Top Gamesites With Enjoyable Educational Games For Young Students

The implementation of technology in the classroom is greater than ever before. Between smart boards, tablets, personal laptops and varying multimedias like greenpages, students are surrounded by technology. In this post, educators can try out these five game sites that would be beneficial in any elementary classroom.

ABCya!

ABCya.com is a gamesite for children in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Educators can use ABCya! with their students either in computer labs or in the classroom, since ABCya! can be used on tablets. Educators can choose from an abundance of games for their students, based on grade level or subject. One ABCya! reviewer on CommonSenseMedia.org states that a positive of this site is that most games are self-explanatory and don’t usually require instruction for a parent or educator. The free version of ABCya! does include ads, however the advertisements will go away with a paid ABCya! subscription. ABCya! is a really fun, upbeat gamesite that would be beneficial to many educators.

Magic Tree House

This gamesite is great for students who have read the Magic Tree House series. The site was created by the book publisher as an extension of the series and includes the same two main characters. Similar to how the NBA created the NBA General Manger game, this is an extension too. One downside to this gamesite is that it wouldn’t be effective unless students have already read the Magic Tree House books. The gamesite is very interactive, but all of the site’s activities pertain to the series. The Magic Tree House gamesite is an example of students further interacting with their text and would be a great addition to any classroom.

Learn Your Tables

LearnYourTables.co.uk is an interactive gamesite that is great for math teachers. Students get to practice their multiplication times tables with this site. ESL students can even choose to practice math in their native language. Another great feature of this gamesite is that Learn Your Tables provides links to other math games on their site. Learn Your Tables isn’t as visually appealing as ABCya! or Magic Tree House, but what’s great is that there’s one specific purpose for this site. Students can truly improve at their times tables with Learn Your Tables, which makes it a great gamesite for elementary educators.

RoomRecess

RoomRecess.com provides games for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. The games are categorized by math, reading, word, or lab. Although the games on RoomRecess are all fun, the graphics and chatterbots are a little outdated. RoomRecess was actually created by an elementary teacher and is free of advertisements. Younger students may be drawn to the more vibrant, three-dimensional graphics of other gamesites. RoomRecess is definitely a great gamesite for educators to check out and implement in their classrooms.

Funbrain

Funbrain.com is another great educational gamesite. Funbrain provides free educational games for children in preschool all the way up to eighth grade. This gamesite contains over 100 games in math, reading, and literacy, so you can really find out “Didtheyreadit?” Students call also read books and comics on the site, such as the extremely popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid. One downside to Funbrain is the advertisements, but this site’s features definitely outweigh the negative. Funbrain is a must for educators seeking new educational gamesites.

Not So Educational Options

Nowadays, younger children rarely get time to just relax and enjoy themselves. It is vital for children to have downtime, and there are games that offer the perfect solution for a well-deserved study break. Whether your students like strategy games or role playing games, there are plenty of great options. Diablo 2, Diabo 3, NeverWinter Nights and Final Fantasy are several great RPG options to consider for PC. Age of Empires, Warcraft 3, Command and Conquer and Starcraft are some great strategy games to encourage critical thinking without pushing an entirely academic purpose. If you want to give your students a study break, consider the games listed above. After all, they are much better off playing games than scrolling through their Facebook newsfeed.

Other Kids Gamesites

In addition to online gamesites, there are many game sites offline. These are the sites of games for kids sporting events. They include Christian schools, high schools and county parks throughout various states. If you are looking for offline learning, there is a lot of learning to be done in various games too. All kids should have a balance to keep good mental health with technology.

Technology’s integration in the classroom is becoming more and more widespread. One exciting method of using technology in the classroom is through the use of gamesites. These sites include interactive games that are both upbeat and educational at the same. Five of the leading gamesites that educators should utilize are: ABCya!, Magic Tree House, Learn Your Tables, RoomRecess, and Funbrain. The use of technology while teaching is not disappearing, and these five sites are sure to aid any elementary educator’s classroom.

Image from http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/10/14/five-research-driven-education-trends-at-work-in-classrooms/