How to Choose the Right Games to Incorporate Into Your At-Home Learning Strategy

Remember when your parents told you that playing video games too much would “rot your brain?” Things have changed a lot since those days, especially when so many parents are using computers, laptops, and other electronic devices to help their children learn at home. Today’s parents realize that games can help them fulfill the teaching responsibilities that come along with parenthood.

While most experts still recommend that you limit noneducational screen time (especially for children between 18 months and 5 years old), professional recommendations have changed over the years. Now, the general consensus is that there is no set-in-stone screen time recommendation that everyone should follow. Instead, parents should use their best judgment when setting boundaries with electronics and try to make sure screen time is as educational as possible.

Hello Rascals wants you and your family to thrive; read on to learn more about choosing the right games for at-home learning.

The Increasing Role of Games in Education

While computer games and programs used to be viewed primarily as a waste of time, they’ve come a long way since those early Atari days. Nowadays, there are plenty of ways to use games as part of an effective and well-rounded learning strategy at home. They can also help your kids develop a strong sense of community if they play with friends online.

There are a number of games that teach kids a variety of things, from coordination to coding. Codewars, for instance, allows users to solve algorithmic problems while learning coding. With skill building like this, It’s no wonder parents are incorporating games into their homeschool lessons plans, after-school routines, and remote learning programs. The key is to learn how to choose games that check all the right boxes for your family.

Tips for Choosing Effective Educational Games

Whether you’ve made the jump to homeschooling your kids or you’re just looking for some educational after-school activities, don’t underestimate the teaching capabilities of computer or video games. The right games can teach certain subjects to your kids as well or better than you can. Plus, why not take the opportunity to relieve your burden as a parent by allowing your kids to learn new concepts in fun and engaging ways?

When selecting educational games for your homeschooling curriculum, remote learning approach, or after-school routines, look at the following:

•       Instructions and/or Rules: The most effective instructional games are those that require the player to follow clear instructions or rules. Gamers need to know exactly how the game is played and what they need to do to be successful. If a game has no parameters that need to be followed, it may not be the most effective educational tool for your kids.

•       Goals and Objectives: The best learning games have goals and objectives that require players to use their brain power. Try to find games that back up your predetermined learning objectives (such as enhancing certain skill sets, improving knowledge of specific subjects, or learning perseverance).

•       Interaction: For an educational game to be entertaining, it must also be interactive. If your child plays a game that requires little to no interaction, they are unlikely to learn much from it. Examples of highly interactive games include role play, competitions, puzzles, reality testing, sports, and building games.

•       Feedback: Games that offer feedback are important because they tell the player when they are wrong and why. These types of games include sports, simulation, game show, timed, and detective games. They offer feedback that helps players self-correct and learn from their mistakes. Keep in mind that the feedback should always be encouraging and motivational.

Now that you know what to look for in the best educational games, make sure you set yourself up for success by ensuring your internet connection can handle the workload. To do this, look into upgrading to a connection with minimal buffering and lag. 5G internet can facilitate smoother online play and help you download - and play - games much more quickly and efficiently.

Smart choices will make your children’s screen time a more valuable experience. By choosing effective educational games and a frustration-free internet connection, your kids will be happily plugging away and learning all the while.

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