How can online games benefit children?

Although online games are a sort of entertainment, with the support and guidance of oldsters, they will help children develop their creativity, foster relationships with friends, and improve strategic thinking.

It also can help them develop perseverance to realize goals, build resilience, and improve their communication skills in order that they skills to respect other people’s points of view. Here is a list of ways that games have been shown to benefit children:

Learning and development benefits.

 A great source for developing early learning skills for younger children 

Studies have shown that certain online games can help younger children improve their early reading skills with the support of parents and teachers. Games like ‘ Rock Stars Times Table’which is used in elementary schools and preschool applications such as ‘ Endless Alphabet’can be excellent tools to help children learn in a more engaging way. Also, with the growth of connected toys, children can experience physical play while playing on the devices. Educational toys like Osmo Combine touch game pieces with a device’s camera to bring the action in play to life.

Improves memory, brain speed, and concentration.

Games that are immersive and require strategies and problem-solving skills to win require players to remember and assimilate a lot of information. Playing these types of games regularly can help improve children’s short-term and long-term memory and help the brain process information faster.

In addition, the games capture the imagination of the players helping them to stay focused on certain tasks and build their perseverance to achieve a goal.

 Enhanced multi-tasking skills

Games that require players to find items while fighting other opponents require attention to detail and quick reactions. Studies have shown that playing these types of games can help children develop their multitasking skills.

Develop skills for future careers

More complex multiplayer games help teach players how to be strategic, analytical to assess risk and reward and ask them to react quickly to changes in the game. All of these skills they use can be transferred to real-world jobs that rely on problem-solving, analytical skills, and strategic thinking.

Offer a new way of understanding culture and perspectives.
As games allow children to immerse themselves in virtual worlds and sometimes connect with people from all over the world, it can be a great way to learn about different perspectives and cultures.

Physical and social benefits.

 Group play provides social benefits

Whether children play multiplayer games with friends or use apps like ‘Heads up’ with family in the living room, these types of games can help foster relationships through shared moments and improve their social skills. For some children who may have disabilities, it can be a way to socialize and make friends if they are restricted.

 Promote teamwork and build trust.

Multiplayer games allow children to take on a number of roles that allow them to learn how to manage a team if they are the leader or negotiate ways to win as part of a group. Shared experience can be a great way to collaborate and learn from each other to build children’s confidence.

 Provides a fun way to stay active.

The success of games like Pokemon GO and Zumba is an example of how games can help motivate children to be active while playing. Plus, the rise of mobile gaming apps means kids don’t have to be glued to a TV to play games, they can now play on the go. See our list of active apps that can help your child stay active while playing games.

 Provide a way to develop compassion.

There are a number of games and apps that have been developed to help children control their emotions and encourage kind behavior, compassion, and empathy. See our list of wellness apps for more information.

 Provide a safe context for talking about fears.

Sometimes it can be easier to talk about concerns in a virtual context, and games can provide a safe place for children to express themselves.

 They are a new way of experiencing stories

Immersive games can help children experience stories in a more participatory way and shape the way the story is told to awaken creative skills.

 Create time and space to reflect more on the issues.

Schools are now increasingly using game-based learning to help students understand and think about complex topics to help develop math skills (i.e. STEM) or become familiar with concepts in science. Gamifying learning and allowing children to see things differently can encourage them to understand topics faster and more deeply.