Forget Online Games, Play Some Real World Games

Summers are a good time for kids to put away their devices and homework. Kids need to switch off from online games and explore non digital activities. After all human beings are a part of nature and it’s important to stay plugged into a system that we are part of. Being in touch with nature regulates well-being, keeps the senses sharp and gives kids a sense of cyclical continuity. 

By Bev Sykes from Davis, CA, USA (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Many of the modern day lifestyle problems that kids have developed can easily be sorted out with a massive dose of Vit-N. Here are 5 summer activities for you to explore:

    

     1. Get the kids to explore the geography around where they live. Take the kids out to parks and open spaces close to home. Let them feel the soil and grass under their feet. Open up a map and talk about the contiguity of land. Spot rivers and other water bodies close by. Wade through the water and throw pebbles in. Talk of the source of drinking water.

     

      2. Spot our fellow creature in the world. If you live in an urban jungle watch out for birds which have found new nesting places. Help kids understand the importance of our little insect friends. Teach them to observe plants and insects. Spot the caterpillars, butterflies, wasps, bee hives or the many other signs of nature in our concrete hubs. In case you need to learn more to get your kids interested, many universities put out a lot of information about our fellow creatures on their departmental sites. There are a lot of dedicated scientists/commoners who love sharing their information on virtual and real world spaces. 

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      3.  Get kids to photograph the same things through various parts of the day. When they see the same scene/thing photographed under various conditions of light, they understand the impact of the Sun, and how we fit into the astronomical world.

         

      4 . Try Hapa Zome, a craft activity. Get the kids to collect leaves and flowers in various colors and shapes. Lay them out on a piece of clean white cotton cloth with no starch. Spread a piece of tissue on the plant matter and hammer gently on it. This will help release the pigments onto the cloth. Peel the plant matter off to see the prettiest of designs. Kids can hang their piece of art on the wall or on the refrigerator at home.          

     

     5. Run a scavenger hunt in a park. This can be an intensely fun activity in a small neighborhood park. Make lists of things to be found. Distribute it among the groups. Help the kids find them. This will help them explore the park in ways you had never imagined. Give clues which will make them look for things from different perspectives. E.g. Spotting an owl home or a type of ant nest in the ground. 

      Well, enjoy the summer before the cold sets in. It's a great time for kids to also adopt some eco-friendly practices. Rejuvenate and bond with your kids. Go on and have a good time. 

4 Fun Father's Day Activities

Father's Day is around the corner and the mothers want to have a Fathers' Day party! Well, people will come and the food will be ready. Having a bunch of kids around can be entertaining enough, but the kids want to organize some activities too.

By Laubenstein Karen, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Significance
Father's Day honors fatherhood and fathers. Different parts of the world celebrate it on different days. In the US it is celebrated on June 18th. Over the decades in the US, the Father's Day celebration has been started multiple times, only to fade away very soon. It did pick up momentum eventually, but it has officially been a holiday only since 1972.

4 Fun Activities for Fathers to Enjoy
Some of these activities might require some prearrangement, but most are simple and kids can be involved. Generally fathers have no complaints about playing online games with kids, but try these activities and they could be fun too. Here are the four:

1. Kids in this activity need to be aged about six or more to really enjoy it. Fathers can sit with their knees folded on a sofa, facing the back. Kids stand behind the sofa. Taking turns, blindfolded kids must identify their fathers by looking at them 'through touch'. They need to identify their father by running their hands on their faces. If a father has more than one kid, they just take turns. The kid who took the shortest time, wins.

2. Older children and fathers can play this game. A balloon has to be tied at the end of a meter long thread. This can be tied to the player's ankle. It's a timed game. Players need to use the time to stomp out other balloons, all the while trying to keep their own balloon intact. The last player with the balloon intact is the winner. Other games can be found here.

3. Team up fathers and kids. Tie their ankles loosely and give each a basket. Take approximately ten palm sized things per team. Distribute them all over an empty floor. Now every pair needs to rapidly pick up things and dump them into a basket. Start the game and give them a minute to pick up things. The one which collects the maximum, wins.

