Good Educational Games

[SamSpade]

I've been observing how my son learns. This may be true for a lot of kids, but he does terrible when learning requires repeated listening to cues - but learns very, very well by trial and error. For example, I could NOT teach him to drive his Jeep, and he did very badly for about 30 minutes his first time out.

After an hour though, he could thread a needle backwards with it, at full speed. Ditto for electronic gadgets. Before long, he is instructing ME how to use them. And he's only five.

I've noticed lately his electronic games and computer games are not challenging enough. He still likes to play them, because who wouldn't want to win every game you play? But he needs challenges.

I'd like to know which games your kids enjoy the most, and learn the most from. Right now, at five, he still needs them to be fun, and some things I've gotten for him - well I don't think they've been play-tested well. For example, some games teach "keyboarding" - for a kid learning the alphabet, trying to find letters on a keyboard while the clock ticks isn't any fun.

What do your kids play?

 

[cattitude]

IMO, the most "educational" games are played outside with other children..learning life skills, etc.

Or at least playing with balls, bats, catching/throwing, etc.

 

[libertytyranny]

too many "educational" games are designed to be easy..false confidence and keeps them in business... parents think, oh look johnny said Hola, he's really benefitting from that spanish hand held game...when in reality he has learned nothing but memorization of a repeated word... The best learning is done by problem solving..which as you have already figured out..is done by trial and error by most people..children especially. Who will learn in time "shortcuts" to the desired affect. Taking the jeep out and letting him figure it out without help taught him more than HOURS of those games.

most of my favorite problem solving type activities are a little too sophisticated for 5 year olds ( once he hits like 7 or so...they can be so much fun)..but things like new toys you have to figure out...or building a specific thing out of legos ...or trying to make an art project look like an example..are all really useful. And don't help. having him figure it out on his own will be absolutely invaluable when he is older and can begin to apply better logic. Play is the best teacher!

 

[SamSpade]

most of my favorite problem solving type activities are a little too sophisticated for 5 year olds ( once he hits like 7 or so...they can be so much fun)..but things like new toys you have to figure out...or building a specific thing out of legos ...or trying to make an art project look like an example..are all really useful. And don't help. having him figure it out on his own will be absolutely invaluable when he is older and can begin to apply better logic. Play is the best teacher!

He's hit or miss with some art things - he has a blackboard and drawing easel, and these have greatly improved his finger strength. Same with clay. And he's still a kid - drawing a fish with a mustache is still more fun than drawing one accurately.

He's still a little immature for some toys, but I've begun making puzzles and word games for him to answer - on the order of "what am I?" kind of questions. He can be fairly inventive - I've been surprised by alternative answers he's come up with.

For over a year and a half I ask him questions regarding his ability to observe. He has weak areas, but he's very good at remembering things - like the names of people he's met once, or what kind of car they drove. And I do what my parents did - answer questions WRONG or sing songs with the wrong words so that he tries to correct me with the right one. Nothing quite motivates him like proving Daddy he's wrong.

He gets plenty of physical activity - he's the only kid I know whom OTHER kids say he wears them out. One thing he's not short of is physical play.

He's just weak in spelling, writing, math and vocabulary. Most of his board games and toys help him with memory but not reasoning.

 

[twinoaks207]

Just for starters: (kid-tested & approved favorites)

Starfall's Learn to Read with phonics (kid favorite grades PreK - 2)

Between the Lions | PBS KIDS! (can also go to other PBS kids sites by clicking on the green face in the upper left corner -- rotating wheel of choices like Curious George, Cat in the Hat, etc. All are good!) Grades PreK - 1.

Reading Is Fundamental | Leading to Reading Home mostly for grades PreK - K. Includes a section for parents as do most of the sites for this age group.

(I'll post more later -- need to check my list at school)

 

[cattitude]

He's just weak in spelling, writing, math and vocabulary. Most of his board games and toys help him with memory but not reasoning.

He's FIVE.

 

[daylily]

Just for starters: (kid-tested & approved favorites)

Starfall's Learn to Read with phonics (kid favorite grades PreK - 2)

Between the Lions | PBS KIDS! (can also go to other PBS kids sites by clicking on the green face in the upper left corner -- rotating wheel of choices like Curious George, Cat in the Hat, etc. All are good!) Grades PreK - 1.

