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Video games are a favorite pastime of kids these days, to the extent that they often neglect their studies and homework to play games. The increasing obsession with games among kids is a primary reason for distress among parents. They're also worried about the types of games their kids play. Some games involve violence and contain elements that aren't suitable for kids.
However, the good news is that the gaming industry has made several safe kid games available. These provide learning assistance, support kids’ mental and social development, and boost self-esteem and confidence.
This comprehensive guide lists the top ten safe kids' games that are playable on computers, smartphones, and even consoles. So, try these out and promote learning and skill development in your kids.
Table of Contents
Part 1: Top 10 Safe Kid Games
This section lists the top 10 safe games you can try with your kids. Most of these are educational and require kids to learn through trial and error to find the best solution to the problems. Take a quick look at these games.
1ABCya
ABCya tops the list with over 300 games suitable for kids in the 4 to 12-year age group. These games combine fun and learning in subjects like math, science, language arts, literacy, word formation, and social studies. These help solidify kids' understanding of various subjects.
Not only games but ABCya is also a hub for numerous educational videos and printables that you can use as academic resources. The interface is simple, so kids can easily switch between games.
Additionally, most titles are free, but they often include ads, which can be annoying. To get rid of them, you can opt for their premium plan.
2Toca Boca World
If your child spends most of their time playing on a smartphone, introduce them to the Toca Boca World. Available on both Android and iOS, this open-world game enables your kids to explore and engage in various activities.
This safe game for kids is pre-loaded with 8 locations and 39 characters. Unlike other games with a fixed storyline, here, your kids unleash their creativity to create their storylines. This promotes the possibility of playing endlessly rather than restricting themselves to a fixed narrative. Furthermore, interacting with the available characters improves your kids' communication skills and fosters their emotional development.
3PBS Kids
PBS Kids is another popular game that combines educational and entertaining content with stunning visuals. The games are designed to challenge the player's progress, so your kid will be motivated to play more and might never get bored.
Its library is rich in several game categories, including arts, science, math, storytelling, music, rhyming, food, vocabulary, and more. These help kids develop cognitive and problem-solving skills while they're having fun playing.
All of it is available for free, and kids can select from over 375 titles and play. And, unlike ABCYa, these games run smoothly on most devices, allowing your kids to play anywhere and at any time.
4Astro's Playroom
If you've got your kid a gaming console, then Astro's Playroom is a popular choice as a safe game for kids on PS5. Designed for kids aged 6 years or older, players can control Astro, who can jump, hover, punch, and use a spin attack.
The game utilizes haptic feedback and adaptive triggers to create immersive, tactile sensations that make movements through the map feel realistic and engaging. Also, the visuals are stunning and reminiscent of Toca Boca World, but there are no missions, stories, or linear paths to follow. It instead incorporates puzzle-solving elements, challenges, and enemy encounters.
Also, there's no real threat to the player dying from enemy damage. He will just respawn without any "you died" screen, which eliminates any feeling of defeat. In short, the game is pure fun and has everything to keep your child engaged and safe.
5Code Karts Pre-coding for kids
If you want to introduce your kids to programming at an early age, there's no better and safer kid game than Code Karts. Designed to provide a basic idea of programming, the game requires the player to set a path for a car to follow. They must organize the colored bricks with directional arrows, and as they continue to code the path, their car continues to run until it reaches the finish line.
There are more than 70 levels (ten free to play and the rest paid), with several puzzling obstacles and two gaming modes. The kids can choose between single-player mode, with no limits, or two-player mode, where their cars race against each other on the track.
Overall, the game is a blend of fun and learning, which sharpens their problem-solving skills and helps them understand the basics of the binary and decimal systems. It's available on both Android and iOS, and anyone over the age of four can play and explore the world of coding.
6National Geographic Kids
National Geographic Kids has games centered around nature, animals, and geography. Titles like Habitats, Matching, and Zeus the Mighty Game, among others, encourage curiosity about the natural world.
However, National Geographic Kids is more than just a gaming platform, as your kids can watch educational videos, complete quizzes, read articles, and more. They learn about animals from around the world, including their species, habitats, scientific names, ranges, and conservation status. The interactive videos also detail how animals behave, their unique interactions, and their adaptations.
Not only nature, but the platform also covers subjects like science, history, and culture. Overall, if you're looking for a platform with fun yet educational games and readable or watchable content, it is worth exploring. The interactive activities and content can spark curiosity and a love of learning about the world at a very young age.
