, read some books, play games and go through numerous levels and progress by finishing various tasks and challenges. It has a free 30-day trial to see if it’s a fit for you and your child.
YouTube Kids
I gotta be honest, we’re not crazily strict that we don’t allow her to watch YouTube, but it has to be from our approved channels and sources. YouTube Kids is our go-to, and we filter out some shows that we feel aren’t appropriate for her age. This is YouTube’s designated app / website for pre-schoolers to kids up to age of 12. What I like about this is that I can create a separate profile for my little one, so that the videos she can watch are geared towards their age. It has a timer feature that limits their screen time and automatically locks the app unless unlocked by an adult or guardian.
Plays.Org
When it comes to online games, plays.org is definitely on top of our list, and I’m super glad to have come across the site.
As a kid, I grew up playing gaming consoles with my brother, and to be quite honest, these moments I’ve been playing with my brother has always been happy and memorable. I wouldn’t want to stop her from experiencing these joys and I believe that getting exposed to the gaming world has a lot of benefits.
- Improve reading skills
- Enhance communication skills
- Helps children nurture their relationships with playmates/friends
- Enhances the child’s vocabulary
- Increases emotional intellect
- Helps relieve and manage stress, especially during these trying times
- Learn multi-tasking
As I’ve mentioned, it is up to us parents to ensure that we create a good balance between learning, fun and games. My daughter likes playing with us and it has been a part of our family bonding. With that in mind, I had to try out a variety of games from Plays.Org to make sure that it’s age appropriate for my daughter. Before we dive deep into some of our favorite games, here are some reasons why I like this website. (I may have to create a separate post for an in-depth review about this, but here’s a brief overview about the site. I felt like talking about this in general could benefit most parents out there who are looking for safer online gaming alternatives than the typical ones out there).
No Ads
Advertisements are sometimes invasive, and come on – sometimes, they’re not even appropriate for our little ones. Plays.org doesn’t have any kind of ads running in between games so you and your little one can enjoy these games without any interruptions.
Free!!!
I wouldn’t mind paying for a subscription, especially if the service, game or platform is really good. It’s one of the things I love about most about the site – there’s no cost to join, there are no limitations and you can try out as many games as you want.
Multiple Game Categories to Choose From
There’s no one-size fits all when it comes to online games. What I love most about it is that there are multiple categories and there’s always a game that the three of us would agree to play together! Educational, Simulation Games, Base Defense, Sports Games, Card Games are just some of the game categories to try out!
Here are some of our favorite games so far:
- 2 Minutes to Escape – there’s something oddly satisfying about retro and pixel games. 2-minutes to escape is a timed puzzle game. Your objective is to get out of the room before the rocket explodes – and you have to do it in 2 minutes or less, or else – you’ll go kaboom!
- Penguin Cafe Pizza Restaurant – Get to play as a penguin waitress, Berta. It has a Diner Dash feel (hello 90’s kids, where you at?!). Your child can anticipate patterns, learn timing and proper time management!
- Math Battle – I loved Math growing up – maybe because my Mom used to turn these Math activities into something fun! I don’t believe that kids should be afraid of numbers! With Math Battle, the objective is simple. Play as a dinosaur and defeat your opponent! When you answer an arithmetic question correctly, you get to attack. Get it wrong, and you’ll be attacked.
Browser-Based
There’s no need to download anything as all of these games are browser-based. This means that you don’t need a powerful laptop or computer to enjoy playing the games. Some games found within the website also offer mobile-friendly cross browser support – so this can be used on most smartphone devices and tablets. Pretty cool, right?
Scratch
A few months back, I enrolled my daughter to a robotics coding program, and they’ve used Scratch as their coding platform. They had the chance to create beautiful storyboards, animations and even games. It’s the perfect way to challenge their problem-solving and analytical skills. It’s not required to enroll in one of the classes as Scratch offers comprehensive tutorials. Win-win! If you think your child has an interest in coding, or would love to try it out for themselves, you may download the program here.
Final Thoughts
Various conclusive studies both in the US and UK have indicated that playing online video games have a significant effect on kids’ hand and eye coordination. This alone is beneficial especially to those young, developing bodies and minds. Instead of looking at these games as a negative thing, we can turn them into a positive activity that could hone their mind and skills, while incorporating fun and learning altogether. Different supporting studies have concluded that online games are more helpful, rather than harmful. As parents, it is then our duty to offer proper guidance on which content and games they can play, as well as develop a routine and schedule so they also get to do and enjoy other physical activities.
Understanding internet safety is another essential step you must remember, should you decide to allow your kids to play online games. Always monitor your kid’s online activities, ensuring that they aren’t exposed to language, themes and other topics that aren’t appropriate to their age. Also, brief your child to make sure that they don’t provide any essential information such as their location, name, and age. For younger kids, if you have the option to turn off the chatting option, please do until they understand this concept.
Letting your child play online games give them an opportunity to grow as better individuals, with more enhanced vocabulary and develop other skills! As long as you know what internet safety is and as long as you follow these days, online games can create a wonderful and positive experience for your child in a whole different level.
What are your thoughts about online games? What are the games that you and your kids love playing? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Aine Austria is a content creator, freelancer, entrepreneur, essential oils educator, nacho lover, and mom to an adorable daughter. She helps aspiring mom bloggers and entrepreneurs launch their blog, alongside other money-making opportunities. Aine believes that everyone has a story to tell and that their experiences and talents can be shared with the world.
Aine’s passion for writing and sharing her knowledge with others started at a young age. Growing up, she always loved to read books, write stories, and express herself through words. She strongly believes that moms can still pursue their dreams and passions while raising a family, and she aims to inspire other moms to do the same through her work.
Leave a Reply