As a parent in the digital age, I’ve noticed a fascinating shift in how my kids engage with technology. My kids watch videos of other kids playing video games. This drives me nuts. Unlike my childhood, where playing video games often meant getting shooed outside by exasperated parents, I now urge my children to play video games instead of watching them be played.
Through the plethora of videos my youngest son has consumed, my son inadvertently stumbled upon channels dedicated to history and geography. Instead of mindlessly watching, he was absorbing knowledge about different cultures, civilizations, and historical events. It was a revelation – he was learning while being entertained. He knows so much more about geography and history than me and is proud to show off his knowledge.
This realization prompted me to explore educational games as a way to further nurture his newfound interests. What kid doesn’t like to get educational games for gifts? (eyeroll). I wanted to channel his curiosity into interactive learning experiences that were not only engaging but also enriching. Also, there is the selfish motive. This is a way for me to learn, have fun while learning, and spend time with my son. So, armed with recommendations and reviews, I set out to find the perfect games to supplement his education.
One of the first games I gave him was “The World Game”. This is a geography card game that focuses on the flags, capitals, and locations of the world’s countries. The cards are high quality. I have seen my kids play various games on their phones where they see an image of a logo, flag, etc, and have to guess the answer. So, I got him a set of Collection of Country Flags flashcards. These cards are also very high quality. Finally, I got him a Professor Noggin History of the United States card game. I have played this with three of my son’s ranging in age from 13 to 18 and while there are some easy questions, it was definitely a challenge. Professor Noggin makes a bunch of card games that a great for younger kids through teenagers. I remember Jeopardy legend James Holzhauer said he read children’s book to study for Jeopardy. So I thought some trivia geared towards children might also be a good idea.