Spoiled for choice?
There are countless good games for kids to choose from, suitable for all ages. This post will give a selection of ideas to get inspired from!
A child is a big responsibility and you have to be prepared for every step of the way. This includes making time to spend with him, teaching new things when he is a baby, preparing him to take the right decisions later on in his life and so many more. As this is a full time job, sometimes parents need these things called “games”. Games help parents do other daily cores while also making sure their baby is learning something.
Since early stages in his life, he will have to develop his skills and learn as much as possible at home. These are the moments when he is like a “sponge” and he learns everything faster. Choosing the right educative games for your child to play with, is imperious as he grows to become an adult.
As the games are the main attraction of a toddler, choosing this option as a way of learning is the right answer for any parent. Games are also tricky; you have to know which one to choose so that your child will learn something from them. Some games are less educative and some are more educative. As the baby grows, basically you have to buy new games and keep him interested at all times.
Making smart choices, knowing what games to buy and where to buy them from is a must for at least one parent, if not both of them.
Infant games to choose from
First of all there are the free games you can play.
These are the ones that demand your time and patience as a parent.
Teaching him the parts of the body is an easy game. Start by asking: “Where are your lips?” and reply back by touching his lips: “Here are the lips.” This little game is something you can do with the body parts, with people around you, colors, things etc. Repeat a question and a reply various times. This is an easy way to teach your child the basic things when he cannot even speak.
Talking with your toddler will help him develop and learn many things. You can do this in the mornings, when you feed him, at bedtime or even at bath time. This will help him develop his vocabulary and focusing skills.
Besides talking, one can also play the dancing game. Babies love to dance and if you combine this with learning numbers, you can get the best out of this game. You can put some music your baby loves, take his little hands and make music steps and say”1”, “2” etc. and repeat. He will just love dancing with you.
Then, there are the Fisher Price games.
I remember playing with Fisher Price toys as a child, you probably do too. Fisher Price toys and games are very good in helping toddlers develop their skills.
They will learn numbers, colors, shapes and much more. Some of these games are:
- Baby’s First Blocks game develops the motor skills of your infant. It teaches him the colors and shapes and develops his curiosity as well as the problem solving skills. In this game they have to figure out how to put the blocks where they should be. The price ranges from £3 to £7.
- Laugh & Learn™ Talk ‘n Teach Monkey & Lion teaches your toddler words of different shapes, while the music stimulates his senses. The price ranges from £3 to £7.
- Laugh & Learn® Smart Speedsters Sis teaches letters and colors while helping to develop his visual and auditory senses. It is still a low price £4 to £6.
- Laugh & Learn™ Puppy’s Remote is a game that will offer your baby the possibility to hear and learn numbers, ABCs, colors and more things. The remote looking game will make it even more attractive to the baby. It costs around £10.
- SmartPhone toy from Fisher Price is another toy that your toddler will be intrigued to have. It looks a lot like a normal smartphone and it will be useful in teaching your baby to count, teaching him the numbers, greetings, to sing and it will as well develop his imagination. It costs £10.
Games found on the tablet that are available for anyone.
As your baby is not strong enough to hold a tablet or a phone case in his little hands, you can find a support and attach the tablet to it. What you should know about free of charge games is that they have advertising, and that may be a problem when a baby is handling the app. Anyhow, there are those games that can work offline after you have downloaded them, so this should cover for the upper issue. Games on the tablet can teach first words, animal’s names, colors, sounds, vocabulary etc. Take a look below at some examples:
- Androbaby is a game developed by Android and one can find it in Google Play.
- AppQuiz can also be found on Google Play and downloaded. This game has puzzles, musical instruments to play at etc.
- If you prefer the Fisher-Price learning games, these can also be found online. The vast majority cost around £5, while some are free of charge.
- KidloLand is another good app for games. Once you have it downloaded, it can be used offline and it contains over 300 games for infants.
There are many online games to choose from. The important thing is that you choose those that are educative for your baby.
Games to choose for children
As the baby grows and his motor skills are developed, you can opt for buying him a tablet for children.
There are various to choose from. You should make sure you choose a tablet that has as an operating system an Android, iOS or Windows. Those that have their own operating systems will most of the times be limited and you will have to pay extra if you want games etc.
A kids tablet should also be drop proof.
- Amazon Fire Kids Edition is one of the choices to make. It comes with very good parental control. This will enable you to set up how much time your kids are allowed to play on it and on what they are allowed to play. It costs around £100 – I know, far more than those games for infants. It comes with a 2 year guarantee. In case of any accident in the 2 year warranty period, it is replaced. It also comes with a rubber case. This should provide care for the tablet when dropped.
