Internet games for kids and their parents can provide hours of recreation for them both. Even parents who themselves play online games and video games may be at a loss of where to start with their child. There is no one right way or place to begin, but here are a few suggestions.
Believe it or not, one of the first places a parent can go to find great kids games online is not the internet, but their child's favorite television programs or the packages of children's products, like toys or foods. Television programs and businesses often have an online presence with games that are age appropriate for their target customers... kids. Since the family is already a customer, it is not onerous to see an ad or two about a product they already use.
Some typical kinds of kids' games a parent may want to hunt up are learning games like math games, reading games, typing games as well as other educational games. Puzzle games, memory games and mazes can also be great for intellectual development. Fun games also have a value in encouraging young children to learn mouse control and keyboard skills.
There is no need for the parent to call a child over to the computer to play. The parent can begin to play a kids' online game and in no time the sound effects or music will draw a child closer. They will then become quickly ensconced in their parent's lap. Let the child begin to participate by answering questions about what is appearing on the screen and choosing the next move in the game. A child's first instincts will be to touch and point at the screen. Eventually, encourage direct participation by letting the child operate an easy aspect of the game, such as pressing the spacebar. Ideally, the first games for young children should have very few keyboard options and a slow pace of play.
Usually the music, sound effects and colorful images of the game will be encouraging enough to motivate a child to continue to learn to play. At first a child needs a parent right at their side to play, but soon they will be taking over more of the controls themselves and even learning how to start a new game over by themselves.