Computer games that help my kids learn
Kids these days have to have knowledge of computers just to do their homework! How nuts is that? Some schools even give the kids laptops or iPads so they are able to do their work at home. Everything has become so technology based these days it's hard to do anything without some kind of computer helping.
To help my kids learn about the computer I bought a game called JumpStart at a yard sale. I wasn't sure if it was something they would like doing or if it was even worth getting but I'm glad I did. Here's a little about JumpStart:
JumpStart has set the standard in kids’ educational software for over 15 years. Today, the JumpStart experience is more engaging, interactive, and fun than ever! JumpStart Advanced games are grade-based and range from toddlers, preschool, kindergarten, and grades 1-6, with grades 4-6 bundled in one package. They have a website and a blog where they post all the new things.
What I like most about this game is that it grows as your child learns the lessons. There are 12 steps to the game my kids play. The oldest is on the 6th step already! When the seasons change the game graphics change as well. Like for Thanksgiving there were leaves, fall colors, turkeys and all the festive stuff around the whole town. I'm able to go online and check out their progress and they can go back to any lower level at any time to play more if they would like. They get a pet in the game. A dog, cat or pig that they have to take care of. They feed it and water it and clean it. Dress it up and play with it even. It of course doesn't die if it doesn't get any of this but it is part of the quests to move on. When my son plays he's more worried about getting his dog clean then anything else. This game also helps them learn the use of the mouse and the keyboard. Also becoming a member online I am able to download all the JumpStart games to my computer for free. I can't wait to see what the other ones are like.
I have tried lots of other childrens PC games as well. Doing FCC in the past I had to have a wide range of things for kids to do to work on their computer skills. The Adventure Workshop, Reader Rabbit games are great for the toddlers and preschoolers. It's a lot easier to manuver and the games aren't as hard to get through. You don't have a progress on those and they don't grow with the child but they aren't always the same answers either. My son really loved playing the Reader Rabbit games in Italy, as did the other kids I watched.
Adventure Workshop also does games with Dr. Seuss and Arthur. My kids weren't real fond of the Arthur ones and got bored fast with the Dr. Seuss.
There are also a lot of online "free" games that kids can play. I don't like downloading a lot of things onto my computer if I don't have to so I don't allow my kids to play those.
It's amazing to me how much life has changed since I was a kid. I still remember the big 3 1/2 inch floppy discs, the DOS prompt, the dial up internet. I even grew up with 8 track tapes! At my kids' school everything in their school is Apple made. They even have iPads they let the kids use during the day and my kids are in Kindergarden and 1st grade! That's nuts to me but I'm so glad my kids are getting the experiance early in life.
