In a recent article we looked at how games designed specifically for preschool children can help with their development and prepare them for the National Curriculum. These sites are designed to encourage children to get used to the mouse and keyboard controls and to grow familiar with the computer screen.
Many of these offer excellent facilities for children to play games that are educational and beneficial. Here we list five sites that really keep children’s needs in mind.
1. Internet4Classrooms
Not only does this site host information and links to a huge number of resources, but it caters for all ages up until Key Stage 12. The Mouse Skills Resources page includes over 40 different sites that have games and activities to help teach young children control of the mouse. A superb site that is worth keeping on your Favourites tab.
2. Nick Jr.
While this site does have some activities that are not entirely educational in nature, there are enough games and activities that do help your preschooler to learn new skills to make up for it. Each game comes with a breakdown of the developmental skills it helps to develop, and the site has games for older children too.
3. UpToTen
You’ll probably join the ranks of adoring parent fans when you encounter this site. It is, as the name suggests, a site for kids up to the age of ten and it is literally packed with educational activities and ideas. You won’t have to pay if you don’t want to as the free section includes 1353 games. It is a US based site so avoid those games that will teach your tot the wrong spelling or pronunciation (well, wrong for the UK anyway).
4. BBC
Once again the BBC steps up as an excellent provider of all things to do with children’s education. This link will take you to a page that tells you what games and activities are available and what skills each one will help to develop.
5. PBS Kids
Packed with characters from all the hugely popular cartoon shows such as Curious George and the Cat in the Hat, PBS Kids has activities designed for children across most age groups that encourage creative development, learning, language skills and more.
And the best part is that I’ve tested all these sites on screens of all sizes. They work perfectly on the Eee Pad Transformer, an ASUS netbook, and on your giant screen at home…
Tamsin