In many ways, learning through play is the holy grail of education. One of the best ways to get a child to learn is by making it fun – and all kids love to play.
Of course, determining which sort of games are best for your children can be a bit of a minefield, and it can be tough to know what educational aspects you should be looking for. In this article, you’ll learn of eight great options covering a broad spectrum of teaching methods!
1. Minecraft
Starting off with a video game – and one of the biggest hits of the last two decades of that – there’s Minecraft. Minecraft is a relatively simple game but with extensive depths; the player is tasked with ‘surviving’ in a randomly generated, blocky open world, in which they must gather materials to build shelter and craft key items. For example, on Skyblock servers, each player starts on their own tiny floating island. Kids get to gather resources, build, and sometimes team up with friends—turning survival into a fun challenge that sparks creativity and teamwork.The game promotes spatial reasoning, creativity, and even teamwork if played online in multiplayer mode. It’s great fun for kids and something they can invest many hours in, and realistically, there’s nothing else that rivals it.
2. Scrabble Junior
As the title suggests, Scrabble Junior follows the same principles as regular Scrabble but is targeted at the younger audience. Each player has an assortment of letters, and the goal is to create the best words to fit in the number of spaces on the board that are available.The better each player’s vocabulary, the better they perform, and naturally, Scrabble is a great aid for actually building vocabulary and learning new words. It improves the player’s spelling skills and letter recognition, and like many board games of this type, teaches them to think strategically to maximize their points.
3. Pinball
Pinball is another classic game that many might not realize has educational utility. For those who haven’t played before, the game revolves around using two buttons to flip a pair of paddles against a ball, in order to target specific hi-scoring areas of the board.First and foremost, the game introduces kids to the principles of physics – it necessitates that the player hones sharp hand-eye coordination and reflexes to use the minimalist tools provided to achieve a high score. It’s a timeless classic that given the sorts of skills it fosters, has a carry-over to many aspects of life – from creative pursuits like art to various sports.
4. Kahoot!
Kahoot! is unique given its flexibility for being played both in the classroom and at home. The game works by presenting the player with special multiple-choice quizzes known as ‘Kahoots’, that are accessed online or via the official app. There are a wide range of subjects on offer from math to history, and the platform has been designed to be as fun and engaging as possible for a younger audience.The aim is to improve cognitive aspects such as comprehension and memory retention, and the time-based format requires kids to learn to think on their feet and make decisions quickly. It’s also collaborative, pushing players to work as a team to do well.
5. LEGO Sets and LEGO Education Kits
LEGO has been around for a long time, and its application has been greatly extended since its initial inception as just a toy. It provides children with a great opportunity to develop fine motor skills and spatial awareness, as well as deeper concepts such as engineering and physics.And that’s just the basic sets. The company has also launched LEGO Education – kits that are specifically tailored to incorporating lessons in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math). Ultimately, LEGO offers a unique way to teach problem-solving, perseverance, and many other skills that children will go on to use in adulthood.
6. Zoo Tycoon
The video game Zoo Tycoon has seen many iterations in its time on the market. The premise is relatively simple, but again, there are many hidden educational properties. No matter which version of the game you play, you’re tasked with managing all aspects of a fully functioning zoo – it’s a video game that fits firmly into the ‘simulation’ genre. Players learn all about budgeting and organizing, and there are naturally a lot of cool facts about animals to discover, too.Animal biology and conservation are major factors of the game, and giving kids a simulated way to learn project management is something you don’t find in many other educational settings.
7. The Oregon Trail
As far as educational video games go, The Oregon Trail was one of the first to hit the market back in 1975, with the most recent release hitting online storefronts in 2021.Another simulation game, The Oregon Trail puts players in the shoes of 19th-century pioneers traveling across America. It’s a great game for kids to learn the importance of sound reasoning, decision-making, and resource management, and there’s even a fair share of history in there as the player begins to learn about the challenges faced by early settlers.
The latest version of the game is also very accessible, available on a wide range of systems from Apple iOS devices to Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms.
8. Portal
Portal, alongside its predecessor Portal 2, is widely considered to be one of the best video games ever made – and it’s also found a new home as an educational tool in that time.Best for slightly older children (11 years old and up), the premise is very simple, but also very clever. The player is in control of a protagonist called Chell, who must navigate a series of ‘test chambers’ to escape a futuristic science facility. They do so by using the portal gun – a device that allows the placement of two portals. Walk through one portal, and you come out of the other one; there are a myriad of interesting puzzles for players to think through based solely on this ingenious concept.
Spacial awareness is a key skill, as are strategy and general puzzle-solving. It’s a great game to get people thinking.
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