Are Online Math Games a Waste of Time?

August 20, 2010 by Game Brainer
Filed under math games

Just a few short years ago, the television was considered the babysitter for children. Now, parents are sticking their children in front of computer and the Internet hoping to get a few minutes or even hours of piece and quite. The question is are the math games that being played beneficial and educational or are they just a waste of time?

Most parents are busy working and desperately trying to raise their families. Keeping the kids occupied and quiet online is a major convenience. However, we still must ask ourselves if the online math games are beneficial to our kids’ learning or if we are just deluding ourselves into thinking we are doing the right thing. Have we switched one babysitting medium for another or is the Internet a viable alternative to television?

Internet Math Games Features:

Variety

o Themes, Design, Concept

• The diversity in choice makes it a nice alternative for children. Kids enjoy learning when they have the ability to choose from a wide range of themes and designs. With cute cartoon characters and music to choose from boredom should not be a factor.

o Programs and Levels

• Parents and children like to change programs from addition, subtraction, multiplication and so on. In addition, you can change the complexity of the program for each level.

• For example, when adding addition can change from single digit addition to multi-digit to adding fractions making addition programs complex for a wide range of ages.

o Activities

• Practice Test — Kids who have problems with test can practice taking timed test and drills online in a fun and safe environment without the pressure.

• Puzzles — Math riddles, puzzles, and assorted mind teasers are always fun to get the brain working.

• Games — Games are only limited by the imagination. I have seen all kinds of math games. You can honestly find a math game that matches your child’s favorite activity.

Visual Effects

o Many kids are visual learners and math can use all the visual help it can get.

o Animation helps kids learn the hard concepts associated with math skills. This is a real bonus associated with Internet math games.

o Again, cartoon characters can help explain the complexities of math problems in a friendly manner.

Immediate Results

o Kids need immediate response and Internet games do just that. What better way to learn math than to get immediate response. If they get an answer right or wrong they know it.

Printable

o Many Internet sites have worksheets kid can print up and practice at home. Sometimes these are random worksheets that are randomly generated. Other times, the worksheets are specific to a learning concept.

With all the cool math game features, I think the results are obvious. Computer math games are educational and fun for kids. The important part is providing the proper guidance in your child’s education. It is up to you to learn more about math games that are appropriate for your child.

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