Children have undoubtedly this year spent far more time staring at a computer screen than ever before especially if they have been involved in online learning that their school has recommended but despite this many still want to play online games in their spare time. The issue for many parents is what sort of games to allow their children to play and whether there are some games that have some educational value at the same time as being fun to play.

One game that is popular amongst children from about six years of age up to about twelve is a game called Animal Jam. This game is an online virtual world that was created in partnership with the National Geographical Society and teaches children about the animal kingdom and the natural world through games and adventures. Parental controls can be used to prevent online play if this is a concern for those with younger children.

Another type of game that has some educational benefit is stop motion animation games. These animation apps encourage children to create their own animations from either preloaded images or by filming their own images of characters or drawings they have designed. The resulting animations can be shared safely online with adult assistance if necessary and other contributors’ animations can be viewed. These types of games encourage forward planning and problem-solving key skills in education.