Why Buy Games Online?

Since the dawn of online shopping, many of the items you can buy in the department stores can be purchased for less online. You can buy games online for almost half of what you would pay in a department store. It's easier, you can buy cheaper games, and they are delivered right to your home. It's really a win/win situation and so much less stressful.

Another thing people want to know is what are the best games to buy? There are a lot of things that classify a board game as really great. Here are a few of the following things to follow when buying them:

* Keep a child's age in mind: Most of the classic board games are age specific. You wouldn't want to buy a chessboard for a five year old.

* Easy to understand rules: The rules should be well written and easy to understand.

* Time it takes to complete: You wouldn't want games that take a long time to finish if you are buying for young children. You want something that will keep their attention but won't last so long that they get bored with it.

* Player capacity: Any games you get should be suited for at least four players. The more players that can play the more fun the game will be.

* Educational qualities: It is always a plus if you buy board games that teach your children math or spelling. They won't know they are learning because they are having so much fun.

* Low anxiety games: Some board games are played with a timer; these tend to not be quite as much fun for kids because the time limit makes them too nervous to think.

* Thinking games: Board games that make your kids think about their next move or games that make them think ahead are excellent for building thinking skills.

There are literally hundreds of different games that are perfect for a family to play. From card games to the classic board games there are so many choices to ensure you don't have to play the same game twice in a month if you didn't want to.

Another good reason to buy games online is how quickly they can be shipped to your home. You could order a game on Sunday and it will be at your doorstep in time for Tuesday game night. Besides finding games for less money, you might be able to find games that aren't sold in department stores. There are many specialty online game stores that sell games that have yet to make it department stores and may never be sold at department stores. Many of the great educational board games are found at specialty stores and you can only buy the games online. Board games are truly the gift to buy for your kids and your whole family; there are many benefits to playing board games.

How to Pick Kids Games

When it comes to kids games, parents think it has to be elaborate for it to be fun. This is not the case. If you remember back to your childhood, the best games were often the most simple. Remember marbles, pickup sticks, and jacks? These games were very simple but they were very fun. The same holds true in games today.

Picking Indoor Kids Games

When you are picking games for your kids to play indoors, the main thing is space. Will your child be able to play the game in a limited amount of space?

Once you decide if you have the room, you need to focus on some more subtle but still very important questions.
o Does it require sitting or standing?
o How much light does it need? Will a lamp work or does it require bright light to read?
o How much noise will they make? Can the kids play it while others are sleeping?
o Does it require pieces to play? Dice?

Picking Outdoor Games for Kids

Kids love outdoor games but parents find these games a nuisance. Often times, they end up not getting used or taking up space in the garage.

When looking for outdoor games you need to think about your lifestyle and where you live.
o Does the weather allow for this type of activity on a regular basis?
o Can the kids play the game unsupervised?
o Can the kids play the game alone or will the need a partner?
o How long can the kids play the game?
o Are replacement parts/equipment readily available?
o Will the kids need a ride somewhere to use the game?

Picking Car Games for Kids

When we were kids, car games consisted of spotting license plates and singing songs. Now there are Nintendos and iPhones. In fact, these can be great even for parents who want their children to play educational games in the car.

When looking for car games you need to think about the developmental stages of your kids. While games are ranked for ages, you really need to go by developmental stages.
o Does your child count, add, multiply or divide?
o Can they read or are they still on site words?
o Does the child prefer sing-a-longs or music challenges?
o How much help do they need with the iPhone or Nintendo?

Once you start answering these questions, you will see that picking games for your kids becomes simple. While there are more games available then when we were kids, kids are still kids and they still have the same likes and dislikes.

Picking out games for kids just means going out there and asking the right questions. You will see stores and online shops are full of education kids games. All you have to do is look around.

PBS Kids Games - Give Your Child a Good Educational Start

Every parent worries about whether or not their child is ready to meet the challenges of that first year in school. PBS kids games can eliminate that worry or at least minimize it by using a series of fun and educational games to get your child ready for school while still having fun.

PBS kids games is an online site that has over 50 educational games to help your child get ready for the educational challenges that lay ahead and to even practice basic math and reading skills once they are in school. The PBS site has online games that teach basic reading and math readiness such as letter sounds and counting. It also has word recognition games, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division practice for older kids and even games that let children explore science and nature.

While some of these games are free the majority can only be played by registering with PBS Kids games. The fee is $80.00 per year but the site does offer a free trial period so you can determine whether or not the site is actually helpful to your child. Most parents should find the site easy to navigate and a great way for young children to practice counting and letter and word recognition. For children in school the ability to practice reading and math concepts will help a struggling child perfect these skills at a much more economical fee than a tutor would cost.

Just What Do You Get For Your Registration Fee?

The bottom line for most parents is knowing what they will get for their registration fee. The answer is quite a lot actually. Not only does your child get access to all 50 educational games, but also, there are also many arcade type games that you and your child can play together. You also get a series of PBS television episodes for kids that will further allow them to learn about a variety of topics, there are down loadable coloring pages as well.

To round everything off and make this site more useful for parents, PBS kids games have developed a way to follow their children's progress so that you can see which areas your child may need further development in and which areas they excel in so that you can help direct them in their learning. Best of all because these activities are done on the computer, there will be less stress between you and your child and your child gets instant feedback so they know what they did wrong and can learn to correct it.

PBS kids games are not meant to replace parental involvement in your child's education. It is simply a means to give parents one more tool to help their child learn and be more successful in school. If you are worried about your child being ready for school or if you have a young elementary child who is struggling with some of the basic skills, PBS kids games may be worth trying out for both you and your child.

Fun Kid Websites - Safety and Learning on the Internet

Face it, in this age of technology your kids will be exposed to the internet in some way. You might as well start at an early age familiarizing them with the world wide web and exposing them to all the many wonderful sites the internet has to offer. There are many options that provide but both and learning perfect for kids of all ages.

But how do you know where to look? Finding fun entertainment for your kids can be somewhat of a chore. With this guide on fun kid websites, we make it easy to give your kids a fun learning experience while keeping them occupied. The internet can provide endless enjoyment and an abundance of information for adults, why not kids?

Here we have compiled a list of some of the top websites geared to children:

One favorite web site of many parents and children is Noggin.com. This fun kid website is from the makers of Sesame Street and is great for toddlers and young children. They feature educational games including word spelling and matching. The website has shows kids can watch online. They also have a great music section with videos.

Another fun kid website to try out is pbskids.org. This website is from the makers of many popular kid shows such as Barney and Friends and Arthur. It is full of fun games, stories and a unique coloring section. You can even click on your favorite show and get more information about you favorite characters. The games on this website are educational and discovery oriented, so you can feel good about your child spending time online.

Yahoo! has come up with a fun kid website. It is yahooligans.com. This website features games, facts about animals and a science section. The website also provides kids with information about the latest news and movies. There is an excellent section where kids can ask questions about science, animals and sports and read the answers of other kid's questions. This is a great website for older kids.