7Prodigy
Maths is just like broccoli on a dinner plate, which is tolerated only under protest. If your kids do the same, you can urge them to try out Prodigy. It's a math-based game where kids engage in exciting quests and battles, answering math questions to progress through the game. The best part about the platform is that its algorithm adapts the games to your kids' skill levels, making math learning rather enjoyable.
It doesn't replace the traditional math classroom, but it helps your kids develop a love for the subject. Also, you can use it in conjunction with other educational resources to provide a well-rounded maths education. The only thing lacking is that you can't view the specific maths questions they got right and wrong. It only shows the player's progress levels.
Furthermore, the base game is free to play, but the premium version provides access to exclusive features, rewards, extended gameplay, and extra pets.
8SplashLearn
SplashLearn is another platform with a vast collection of fun and interactive maths-based games. Unlike Prodigy, it doesn't automatically adjust to your kids' skill level, but there are over 1,900 activities and games to try out. As a parent, browse through the safe kid games and recommend ones that best suit your kids. Here, games are searchable by topic or grade level (from pre-K to grade 5).
There are topics like subtraction, number sense, division, multiplication, algebra, decimals, addition, word problems, and more. There are many subtopics in each of them as well.
Besides, most games on the platform are nicely animated, featuring sound effects, fun characters, and background noises to accompany them. They are fun to play and can do a decent job of engaging the kids.
9FunBrain
As the name suggests, the platform is designed for fun and learning. FunBrain features over 100 titles organized into distinct sections, including Fun Arcade, Math Arcade, and Playground. The platform also categorizes games by age group, allowing parents to easily find the right match for children of any age.
Not only games, but you'll also find a variety of comics, books, and videos to help kids learn grammar, math, and other subjects, including spelling and history. There are no multiplayer features or action games, and it doesn't collect any personal information, making it a safer place for kids to have fun and learn.
10Puyo Puyo Tetris 2
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is a sequel to the popular title with the same characters and offers plenty of modes and challenges. It's typically considered a PS5 kid game with an E10+ rating by ESRB. The visuals are bright, colorful, and cute, while the core gameplay is puzzle-solving, so your kids might hop on it for hours. Also, solving puzzles helps develop spatial reasoning and strategic thinking skills.
The game, once purchased, is free to play, but the characters engage in combat against each other. Therefore, it is advisable to exercise some level of parental discretion.
Part 2: What Can Parents Do When Kids Are Gaming?
Most children and adolescents in the United States spend hours playing video games. Replacing traditional games with the titles mentioned above can have a positive impact on kids, but they mustn't subsume in gaming. Here's what parents can do:
1Set Limits on Games
For a child under 10, parents must have a say in how much time their child spends gaming. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 30-60 minutes per day on school days and 2 hours for other days. It further mentions that the time shouldn't exceed an hour for children under 6 years old. Parents can prepare a timetable for their kids to follow, ensuring they develop and enjoy non-screen-time activities as well.
To set time limit on related games, parents can try KidsGuard Pro. This is a professional parental control app designed for protecting kids online and balacing screen time for young kids. Parents can view kids' screen time report and even browsing history. After knowing your kids' phone usage, you can set wise limits on games app with KidsGuard Pro.
2Guide the Child to Have Games
Even if you get them to play safe kid games, it's essential to guide them so they don't get subsumed into the game time. The best way for parents to ensure a safe game time is to play with them. This way, you're showing your child the right way to play games. Besides, the chances are they'll listen to your suggestions when you show a willingness to understand the appeal of these games.
3Keep Them Away From Unwanted Apps
Open communication is essential to understand your kids' interests and familiarize yourself with the available games. Then, encourage them to try safe kid games over traditional ones, which they will enjoy while learning. If they do well, offer enthusiastic verbal praise with fist bumps, high-fives, or brief hugs. This helps increase the likelihood that your kids will also enjoy playing educational games.
Conclusion
Technology is evolving, and with more safe kid games available, parents have peace of mind that their kids are engaged in something productive and are having fun. The top ten games mentioned in the list enable kids to be creative, think critically, and develop social skills.
Although safe, parents must ensure that their kids don't get addicted to these games. For that, you can use monitoring apps like KidsGuard Pro. It details the on-screen activities of your kids, limits screen time, and blocks any app if needed. This allows you to establish healthy digital habits without being invasive.