Reading Is Fundamental | Leading to Reading Home mostly for grades PreK - K. Includes a section for parents as do most of the sites for this age group.

(I'll post more later -- need to check my list at school)

Just took a quick look at those sites, thanks for sharing!

 

[SamSpade]

Just for starters: (kid-tested & approved favorites)

Starfall's Learn to Read with phonics (kid favorite grades PreK - 2)

Between the Lions | PBS KIDS! (can also go to other PBS kids sites by clicking on the green face in the upper left corner -- rotating wheel of choices like Curious George, Cat in the Hat, etc. All are good!) Grades PreK - 1.

Reading Is Fundamental | Leading to Reading Home mostly for grades PreK - K. Includes a section for parents as do most of the sites for this age group.

(I'll post more later -- need to check my list at school)

These are great. Thank you so much.

 

[vraiblonde]

I think he's too young to be driving, but that may just be me.

When they were little, my kids enjoyed what I called "domino math". You pull out a domino, he counts the dots on both sides of the bone, and you teach him addition and subtraction. "How many on this side? How many on the other side? What's this plus this equal?" With the doubles, you can teach him x2 multiplication. Instead of memorizing, they could actually see it and put it into practice, plus it's fun.

 

[SamSpade]

I think he's too young to be driving, but that may just be me.

When they were little, my kids enjoyed what I called "domino math". You pull out a domino, he counts the dots on both sides of the bone, and you teach him addition and subtraction. "How many on this side? How many on the other side? What's this plus this equal?" With the doubles, you can teach him x2 multiplication. Instead of memorizing, they could actually see it and put it into practice, plus it's fun.

Yep. We do that with dice. The "Cootie" game seems to want to teach kids to recognize the die number on sight. He still has a hard time not counting the same dots again. And he doesn't "get" math except by rote memorization - he knows the answer but doesn't know what it means. Games like Hi Ho Cherry O teach mostly counting.

I never realized what a challenge it can be to teach a small child. Keeping his attention is usually harder than teaching the material, although he almost always hears more of what I am saying than he lets on.

 

[BadGirl]

Should I feel badly that I don't play games with my five year old? No Hi-Ho-Cherry-O, no Shoots-N-Ladders, nor this nor that. We don't even play checkers or memory card games.

We do spend a hell of a lot of time outside counting acorns, seeing how tall the trees have grown in our makeshift greenhouse, plant seeds in peat pots, seeing how high we can both swing on the swingset, and how fast we can run to the end of the road to get the mail.

This morning, I asked him what his idea of a "perfect day" meant to him. His response: "snuggling with you and daddy, and playing cars with [little neighbor boy across the street], and camping in the back yard."

 

[libertytyranny]

Yep. We do that with dice. The "Cootie" game seems to want to teach kids to recognize the die number on sight. He still has a hard time not counting the same dots again. And he doesn't "get" math except by rote memorization - he knows the answer but doesn't know what it means. Games like Hi Ho Cherry O teach mostly counting.

I never realized what a challenge it can be to teach a small child. Keeping his attention is usually harder than teaching the material, although he almost always hears more of what I am saying than he lets on.

it may be hard to remember sometimes that kids are not tiny adults..their thinking and reasoning skills develop as they get older, and no amount of teaching will make it faster. age of reason hits around age 7 or so..(maybe a little later for boys, thats a debate) and he will begint o grasp math concepts a lot better then. Until then, taking advantage of his awesome memory at this point may be to work on vocab (using novel words around him often) and maybe even another language.

 

[Pete]

it may be hard to remember sometimes that kids are not tiny adults..their thinking and reasoning skills develop as they get older, and no amount of teaching will make it faster. age of reason hits around age 7 or so..(maybe a little later for boys, thats a debate) and he will begint o grasp math concepts a lot better then. Until then, taking advantage of his awesome memory at this point may be to work on vocab (using novel words around him often) and maybe even another language.

Mine is 14 and still has no reasoning skills. Should I keep waiting?

 

[libertytyranny]

Mine is 14 and still has no reasoning skills. Should I keep waiting?

teens CAN reason, but being able to reason BEFORE they act on an impulse is something that doesn't develop until..oh I dunno..a good 30 years later?