- The Leapfrog Epic is another tablet your kids will love. It is recommended for children from 3 up to 9 years old. It contains many educational games. These will help kids learn and develop. The price for this tablet is similar to the one above.
While I am not a tablet or computer games fan, I believe that sometimes there are educational games on them and having one at home for your kid will do no harm. Make sure that your child does not spend all his free time on the tablet as this for sure is not healthy for a child. It is important that he goes out and spends time playing games with his friends as well.
Indoor games for kids:
- Puzzles are always a good choice. Start with an easy one that has few pieces. If you see your child is captured by it, continue with buying more difficult puzzles for him to solve. This will develop his attention and focus. You can find puzzles for children of 3 years onward. Their price ranges from £3 up to £100 depending on the difficulty.
- Children that have at least 6 years can enjoy the magic cube puzzle. This is a challenging game that even some grown-ups cannot solve. It is cheap as well – around £3.
- The Color Puzzle Pen follows the same idea as the magic cube puzzle. It is basically a brain teaser pen where you have to align the colors right. It is around £1.
- Then there is the Tooth Shaped Water Game. It helps your little one learn to wash his teeth while also maintaining a high focus. The price is a bargain – half a pound. While it is recommended for the 3 years children, the parents will also be curious to play with it.
- You can also choose from some board games:
- Games Hub What’s their Name Board Game is a board game for children of 5 years + old. It is an educational game that develops your memory and your skills. Games Hub 3D Snakes & Ladders Board Game – this is for 4 years+. These can last for hours and that contributes to your family’s interaction and your child learning to interact, focus and to have patience.
- You can try the Interactive games for your child as well. The Pug Dog is a bargain and it brings so much joy. It costs £6. IMC Toys Kao Kao – The Koala (Club Petz) is a plush animal that your child can feed, cuddle, etc.
- Another interesting game is Games Hub Wooden Train Set 100 Piece. This will keep your child busy for hours. It is more expensive than the rest, it costs £50, but it’s so much fun to put your little boy, or even girl, build up blocks and play with trains, cars and everything it has to offer.
- The remote controlled games are the next level ones. These are usually cars that can be driven using the remote. They will teach your child the driving skills he needs when he grows up. You can choose between the remote controlled ones and those that your child will actually drive around the house or in the garden.
Outdoor games for kids:
- Giant Bubble Playing Set Outdoor Toy Yellow Circle is a game that you can buy for £6. It will keep your child entertained in the garden all summer long. If you do not have a garden, this is something that he can take out on the playground as well.
- The Play-Time Tunnel Fun is the best choice for your kids role-play game. Just install it in the backyard and have some of his friends come over. They will have fun all summer long and all for just £10.
- Pool is a very good idea for a kid to have. They can play a lot of games and they can also learn to swim. Depending on the size of it, it can cost from £25 up to £100.
There are many other games you can choose for your little one. The above are just some ideas to know what you can find and at what costs.
Teenagers
While up until now you had an infant and a child to raise and to teach, his skills are developed and he makes his own choices at this point. As a teenager, choosing a game for him is easier because he knows what he likes and what he needs. Therefore, your only job is to listen and get it for him.
For this age there are some next generation tablets that can offer your teen the possibility to enjoy online gaming.
The Asus ZenPad 3S 10 is one of them. This is a slim and stylish tablet, but at the same time it does not lack the power and the features that a teen needs. For your peace of mind, you are able to install parental controls on this one as well. It will offer your teen the possibility to play games, watch movies, read and even do some homework. While it is not such a well-known tablet, it is quite good for a teen’s needs. It boasts with a good battery life.
The Apple iPad 2017 comes at a higher cost but it is among the favorites for the teens. It boasts with the best library that a tablet has; your teen can find here almost everything he needs. This tablet offers you the opportunity to have parental control as well.
Video games are another option for your teen gaming hours.
You can opt from the more educative ones, such as those with good messages, role models as characters, strategy games, socializing games etc. Some of them are Broken Age, A Tale of Two Sons, Scoot and Doodle and Apotheon. These are less expensive than the rest, but there is a wide variety to choose from.
To improve your kids socializing skills, you can opt for the party games. These are usually played in big groups. Some of them are Wink Assassin, Wacky Duck, Find the Leader etc.
Teens will also enjoy playing team games such as football, basketball, volleyball etc.
Renting a court for either one of these games does not cost much; it gets around £70 for a game. As there are many players, the sum for each will not be big. Tennis is also a very good option for those that want to move more on the field. For each of the games above, you can choose whether it is you that will teach him, or he will get some lessons.
Conclusion
Taking care of your child’s well-being and offering him the access to knowledge and the possibility of development is one of the things that make you a great parent.
(The featured photo was by Maxime Bhm on Unsplash)
