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To be honest, this is a tough topic for me to write about, as I believe that toddlers should watch as little as possible any kind of screens; that we should, as parents, limit to the minimum for toddlers screen time and allow all other types of games for them.
However, as a mom myself, I know the reality is not always as our fantasy or dream!
We all need to work and need to have some time available, or help the other siblings at home. We all go through this worldwide epidemic and we all know toddlers do have screen time, more than we would hope for, in most homes.
Therefore, I thought it is important to provide tips and advice for that screen time to make it not just fun, but active, educational and helping your child with certain skills thanks to toddler games online.
Online gaming is a form of entertainment for kids and adults. As we all say, kids are like sponges—this is especially true for toddlers. Toddlers are always absorbing new things. Online games, if selected well and with parents guidance, will help develop their creativity, nurture relationships with friends, improve strategic thinking, develop responsibility, and even teach information. It can also help them build perseverance to attain goals, build resilience, and improve their communications skills.
These games can assist in teaching children important concepts like cause & effect, enhance math and computation skills of a child, and much more.
Did you know?
- A 2013 meta-analysis found that playing online games improved a toddler’s capacity to think about objects in three dimensions, just as well as academic courses to enhance these same skills.
- A whopping 97% of kids play computer and online games, making gamification a smart way to keep toddlers engaged in learning.
- Online video games are effective tools to learn resilience in the face of failure. By learning to cope with ongoing failures in games, kids build emotional resilience they can rely upon in their everyday lives.
- The research revealed that the biggest benefits of online games, according to parents, are thinking development (9.60%), observation capacity (8.27%), and creativity (8.01%).
- 95% of parents polled said that the gamified reading platform motivated their toddlers to read and learn math or language skills more.
- 70% of teachers said they saw an increase in kid’s engagement in the classroom when using educational online games.
- Children between the ages of 4 and 10 spend an average of almost 2 hours a day playing online games, while adolescents play almost 4 hours.
How online games play a significant role in toddlers’ development
Playing toddler games online can assist your child’s physical, intellectual, and skills development:
A great source to develop early learning skills for younger children
Studies have shown that certain games can help a toddler improve early reading skills with the support of parents and teachers. Games that are used in primary schools and pre-school apps can be great tools to help children learn more engagingly.
Improves coordination
When a toddler is playing an online game, he or she is not only staring at the computer inactively. The activities and actions on the screen provide a lot of mental stimulation. For one to play, he or she will need to coordinate their visual, audial, and physical movement.
Enhances memory, brain’s speed, and concentration
Games that are immersive and require strategy and problem-solving skills to win, require players to remember and take in a lot of information. Regularly playing these types of games can help improve toddler’s short and long-term memory and help the brain process information quicker. Also, games capture toddlers’ imagination helping them to stay focused on certain tasks and build their perseverance to achieve a goal.
Group play provides social benefits
Whether kids are playing multiplayer games with friends or using apps with the family in the living room, these types of games can help nurture relationships through shared moments and improve their social skills. For some children who may have disabilities, it can be a way for them to socialize and make friends if they are restricted.
Improved multi-tasking skills
Games that require players to find items while fighting off other opponents call for attention to detail and quick reactions. Studies have shown that playing these types of games can help children develop their multi-tasking skills.
Build skills for future careers
The more complex multiplayer games help teach players how to be strategic, analytical to assess risk and reward and call for them to react quickly to changes in the game. All these skills that they use can be transferable to real-world jobs that rely on problem-solving, analytical skills, and strategic thinking.
Offer a new way to understand culture and perspectives
As games allow children (a bit older maybe) to immerse themselves in virtual worlds and at times connect to people from around the world, it can be a great way for them to learn about different perspectives and cultures.
Parents should try to be engaged with toddlers while playing toddler games online, if and when possible.
Computer and other online games can be fun and safe as long as we, parents, stay involved and know what they play and how long they play! If parents create reasonable guidelines with their children and create positive agreements around playing toddler games online, struggles will be avoided; such as older kids staying up late playing on their computers; disinterest in school activities or work and problems with children isolating themselves.
Here are few Toddler games online I wish to recommend:
With correct games and clear limits, those games can boost your kid’s cognitive, physical, and emotional skills, so get your toddler started with one of these games:
It is easy to play and pleasurable game for toddlers. Simply drag the blocks to move them.it will help your toddler to improve hand-eye coordination as well as strategic thinking.
2. Animal Math Kindergarten Games for Kindergarten and Early Learners
Math is fun and these free math games are more fun than those dusty old math worksheets for kids. This game helps to learn numbers, counting, shapes, and colors. Preschoolers can discover the relationship between numbers and math with number games. it gives an opportunity to build a positive relationship with learning and builds confidence through positive encouragement.
This online drawing game gives toddlers a wonderful opportunity to create and explore the creative process of visual art. Your child will learn to draw kid’s cute characters in a fun and playful manner. It helps to:
1-Develop fine motor skills
2- Develop pre-writing skills
3- Develop creativity through fun
It is Multiplayer gameplay. It helps kids improve visual motor coordination and multi-tasking skills.
Baby Bubble School is a colorful, wonderful educational experience for curious young minds. Teaching names and recognition of LETTERS, NUMBERS, SHAPES, COLORS, TOYS, ANIMALS, FRUITS, VEGETABLES and more, Bubble School makes learning awesome for all TODDLERS and PRESCHOOLERS.
6. 4 In A Row – 2 Player Strategy Board Game
The goal of this tactical game is to connect at least 4 tokens of the same color in a row (horizontal, vertical or diagonal). It enhances the cognitive abilities of young kids.
In this interactive tangram puzzle, kids must use simple shapes to help Muggo get up and running again. By placing each colorful shape in the correct spot in the puzzle, kids will sharpen spatial awareness, develop shape recognition skills and have tons of fun doing with this early introduction to geometry!
In this interactive sorting and categorizing game, toddlers will get to flex their budding math and comparison skills. Young zoologists will sort land animals, water animals, and people into like categories by moving them to their correct places in the zoo scene. Sorting at the zoo is a great way to help preschoolers understand how math, data, and categories fit into their everyday lives.
This memory game is designed for children specifically in the age group of 3 to 5 years. Preschoolers love playing memory games online; this game teach important skills for preschool and can help children to improve his memory by concentrating and focusing
In this math game, kids count the correct number of toppings and add them to the pizza to match the customer’s order. When finished, they will ring the bell and hear the toppings counted aloud. Wacky toppings and fun characters make practicing number sense engaging.
I truly hope you enjoyed this article and more importantly that it will help you choose the most adaptable product for your child!
I highly recommend you to read additional articles for toddlers such as:
15 Best Sensory Toys for Toddlers to Help healthy Development
14 Top gifts for Baby First Steps
10 Amazing toys for shoulder girdle stability
Potty training tips for Boys
Special Need Toys
Soft Toys
Musical Education for early or late childhood
Pretend Play for Toddlers
Fantastic Toys for 3 years old
Wooden Toys
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It’s true. Children now spend a lot of time online, so it is very important to point them in the right direction. Thank you very much for your article!