In my previous post I wrote about things for kids to do that would keep them away from the computer games.

Well - computer games aren’t ALL bad - there ARE games out there that actually makes kids LEARN while they play!

I’ve been going over a bunch of websites, and come up with a few free online games that are both fun AND educational - because let’s face it, sometimes we as grownups really don’t have the time or the energy to entertain our kids, and then it can be a good idea to let them play on the computer for a while…

An educational game then helps us feel less guilty for using the computer as a temporary “baby sitter”.

Most of these games are in English, but since I am SWEDISH I have also picked out a few Swedish games - I DO after all have a daughter, a niece and a nephew who might benefit from these games…

I’m sure you can find free online games in YOUR language as well, but in the meantime why not try some of these?

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Funschool - a whole website PACKED with games, quizzes and other activities for kids, preschool ages and up.

For preschool kids there are easy games that will help them learn the alphabet and count numbers, and a lot of printable coloring pages. The older the child is, the more advanced the games get - and there’s fun stuff for grownups there too!

You really have to go to the page to see what’s to offer - there are educational games, quizzes, printable stuff and also a lot of more traditional arcade style games.

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Dinosaur Playground - just as the name hints, this is all about DINOSAURS!

Walking with beasts - thisis the more ADULT place to go for facts about dinosaurs, you’ll find a link to the dinosaur games on the left side of that page.

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KidsPlaypark - has a lot of fun and games to offer, including recipes, jokes crafts and songs. The games are all very nice, some more educational than others.

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Kulkul - Swedish site. The name of this site translates as “Funfun”, and here kids can learn the Swedish alphabet (A-Z + the letters Å, Ä and Ö), how to count numbers and add them together, learn about the map of Europe (country names in Swedish) and play a few other games as well, “just for fun”.

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FlashArcade - has all sorts of games, both free online and downloadable ones. More suitable for teenagers and adults, but there are a few games that are fun for smaller children as well.

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I could continue to list sites and games all day long here, but we don’t want to risk having the little kids permanently stuck in front of the computer, now, do we? Educational computer games can be just as addictive as regular ones!

The games found here are really just meant to be used when our lovely children want something to do, but WE don’t really have the time to be with them! The first few times that they play these games, it’s best to sit with them, though - kids should be monitored whenever they are going online. Once you know that they’re only doing what you allow them to do, then it’s safe to leave them alone for a short while…