We don't shy away from technology when it comes to our homeschooling. My husband and I believe that learning is available in different forms and not just in textbooks and classrooms. Even in games, children learn concepts, language, critical thinking, sportsmanship, and even resilience. In fact, our youngest child was so determined to know what the numbers and words in his game were that it inspired him to start reading, spelling and learning Math.
Even when we are in a queue somewhere where our kids cannot leave the space and have gotten bored with the paper and pens we brought, I allow them to play on my phone to pass the time. One of our favorite websites for free online games is Mortgage Calculator. You must be thinking-mortgage calculator?? Their website primarily focuses on money and finance, but they also have dozens of games online to choose from. These are free to use and ad-free which is perfect for this mom who is worried if her child clicks something that he's not supposed to. Here are some of the categories available: real estate games, money games, cryptocurrency games, farming simulations, grocery store simulations, restaurant simulations, business simulations, and software development games.
Let me share with you our favorites so far.
This game looked easy but you'd be surprised how difficult the levels can get. This puzzle game helps children develop critical thinking, understand physics, and encourages recycling.
Initially, the first level is unlocked and as you progress through the game, you can open multiple paths in the different zones. The goal is to use the building pieces from the left side to build a stable treehouse. These pieces may be laid as is or rotated. Kids can test the stability of their creations.
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| Hero Elementary Zone |
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| Downtown Zone |
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| Whew! You really need your brain cells to work on these puzzles. |
My kids ages 6 and 7 were the ones who figured out the puzzle while I was clueless. This is a great game for kids and adults alike who enjoy challenges. There are 22 levels spread across the three zones in the game: Hero Elementary, Downtown, and Citytown Park.
If you'd like to hear laughs from your kids while playing, we suggest trying Banana Running. It's bananas!!
In this game, you help Mr. Nanners save Mrs. Nanners and collect coins. We played this using the laptop and it was easier to use the keys to navigate the Banana as he change lanes, jump over or slide under obstacles. When you have collected enough coins in your journey, you can use them to purchase a skateboard, a segway, fireworks, and a hoverboard.
The game we have spent so much time on so far is a farmer game where you plant and harvest different crops. My son and daughter enjoy playing with this as it is simple but with multiple goals, depending on your choosing.
Initially, you will harvest potatoes in the first plot. As you harvest your crops, you will earn profits. You will use your profits to harvest the other kinds of vegetables: carrots, wheat, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, turnips, onions, and corn.
For each type of vegetable, you have the option to buy upgrades to lower your production time, increase profits, and stack your earnings. We did a lot of upgrades hence we were able to buy the plot worth $15M in less than an hour of playing.
We also used the rain cloud to double our harvest rate. Using the sun, on the other hand, allows quicker production.
Overall, this game was a hit for my 2 kids. Our youngest is introduced to place values and money. Both get to understand farming and business - which includes some lectures from their mom who is an agribusiness graduate. They loved the idea of earning as they harvest and thinking of ways how they can increase their profits.
Explore and Learn Online
Allowing our children to play safe online games while supervising them is an opportunity for us to relax, and learn concepts, real-life work, and how money is made. Allowing them to be curious and explore opens up new worlds and possibilities. Their curiosity and ability to navigate these games help them improve their critical thinking, problem-solving, and motivation. Learning can be more enjoyable and rewarding.
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