 

[Pete]

teens CAN reason, but being able to reason BEFORE they act on an impulse is something that doesn't develop until..oh I dunno..a good 30 years later?

Last night he started the dryer without putting the clothes out of the washer in. He tried to blame it on being tired.

 

[cattitude]

Mine is 14 and still has no reasoning skills. Should I keep waiting?

I believe I have you beat.

 

[daylily]

Last night he started the dryer without putting the clothes out of the washer in. He tried to blame it on being tired.

Yes, I think you better keep waiting. My hubby is 38 and decided to start a pot of coffee as he left for the gym so it'd be ready when I got up. Such a nice gesture........but he forgot to put the coffee in there so I woke up to hot water.

 

[cattitude]

Should I feel badly that I don't play games with my five year old? No Hi-Ho-Cherry-O, no Shoots-N-Ladders, nor this nor that. We don't even play checkers or memory card games.

We do spend a hell of a lot of time outside counting acorns, seeing how tall the trees have grown in our makeshift greenhouse, plant seeds in peat pots, seeing how high we can both swing on the swingset, and how fast we can run to the end of the road to get the mail.

This morning, I asked him what his idea of a "perfect day" meant to him. His response: "snuggling with you and daddy, and playing cars with [little neighbor boy across the street], and camping in the back yard."

When we used to go to the grocery store, we'd count..colors...slowly upped it to reading, adding, etc. Did that with street signs..any number of things. We played games too but more made games/learning out of whatever situation.

 

[Pete]

I believe I have you beat.

Tell him happy birthday

 

[Bann]

IMO, the most "educational" games are played outside with other children..learning life skills, etc.

Or at least playing with balls, bats, catching/throwing, etc.

He's just weak in spelling, writing, math and vocabulary. Most of his board games and toys help him with memory but not reasoning.

He's FIVE.

I think he's too young to be driving, but that may just be me.

When they were little, my kids enjoyed what I called "domino math". You pull out a domino, he counts the dots on both sides of the bone, and you teach him addition and subtraction. "How many on this side? How many on the other side? What's this plus this equal?" With the doubles, you can teach him x2 multiplication. Instead of memorizing, they could actually see it and put it into practice, plus it's fun.

to all of the above!

When we used to go to the grocery store, we'd count..colors...slowly upped it to reading, adding, etc. Did that with street signs..any number of things. We played games too but more made games/learning out of whatever situation.

Should I feel badly that I don't play games with my five year old? No Hi-Ho-Cherry-O, no Shoots-N-Ladders, nor this nor that. We don't even play checkers or memory card games.

We do spend a hell of a lot of time outside counting acorns, seeing how tall the trees have grown in our makeshift greenhouse, plant seeds in peat pots, seeing how high we can both swing on the swingset, and how fast we can run to the end of the road to get the mail.

This morning, I asked him what his idea of a "perfect day" meant to him. His response: "snuggling with you and daddy, and playing cars with [little neighbor boy across the street], and camping in the back yard."

Heck no - I think that's Utopia for a kid! Since I was a SAHM with a military spouse, we didn't have a lot of expendable cash in our budget for all the latest gizmos and toys. I think all the things I did with my kids that involved my TIME were much more valuable then most of what a kid could learn in pre-school. Of course, having 1 kid who had learning challenges and 1 kid who didn't, I had help with Thing1 through the schools and I learned a LOT about teaching him through that experience. But I also realized a lot of what they do is what a lot of SAHM's do. They always did a lot of hands on learning with kids who have various learning disorders. Just cooking with a child (not just kids with learning issues) teaches them math, reasoning skills, science techniques, social skills and it's fun! (some of my son's classrooms had kitchens, which was frequently incorporated into the lessons of the school day/week).

He's hit or miss with some art things - he has a blackboard and drawing easel, and these have greatly improved his finger strength. Same with clay. And he's still a kid - drawing a fish with a mustache is still more fun than drawing one accurately.

For fine motor skills, I highly recommend Legos, K'nex and those types of building toys. Even Lincoln Logs. Thing1 had significant fine motor skill problems, and I'm convinced the years of playing with his Legos, etc. were the best thing for him. There are other great "manipulatives" available through educational stores if you wanted to check them out.