4. This activity is again a father and child activity. It's more fun with younger kids. Smarter to take this activity outside as food spillage can be expected. Turn the tables and get the child to feed the father, but make sure the food is what the child likes! The race is to put a bib around the father, feed him and wipe his mouth clean before the end bell goes. The winning team needs to finish the food.

Well, Father's Day is not far. Try something new and enjoy the celebration.

Take an Eggciting break from Online Games!

Not so fun fact of life: video games can be addictive. It would be real sad to have a kid at home who goes from enjoying simple online games to getting addicted to them. Such things are insidious and need to be caught on time. While parents are feeling happy that the kids are enjoying educational content, it might just be yet another step to addiction. 

fun 32 by Yana Sedlak

A simple way to avoid walking down such paths is to create a balance. A good balance between video games and other activities. Though video games are all about immersive experiences, there is nothing more immersive than real life. Kids need to be alive to things in real life. One of the best ways to do this is via play and activities. Outdoors play is very important for kids, but sometimes kids need to enjoy some indoor activities. With Easter Sunday around the corner, here are 3 activities involving eggs and just playing together:

1. Rubberize an Egg

This is by far one of the coolest experiments I have ever seen. All you need is a real egg, half a glass of vinegar and some food coloring(optional). Put the egg in half a glass of vinegar. Leave it untouched for three days, and voilà you have yourself a rubberized egg! 

Handle it gently, even if it feels nice and rubbery, for inside the skin, the rubberized egg is still and egg!

2. How many eggs can you carry?

This one definitely needs wooden or plastic eggs. They need to be unbreakable. For every person playing you need about 6 eggs. Sit around in a circle. Take turns to tuck an egg into the crook of your elbow or under your armpit to start with. None in your pockets or palms. As the game continues from player to player, keep increasing the number of eggs you can tuck into various spots on your body. The winner is one who can tuck away the maximum number of eggs!

3. Egg-spotting

You just need and egg and a limited space, as in a smallish room. Players take time to hide the egg and the rest of the players have to spot it. The player who has hidden it, needs to call out how close or far the rest are from the egg. As they get closer, the player needs to say they are getting warm. When they are real far away, it's cold or ice-cold. If players are just a whisker away from the egg, well, they are red -hot. This involves lots of shouting and fun - enjoy!

4. Make Bath Bombs

This is one of my favorite activities. Simple and fun to make it, but even more fun to see them when popped into water. All you need is 2 measures of bicarbonate of soda, 1 measure of citric acid, 10 drops of food coloring and a teaspoon full of olive oil for binding. Mix it all in thoroughly and fill the egg molds. You could leave it out for 24 hrs or pop them into the freezer until they are frozen. Get them out and pop them into a bowl of water to see the bomb's effect. 

Well, Easter's around the corner. Enjoy the activities and have a Happy Easter!

How Digital Games Help Kids with Disabilities

Digital games have earned both bouquets and brickbats from parents and educators. Owing to the high level of engagement it offers and its popularity with kids, it is a great tool that can be used to involve kids in learning. It also helps kids with disabilities as it takes away the pressure of traditional learning in classrooms that can often prove to be frustrating.

The online world offers a variety of games for kids. From strategy games to educational games, the variety is endless. There are also games that are designed for specific learning disorders. While certain iPad apps can be used to teach kids diagnosed with autism and dyslexia, those with fine motor skills disability can benefit from activities and games for kids that allow them to practice these skills.  There are also games for kids with vision impairment, ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome and others.

“Toca Boca” by tocaboca is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Why Digital Games?

Digital games can provide teaching and support outside classrooms with educational and developmental benefits. Though disabilities may differ in nature and severity, games allow for the element of fun which can relax kids and open them up to learning.

Learning through online games helps kids develop and practice new skills in a safe environment before they practice them in the real world. Skills learnt can range from life skills to hand-eye coordination. It is possible to plan individualized learning with online games for kids. Children can control the pace of their learning and repeat an activity until they grasp it.

