Learning doesn’t have to be all worksheets and lectures. Actually, educational games are a great way to engage kids in learning and fun at the same time. In fact, studies are actively researching how gaming can have a positive impact on a student’s engagement and performance in school.¹ You can find free games online covering a variety of subjects that are catered to different grade levels.
Whether you want your kids to practice their spelling, test their trivia, or challenge them with math problems, there are websites that can help them do it in an entertaining way that doesn’t feel like learning.
Aquarius Studio / ShutterstockTo help in selecting the best way to educate and entertain your child, here are five educational game websites for kids.
1. ABCYA
From Bingo to racing to crossword games, there’s something for every early learner to play on ABCYA. This free website targets kids from pre-kindergarten to sixth grade. Along with games, parents can download printable coloring pages. There are also interactive videos that can teach your kids some cool arts and crafts like glitter jars, origami, and bubble paintings.²
Featured Games
- Hold The Phone – Kids will learn the meanings of idioms by illustrating them with emojis and then using them in a sentence.
- Division Derby – Kids must answer division questions quickly in order to get their horse car to cross the finish line.
- Marvin Makes Music – This narrated story game follows a frog that’s sad because he can’t sing like his friend. Well, until he gets a new music instrument.
2. National Geographic Kids
One of the most educational brands in the world has a website dedicated to learning. Along with interactive learning modules and videos, National Geographic’s website has a ton of games to keep kids entertained. There are action and adventure games, along with fun personality and trivia quizzes.³
Featured Games
- Zeus the Mighty – Learn about ancient Greece by answering questions and helping Zeus climb Mount Olympus.
- Crack the Code – Put your secret code-breaking skills to the test and fight villains by using quick thinking to solve mysteries.
- Letter Predator – Prevent the Triceratops from becoming the Tyrannosaurus rex’s lunch by guessing all the letters to spell out secret words.
3. Education.com
Preschool to fifth-grade students can play over 750 games on Education.com. In addition to math, reading, writing, and typing games, this site provides printable worksheets. Some of them include dot-to-dot drawing, math problems, and color-by-number images. There are online game’s with seasonal, holiday, and pop culture themes that can allow kids to play games relevant to the time of year.⁴
Featured Games
- Long and Short Vowel Sort – Take kids on a virtual grocery shopping spree to help them better understand letter and sound relationships.
- Learn Coding With Roly – Help your kids get a basic understanding of coding by having them drag and drop visual code blocks to help Roly navigate his way along a path.
- Stop the Clock – To test your kid’s time-telling abilities, challenge them to stop the clock when the hands match the time they hear.
4. PBS Kids
If your kids are fans of television shows that air on PBS Kids, they will love the games featured on this site. The site combines their favorite TV show characters with educational games related to reading, math, science, Spanish, and music. You can browse games based on game difficulty or by shows such as Clifford the Big Red Dog, Arthur, and Sesame Street.⁵
Featured Games
- Nature Changer – This interactive science game will help players learn about what different animals need in order to survive.
- Agent Check-Up – Kids can put on their doctor hat to help Dr. O diagnose and cure the agents’ odd illnesses.
- Food Farm – Plant giant fruits and vegetables on the Earth, Moon, and Mars as a way to learn about what it takes for farmers to grow food.
5. Funbrain
Funbrain has games for pre-K to eighth-grade, making it a site that’s ideal for a wide range of ages. The diverse selection of games can be browsed by grade level and are clearly labeled with its target age group. Kids can also read popular book series on Funbrain like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Judy Moody, and Harry Moon.⁶
Featured Games
- Math Baseball – Hit a single, double, triple, or even a home run by answering math questions on a range of difficulties.
- Simon Sees – Match the monster’s eyes to his reflection in the mirror five times to win.
- Cake Monster – To defeat virtual monsters, younger children must drop candy onto the correct spot in the number line.