Educational Pick- these games are ones where you can watch learning occur.
Although I believe that play is an important part of learning, are the best learning comes when we are doing something we are motivated to do and enjoy doing, these games have aspects to them for specific learning opportunities. This by no means negates their fun factor!
Family Favorite- everybody in the family liked these games. It can be hard to find games that everyone in the family can enjoy. Especially when you have a wide age range between children, it is not very often that you find a computer game that all of your children will enjoy. I love when we find a game that suits both the children and the adults in the house.
Family Friendly- I would think that this would be obvious. These are the games that have a theme that is safe for the entire family to view. With the recent turn in entertainment to take a darker, and sometimes more violent approach to things, I felt it necessary to include this in our labels. If you want to skip the dark themes, and gore, this will give you an easy way to get around it.
Kid Approved- these games have been given the thumbs up by my children. When you are buying games for children, it is nice to know which games other children really enjoyed playing! My children are brutally honest in telling me which games get their approval!
Kid's Mode- there is either a special kid's mode, or super easy setting, making it a game that younger kids can play on their own! These are particularly fantastic games to find, as they are one's that your preschoolers or early schoolers can play as well as older children and adults.
Multi-Player- can play with a friend! In multiple children houses, finding something that the children actually WANT to do together can sometimes be challenging. We have found that the solution to this can sometimes be something as simple as a computer game that they can play together. It often works to mend hurt feelings and get the family acting as a unit again!
Must Have- these are the games that my children beg for me to buy for them when they try them. Not only are they asked for immediately, but they are played several times a week, long term.
Games can be an important component to learning, which happens best when you are having fun. Taking time to relax and enjoy life is important to leading a satisfying life. Although there are plenty of leisure activities out there, sometimes a short while at a computer game is just what you need to take your mind off of things and help you relax. Other times, a computer game is just what you need to challenge your mind and keep it active and fit also. Whatever your reason for playing computer games, I hope that you can gain some insight into the ones you will enjoy by reading through some of these newest computer game reviews, as well as some of the older ones.
Who am I to put these labels to different computer games? I am a Life Learning / Homeschooling mother to three children, sons ages 7 and 9 and a daughter age 17.