“Playing on the computer” by john is licensed under CC BY 2.0

How to Find Games for Kids with Disabilities

There is no dearth of online resources for kids with special needs. A child may not be struggling in all areas, and not all subjects or skills may be challenging. It is important to consider their skills and also take into account their interests while finding the right games for them. The level of difficulty can be selected by assessing their skills.

Games for Kids with Special Needs

Some of the games for kids include Orsinal’s flash games that help develop motor skills and they can be played with a single click mouse. Dyslexic learners may benefit from audiobooks like Learning Ally. A website that has developed games keeping in mind the needs of autistic children is WhizKidGames. Another game for autistic kids is Mouse Trial, which can help kids learn communication skills. TapToTalk is also designed to help those with difficulties in speech, across all age groups. iPad’s apps Flashcards for iPad and AppWriter can be used for those with reading and writing disabilities.

Technology has opened up new avenues of learning for children with disabilities. By understanding the specific needs of the child and the challenges they face, it is possible to make the best use of the online resources that are available. 

Online Games Based on TV Shows

According to the American Time Use Survey, adults in America spend more than half of their leisure time watching TV. While this statistic may sound depressing to some, it is quite understandable. After all, there are some incredible television shows out there, and tearing oneself away from the silver screen during those hours is near impossible. In fact, some TV fanatics extend their engagement with the shows and their characters to their gaming hours as well, playing online games based on popular television series.

Photo by horslips5

Here are a few of the online games based on the most popular television series.

TV Show: Game of Thrones

Online Games: Game of Thrones: The Game, Game of Thrones Ascent

‘Game of Thrones: The Game’ is a role playing game based on the novels which inspired the television show.  The game was developed by Cyanide Studio and published by Focus Home Interactive. Players can choose one of two quests – Mors and Alester’s, and live in the world of Westeros that fans are so familiar with. The storyline for the quests is designed to perfectly integrate with the original story from the novel. The game even has a unique narrative style that is reminiscent of the story in the novel: the two heroes share the role of the main character and their story is told alternatively until their paths cross during a common quest!

Game of Thrones Ascent is another RPG based on the world-famous story. It was developed by Distributor Beam and pits players against each other to become the most powerful noble in Westeros!

TV Show: The Walking Dead

Online Game: The Walking Dead: Dead Reckoning

‘The Walking Dead: Dead Reckoning’ is an interactive online video game produced by AMC. Players assume the role of Shane Walsh, a small-town Kentucky cop who is also a main character in the television series. The story of the game begins before the zombie apocalypse, before anyone knows what lies in the days ahead. Shane is occupied with maintaining law and order in the land, when he gets entangled with cases involving zombie attacks. The game follows Shane and explains how he escaped being infected or killed.

TV Show: Breaking Bad

Online Game: Breaking Bad, The Cost of Doing Business, The Interrogation

‘Breaking Bad’ is a casual-platform flash game that was created by fans of the television show and follows its plotline, adding stages as new episodes are released. It is a simple game that is largely about giving fans the chance to interact with the characters from the show and relive their favorite scenes. The formula seems to have worked as fans are quite fond of this fun online game.

‘The Cost of Doing Business’ and ‘The Interrogation’ are two of the ‘Breaking Bad’-themed games featured on AMC’s website. The former is a Jesse Pinkman game where a low life has stolen money from you and the goal is to get back as much cash as possible… or die trying. The latter is a Hank Schrader game where you’re interrogating suspect Hadley Berkitz about the San Florian church fire. The goal is to get as much information as possible without Hadley lawyering up.

As fun as these online games are, it is quite natural to feel that so much time spent on television shows is a criminal waste of time. For folks who would like to use their online time more productively, there are plenty of educational online games that teach a wide variety of skills while ensuring the players are having fun. Divide your online time between a little mindless fun and more productive work for a well-balanced experience on the internet!

Cases of extreme addiction to online games

While parents and teachers have been using online games that are educational in nature to make learning fun for kids, the world has also witnessed negative incidents stemming from extreme addiction to many different kinds of video games. Here are a few weird incidents of addiction to online games that will leave you baffled. 

