Game Websites For Kids

     Kids love to play games on the web, and you can find a lot of free games that your kids will enjoy.  Some have educational value, and some do not.  I have tried to take the hassle out of searching for games for you, and have provided you with some links to online games that are appropriate for kids.  I would suggest that you bookmark some of these sites so that your child can access them easily.  Please remember to view everything yourself prior to having your children access the sites.

PBS Kids

This site has coloring pages that your child can print, games to play, videos to watch, and music to listen to.  Games are organized by television show, so if your child loves Barney, he/she can click on the Barney icon and find two games:  Imagination Castle, and Clean Up.  If your child enjoys watching Arthur, he or she can access six games:  Tower of Cows, Crank it Up, Let's Draw Arthur, 100th Episode Brain Game, Story Scramble, and Global Gizmo.  There are many other shows and games included.  This game website is recommended for younger children, preschool through second grade.  This is a great site for children who are just beginning to read and just becoming comfortable on the computer, and parents can rest comfortably, knowing that this website is safe for children.

Kids Games

This site has 1191 Free games and activities, recommended for kids up to ten years old.  Games are organized into categories.  Some of those categories include books (read stories), music, animations, creative games, spot the differences, cards, jigsaws and puzzles, shapes, sorting, silly games, choices and decisions, catch me, coordination games, coloring pages, print and paint, and manual activities.  This site also has educational categories which include logic, patterns and functions, parts and wholes, sorting and sets, numbers, decision-making, creativity, and imagination.  While I do not think your child will enjoy this site as well due to lack of animations, you, as a parent will probably like it because it has educational games.

Cool Math Games

This site has a lot of math games that teach lessons and require children to use logic and math skills.  There is a parking mania game, a maze race, pool geometry, gravity grid, and more.  I would recommend this site for elementary children.

Nickelodeon

This site has all the Nickelodeon shows and games related to those shows.  If  your child enjoys Nickelodeon, he/she will enjoy playing these games.  Some of the top games include Pier 13 Throwdown, Kash Krab, Cooking Up Trouble, Sockengarten Saga, Fiery Tracks of Fury, Ultimate Enemy Face Off, Sandy Chop Chop, Bubble Blower, and Krabby Katch.  Your child can also click on the icon of his/her favorite show and choose games and videos from that show.  Your child will never get tired of this website because there are new games put on every week.  For parents, this site looks like a nonstop commercial, but for children, they love it because there are lots of bright colors, actions, animations, and videos.

Funbrain

This site includes the categories of math, reading, arcade, playground, and all games.  The neat thing about this site is that it will satisfy your child, his/her parents, and even the teacher.  It is fun and interactive for the child, yet educational, which satisfies parents and teachers.  For teachers, there is even a section that helps them locate games appropriate for standards that are being taught in class.  Flash cards can even be printed for practice.  In addition to games, there are also web books on the site, so you can make a deal with your child.  He or she can play games for fifteen minutes, and then read for fifteen minutes.  Sounds like a winner to me!  (Especially if you don't want your child to look like this!)