There are numerous websites that allow people to get free games for them or their children to play. There is a general misconception that video games are all like "Grand Theft Auto," which has been unfairly labeled as a "murder simulator." Many parents still believe games are little more than violence and inappropriate content, despite industry efforts to prove otherwise. The reality is that the truly violent and offensive games are a minority in the industry – one that sells, but still not the dominant game type – and most games can be considered safe for children to play, supervised or not. Many games are designed to be playable by as large a market as possible, meaning the whole family can get it on the action.
If you have toddlers at home, then there are also free games which are interactive and can help develop their visual intellect. There are also more active games that can hone their hand-eye coordination. Other games that they might find interesting are those that involve animals wherein your child has to be able to click on and identify them.
There are also free games offered for preschoolers with cartoon characters and animation. There are also easy puzzle games where your kids can learn the basic concepts of math, language, music as well as social behavior and differentiating right from wrong. Other popular features are arts and crafts like coloring which most kids this age enjoy.
Meanwhile, more complicated and advanced games are suitable for children who are already going to school. These may include puzzle games, math games, music games, language games, spelling games, word games or vocabulary games.
Parents should be able to find websites that have games for their kids without too much trouble. A number of them offer simple games that are also educational in nature. Popular examples, for both parents and kids, are the math-based "Batter’s Up Baseball" and "Lemonade Larry." The former lets kids practice their math skills with a baseball game as backdrop, while the latter teaches basic math and business skills through running a lemonade stand.
A lot of options are available for kids. More often than not, they are visually stimulating with a simple format, so kids at a very young age will be able to understand the ideas and come up with solutions easily. With these games, even if your kids are out of school already, their learning continues, but in a more refreshing setting.
As for teenagers, intellectually challenging games like Sudoku, complicated puzzle games and logic puzzles are interesting choices. More popular categories are animation and video games which center on adventures and quests.
Most of these online games only require a computer and a mouse to play. You can also choose to download some of these games and play them offline at your convenience. However, statistics have shown that logic puzzles are still a viable genre for this age bracket. Even an action-oriented game can be useful, particularly for developing quick thinking and reaction times.
Children can get some benefit out of these online games. Language skills can be improved with a number of simple word games, for example. Some of these games encourage analysis and logical thinking, while others are designed to require a sharp eye and attention to detail. By playing many games, it is possible to improve a child’s attention span. The sense of achievement and congratulations from the game itself can boost self-esteem and encourage further exploration.