Skipping school

In Perth, Australia, a 15-year old was known to suffer from extreme gaming addiction. The little teenager would put on his uniform every morning and leave it on till his mom left for office. As soon as she left, he would change and start playing online games and he would continue to play for 16 hours till his mother came back. To cover himself up, he had informed his school that he was having a surgery. He was caught only when the school called up his home to check on him!To

School scuffle

Photo by:IvanWalsh.com

Schoolyard scuffles are normal – we’ve all gotten into at least one in our lives. In Beijing, a boy who had lost a World of Warcraft tournament thought himself to be a Fire Mage and lit his classmate on fire. He was given a sentence of 8 years in prison and was ordered to pay the victim’s family a restitution of a little more than a hundred thousand dollars. 

Death from all-nighter

There have been quite a few reports of all-night gaming sessions but this one takes the cake. A South Korean man almost pulled off three continuous nights of gaming without enough sleep, washroom breaks, and obviously food. Eventually in the middle of the third night, he collapsed and expired from a heart failure. Preliminary reports suggested his death was caused by undue exhaustion.

Death of children

Photo by: TamahikariTammas

In two separate incidents in South Korea and an unrevealed location, a three year old girl and twins died due to their parents’ negligence toward them. A couple was busy playing Prius Online where the players lived a virtual life with virtual jobs and virtual kids. Unfortunately in this case, the parents in South Korea took their virtual world a little too seriously and left their 3-year old in a real world unattended for twelve hours following which the little child died. 

In the other incident, Gregg J. Kleinmark is serving up to 10 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter when his twins were left unattended in the bathtub for several hours while he was busy playing Gameboy Advance.

Parents murdered

Seventeen-year-old Daniel Petric walked into his parents’ bedroom and told his mother “Would you close your eyes? I have a surprise for you,” and shot her before shooting his father between the eyes. This was an incident of violence that resulted from addiction to an Xbox first person shooter game, one of the few reported fallouts of addiction to single player games.

Online games and the way forward

Because of such gory incidents, cynics and critics fail to look at the benefits of online games. There are many carefully developed online games that develop the technical ability of kids, help them to absorb information with a scientific approach, enhance their hand-eye coordination, and sharpen analytical and logical skills. It is important to engage kids with the right kinds of online games and strike a healthy balance between online time and outdoor play time.

Top 5 Online Games for Teens

Teens are often found glued to their computers, whiling away their time on Facebook or Instagram. How about engaging them with fun online games instead? While some of the older, classic online games are still popular, many new ones have mushroomed, giving kids of all ages plenty of variety to choose from.

Here are a few that your teens are sure to love!

Photo by: Tomasland

 Just Words

Just Words is a take on the classic game of Scrabble. Players will have to form the best words with the tiles denoting a single letter with a point value. Score the double letters and triple words by placing your word on the high-score slots. The game can be played against the computer, with a friend, or even by oneself. 

Letter Garden

Set against the backdrop display of a garden, Letter Garden is an online game that’s any teenage word wizard’s dream come true! The goal of the game is to clear the objective that’s shared at the beginning of each level, per board, within the time limit. Words can be made in any direction by dragging the arrow across the tiles. If you're a fan of timed word puzzles, this one's for you!

Backgammon

Does this online game need any introduction? The traditional board game is available online both with the classic board as well as a themed board like winter, Halloween, Christmas, etc.The game can be played against a computer or another person as public or private games. Play and find out how many gammons you gather before the game is over!

Spades

Since the time Windows games were the only way to beat time, Spades has been the go-to game! Teens will need a partner to play Spades on their computers. The goal of this online card game is for each team to win the minimum number of tricks they bid on before play begins. The trump is the titular spade for the players to clinch a win!

Bejeweled 2

If you’ve been a fan of Bejeweled, now there’s Bejeweled 2 for you. In the ‘classic mode’, the rules you've always played by apply.  In the other ‘action mode’, you must fill the slots continuously as they are always running down. A good score unlocks the other game-play modes which are just as brilliant!

How many of these online games have you played? Try your luck with all and unlock a new experience of gaming!