Online Games for Kids – that this mummy actually likes

 

Do your kids play online games? We had so many rules and restrictions in place about the games that the kids could and couldn’t play and when they were allowed to play online games for kids, but then covid hit and lockdown became their reality and I just had to let them play with their friends online.
Since the world has gone back to normal (ish), I have found it hard to dial back on the amount of time they spend playing online games for kids and so I recently decided if you can’t beat them join them and I have started to take more interest in the games that they are playing and try to find some online games for kids that I am happy for them to play and that I might even join in with.

Having said that there are still clearly limits on their screen time and of course school work comes first, but I have just accepted that online games for kids aren’t all bad and am finding common ground with my online games loving kids (and husband for that matter)

In this post I am sharing some of the games and sites that we have been using and the online games for kids that I am personally ok with my children playing.

Solitaire.Org Free Online Games

 

Solitaire.Org is the reason that I am currently writing this post at 10:30pm… I got sucked into Solitaire and couldn’t stop.  I forgot how much fun that game is!  I haven’t taught my kids to play Solitaire yet, but having played online today I am definitely going to share this with them as it really does get the brain working.  You have to pay attention and so I think it would be a great game for the kids to learn.

This is the only game that you can play on this free game site there are loads of games to play.  Too many to count.  I have been using the site for few weeks now as a break during the day or as an alternative to a bit of TV once the kids have gone to bed and I have found quite a few games that I have enjoyed and I have not even scratched the surface of the variations that they have.  The main thing I like about this site is that all of the games are ones that make you use your brain to work out puzzles and so, for me, I prefer the kids to have a bit of time on games like the ones here than some of today’s games. 

Some of the games that we have been enjoying on the site are Sudoku, Mahjong and logic puzzles even minesweeper which I had forgotten existed, but have now introduced to my kids.  My favourite so far have been the matching games; they just remind me of games back in the day…

I have been playing the Daily Same Game the most and finding it both fun and frustrating as I am not that good at it.  Maybe I am showing my age, but I love the more simple games like this one and I won’t lie I have actually spent hours playing matching games on this site – don’t tell my kids 🙂

If you are looking for a site that has games to challenge your brain and get you thinking logically and puzzle solving then I fully recommend Solitaire.Org  

This site is not about fancy graphics and realism it is about solving puzzles, playing games and perhaps just having a bit of time out.  Each game only lasts a few minutes so they are a perfect time filler and although I have spent a while playing each of the games is essentially stand alone so you can just drop in and out of these games and when we are talking about kids playing that is something that I like.  

Times Table Rockstars

As it sounds from the title TT Rockstars is all about kids doing times tables, but it is actually fun and they really love it. When it comes to online games for kids you can’t go wrong if the kids are learning at the same as playing.

TT Rockstars is actually used by my kid’s school and that is how I learned about it. They are asked to use this as part of their homework and yet I never have to pester them to use it they are more than willing!

https://ttrockstars.com/home

What seems to engage them is the challenge within the game. They can challenge their friends, but mostly they are playing essentially against themselves to move up through the game by increasing their accuracy and speed with the times tables. My kids find it really motivating and are so engaged by playing this online game for kids.
There is a charge for using TT Rockstars, but it is only £7 per year and that allows you to add 3 kids so the price is amazing!

Plays.Org Online Games for Kids (and adults)

This site is great for online games for kids and for a mummy who isn’t so sure about all this online game stuff as they are all simple to play for a start!
Plays.Org is a site that has loads of free games that you can play without needing to download them. Everything is split into categories including arcade games (which I loved as it harks back to the old days of pacman and tetris) and educational games which again really appeals to me as a mummy.

The thing that I really like about this site is that the games are really simple. They are fun, but are not about adding more and more kit and not about creating an addiction like some others I could mention… Lots of the games are the types that you can just dip in and out of and even I could play them. I am not gifted when it comes to playing online games. I blame my age as this stuff didn’t even exist when I was little!

The characters in many of the games are cartoony and so even if they are shooting cannons as in the Lux Ahoy game which I must say I also found fun. In Lux Ahoy you are trying to sink your opponents ship, but you take it in turns to shoot the cannon and it is all cartoon and you are also trying to collect coins.

There is no gore or blood it is just fun and silly and it’s a perfect quick game where the boys can feel like they had some screen time, but we aren’t into hours spent online! For me that is a great online game for kids.

And just look how cute the characters are:

I am also a fan of not having to register for an account on play as I don’t like my kids being registered with online games. I feel like they can stay more anonymous and here there is also no chance of them accidently clicking on a paid ad and there is no potential of my children pestering me to buy stuff within a game as that just isn’t an option.  There are also no adverts which is a huge plus for this mummy as my kids are an advertisers dream – they see it they want it!

There are still games that my kids enjoy though. The fact that these are typically short, dip in and dip out games means that they can try lots of different ones and honestly they have the attention span of gnats so they are always asking me for new online games so the fact that there are so many options within play.org and they are all free makes it so easy for me as the parent.

The boys particularly like the Battleships Game as they love that board game so having an online version is perfect for them:

There are so many games on this site that we haven’t even tried them all yet, but what I can tell you is that there are some really fun games and that as a mummy I have felt really comfortable with my kids playing on this site. I have also enjoyed showing them some of the games I liked when I was a kid.

Among Us

I am not usually a fan of online games for kids that involve playing with other people, but I actually quite like Among Us as the kids are able to play within a closed group with their friends and I like the premise of the game.

Among Us is about the crew of a spaceship trying to get back to their civilisation, but they have an alien imposter in their midst. The object of the game is to identify the imposter if you are part of the crew and for the imposter the object is to bump off the crew without getting caught…

The thing about Among Us that I have found really fun is that is has inspired offline imaginative games among the kids. They actually play Among Us in the park and have spent hours colouring in pictures of the cute characters.

Among Us games are short and snappy and I really like that as it means I can say you can play one round which limits screen time without having to be too draconian.
This is a paid game but it is not an expensive one. On steam, where my kids play this game, it is £3.99

Reading Eggs

This is fantastic app for helping your kids learn to read through play and we have been using it for many years now. Recently, as my kids get older, we have moved on from it, but I still really recommend it and it is suitable for up to age 13. It is just that my older children are happy with their books and one of the boys has been struggling with literacy and so is getting additional help and is using specific programmes for his needs.

Read with Phonics

Read with Phonics is another learning game for kids (which comes in the form of an app) that we have really enjoyed using and you can read my full review here: Read with Phonics

Do you have any other online games for kids that you would recommend for a mummy that isn’t so sure about all this screen time, but accepts that it is inevitable and has game loving kids?