5 Fun Free Educational Online Games for Children

It’s always important to get the right balance of learning and play, especially in young children – but whoever said the two have to be exclusive? We believe technology and the internet are wonderful educational resources for kids, and to prove it here are a few fun (and free) games that both educate and entertain.

 

• National Geographic: Kids

 

The prodigious National Geographic’s official kid’s page – full of games, recipes, crafts and quizzes for all ages. Encompassing science, the natural world, and the animal kingdom, this colourful site has more than enough fun and learning for your family, and their Back to School section is perfect for homework help.

• Free Rice

 

Teach philanthropy with this wonderful website that donates 10 grains of rice for every create answer.The multiple choice quizzes cover a wide range of subjects with adaptable difficulty levels for the young and the more experienced alike. The money for the rice is donated by sponsors and advertisers and the rice is distributed through the United Nations World Food Programme.

• Magic School Bus

 

Run by well-known educational publisher Scholastic, the Magic School Bus is ready to transport players around the world or even throughout the human body. The site is jam packed full of science facts tailored perfectly for young children, and it comes with some fun science experiments and teaching materials for you to play around with as a family.

• NASA Kids’ Club

 

Let your little astronauts-in-training explore outer space from their living room. With a scalable skill level and a variety of games this site is a great learning tool. Also, find out about NASA’s partnership with Angry Birds creators’ Rovio Entertainment and their new game that combines Angry Birds with space exploration. There’s a few links to official government advice on how to keep your kids safe online, too.

• Sploder

 

A fun tool that allows kids to create little online games that they can share online! Platformers, space ships and puzzle games – while not necessarily practice for making real video games, this site allows kids to be creative and play through the results. This site may be a bit complicated for younger children, and can contain some cartoon violence, so is probably more suited for young teens.

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If you want to find out more about how to engage your kids with technology, or just want to get involved in one of world’s most creative communities, check out MakerClub.org and sign up to find out about our IndieGoGo campaign launching later this October.