If there’s one thing most kids don’t want to do after they get home from school, it’s more work. But learning is a constant, and you can find it in unusual places. Having a fun way of squeezing in extra education here and there on the weekends or during the holidays is a lot easier and subtler than you’d think.
Sure, there are educational TV shows, movies, and books, but nothing beats a good video game. And I’m not talking encyclopedia games or math puzzles but rather highly rated games that are fun, first and foremost.
So put away the textbooks and documentaries for a few hours, and grab a couple of controllers.
Portal 1 and 2
Portal 1 is quite short and has a way simpler plot than the more cinematic Portal 2. Both games take place in a fictional testing facility controlled by a mad robot. GLaDOS, the robot, playfully forces you to partake in puzzles that involve shooting portals onto surfaces to get to the exit. Your left portal connects to your right portal, so to get to a high ledge you can simply shoot one portal onto the floor and hop through. The game teaches the player to think outside the box, planning your moves a few steps ahead.
Kids are taught in school that problem solving isn’t always a linear journey, and Portal’s game play is just that. Despite the bizarre plot, it’s a calm and humorous series that doesn’t rush you, and there are often multiple ways to get to the finish line. Portal 2 also has a two-player mode that will allow you or a friend to play alongside your child. This is great for teaching your kid about teamwork, as well as consequences; you can accidentally destroy your friend’s portal, causing them to fall off ledges. So solving part of the problem while your partner solves the other part is a unique puzzle system.
Summer in Mara
$23.99
from
PlayStation Store
Summer in Mara has a strong environmental and anti-colonialist message that is paired with a lighthearted tone and colorful characters. Similar to other resource-finding games like Minecraft and Dragon Quest Builders, you must collect wood and plant crops. However, there is a heavy focus on giving back to the planet and the lack of unlimited resources. So whenever you chop down a tree, you’re urged to plant a new tree in its place.
To make money, you don’t just find things around the map to sell, you create them. To further your goal of saving the planet and your lost friend Napopo, you help new friends with their own quests, problems, and dreams. The game teaches you about farming, saving money, reading maps, and respecting the environment. Fans of life simulation games like Animal Crossing and quest-based games like The Legend of Zelda will love it.
Minecraft
Minecraft is the never-ending cubic survival game that can be customized endlessly, collecting and placing one block of wood, stone, sand, etc. at a time to create environments. Not only does it teach kids about general creativity, but if your kids are interested in game design, it has a thing or two to each about level design. Creating a house, village, or castle takes mind-mapping; your blocks need to be a certain length and height. On top of this, if you play on survival mode (you can toggle the evil zombies and spiders on and off), you’ll need a base that’s functional.
From booby traps to a rail system, there’s almost an infinite number of things you can create and maintain. If your kid is more into creating a pretty landscape than getting technical, they can build anything in any shape; there are no rules — a giant snowman, a flower garden, a lava pit surrounded by a waterfall, anything. Budding architects and explorers will love Minecraft if they haven’t already played it. And if they have, there are tons of unique maps and downloadable packs that practically turn it into a whole new game. They can also create their own server and play online with friends and family.
Nancy Drew: Midnight in Salem
$39.09
from
ThriftBooks
Everyone loves a good mystery! Based on the book The Witch Tree Symbol, the game focuses on the titular character Nancy visiting Salem, Massachusetts. In Midnight in Salem, Nancy has been called to clear the name of a suspected arsonist.
Game play is simple yet uses a lot of thought to work out how to use useful objects and solve intriguing puzzles. The first-person perspective allows you to walk through each setting, studying the backgrounds for clues. You can choose from different dialogue options, send texts, and collect unusual details to solve the mystery. On top of the educational values of problem solving, the game also teaches kids about empathy, communication, and thinking for yourself. As a teacher or parent, you can also download a handful of other Nancy Drew games for free over on HeR Interactive, from old classics like Curse of Blackmoor Manor to recent releases such as Sea of Darkness.
Escape Simulator
Like real-life escape rooms, Escape Simulator is about finding unique and unusual ways to leave a locked room. The game has countless levels all themed in colorful ways — pyramids, spaceships, jungle temples, and so on. Solving a puzzle to get a key, opening a chest with a jewel that unlocks a secret hole in a statue — every problem you solve leads one step closer to the escape. Not that there’s anything scary to escape from, it just gives such a grand feeling of accomplishment finishing each level. Playing alongside a friend can help boost skills in communication and project management, as playing with a team will lead to quicker results. You’ll notice that your kid will complete levels with more ease as the game goes on, proving that the think-outside-the-box mentality helps in dealing with unusual challenges.
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