10 Education Video Games to Let Your Children Play

Whether or not to let kids play video games has been debated for the longest time. And while letting kids mess around with some video games is not a good idea, not all are bad.

Some games are educational, and those are the ones this post is all about. Here are some of the best educational video games you can let your children play.

1. Scribblenauts

This word-based game is as simple as it is exciting. The idea behind this is to help Maxwell, the game’s hero, to complete the challenge that involves collecting yellow stars, which are known as Starites.

This not only helps keep your children entertained but also piques their creativity as they work their way through the different levels. This game will put their logic, problem-solving, and language capabilities to the test.

However, the good news is that players can pick different tools to work with as they tackle the puzzles. And the best part is that there’s no limit to the tools that kids can use when playing this game.

Another great thing about this game is that the levels are open-ended puzzles, which can be a simple task of collecting a Starite or a tough challenge such as making their way through werewolf territory or crocodile-infested waters.

You can activate a rope, a lamp, a bicycle, or other tools. There are up to 22,000 words you can use for this.

2. Little Big Planet

In this one, kids get to solve puzzles such as Sackboy – a humanoid made of burlap. Everything about this fun game is quite exciting, including customization, sharing aspects, and more customization options.

If you’re looking for a fun, educational game for your child, this one easily makes the list. To get the Little Big Planet Series, head to PlayStation.

3. Civilization

If you’re looking to teach your kids skills such as strategy, exploration, planning, decision-making, and diplomacy, this is the game to go for.

This game allows players to accumulate resources to help them build a civilization. They can also trade with other civilizations to acquire resources if needed.

These resources can then be used to build markets, factories, banks, granaries, universities, and more to develop and advance their society.

Players can also build up a military establishment for their civilization and conquer new territories or invest in scientific research.  The ultimate goal is to win the game by military, economic, scientific, or cultural victory.

4. Minecraft

Minecraft is not just an educational video game, it’s so much fun that it has been ranked as the best-selling game of all time. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, not for anyone who has tried it out.

This is a sandbox game where players get tools to come up with amazing creations within their imagination.

With Minecraft, kids get to build their experimentation and research, flex their curiosity, and push the limits to come up with unique creations. This game is available on pretty much all the major gaming platforms out there.

5. Endless Ocean

If your kids are passionate about the oceans, they’ll love this one. It also presents the opportunity to learn all about sea life and their aquatic habitats.

They can also embark on adventures to hunt for sunken treasure, exploring underwater caves and trenches, shipwrecks, and even lost civilizations.

Kids will get the opportunity to become divers, learn about marine flora and fauna, and work with exciting characters such as expedition leaders, scientists, and a diver.

The two-player game mode allows kids to explore the unknown with their friends, adding to the fun.

6. Portal Series

From problem-solving skills to logic, physics, math, science, and other essential skills, there’s a ton to learn with the Portal Series. It’s more like Little Big Planet, but with more maturity to it, making it more suited for older kids over nine years.

The player starts in a secret research facility, and they work their way through tests thrown their way by a narcissistic AI known as GLaDOS.

Players will then need to solve the players by creating entry portals in a wall and then an exit portal elsewhere and walking through. They will have to learn to manipulate spatial and physical constraints to advance while trying not to fall over.

Portal Series is available on PlayStation 3 and Xbox and can be installed on PC as well.

7. Animal Crossing Series

For kids who are not excited about taking on the more competitive bits that some video games throw their way, Animal Crossing offers a great alternative.

In a unique twist, this game doesn’t have any particular end goal. Players have a whole open world to wander around, collect items, and perform tasks, culminating in building their community.

There’s so much to learn here; reading, math, and much more. Above all, kids will build their problem-solving skills as they figure out their way around this immersive world.

8. Wordscapes

The name pretty much gives it away. Wordscapes is for kids looking to improve their word game and enhance their logical skills.

The game offers an unlimited number of tries as kids work on solving crossword-style puzzles. This can be achieved using only several letters, but they will also have a few hints.

Some levels can get a bit challenging with only 3-letter words, but there are also others where the player has to guess the words in a particular order.

If things get a bit too hard, kids can always turn to the game’s built-in dictionary. This game is available on Android and iOS.

9. Eloh

This one is focused more on building your kid’s trigonometry and enhancing critical thinking.

You can use this musical puzzle game to teach your kids without them even realizing it. The game teases the kid’s brain without necessarily stressing them out.

The whole premise is to move the different island spirits on each level to the ideal spot.

Once done, the player taps the red speaker, and the music starts. The next step involves bouncing the sound waves off the spirits and hitting the spiral icon. If you’ve played banking a shot in billiards, you get the idea.

The levels become increasingly challenging, but the player doesn’t have to stick to any timer or deal with in-app purchases or ads.

10. The Oregon Trail

What better pick to wrap up this list than the Oregon Trail? This game will teach your kids everything from critical thinking to historical events, problem-solving skills, and a whole lot more.

Having been around since the 70s, this game has improved over the years. There are different trips that the player can pick, each with its unique perks. Then, they can name the companions they want to journey with and purchase supplies.

Thanks to recent updates, the players can trade to upgrade their wagon with food and medicine for better chances of survival.

Some of the challenges on the trip include illness, highway bandits, obstructive rivers, challenges finding food, and other hurdles.

This is where players learn pre-planning, decision-making, and problem-solving.

In the end, educational video games offer an excellent opportunity to blend fun with your children’s development. You can encourage your child to explore one of these thoughtfully chosen games without any downside.