Good Computer Games for Preschoolers
| Game | Review |
|---|---|
ABC Bang |
This is a fun little game. The child “bangs” a letter on the keyboard, and a large alphabet letter appears on the screen. A cartoon child says the name of the letter, plus a word that begins with that letter. A – apple, Z – zebra. It is a good introductory game, teaching the letters. My only complaint is that the recorded voice isn’t very clear, and if you’re from the USA, the child has an accent. This is a colorful game, though, and it starts immediately, so it will hold the child’s attention. Rating: *** |
Big Alphabet Bang |
This is the same game as above, only using Capital letters. I should add that the letters are bright and large – depending on the size of your monitor, maybe even six inches tall. This is important, as it is less likely to cause eye strain. Do not let your preschool child play computer games for more than fifteen minutes. Then take a break and have him play outside to rest his young eyes. There is a strong relationship between early readers and near-sightedness. Rating: *** |
911 |
This simple game reviews dialing 911 for emergencies. It also drills on number recognition and following directions. You should teach proper telephone use and the purpose of 911 first. This program is just for practice.Rating: ** |
Red Light, Green Light |
This little game drills on the meanings of red, yellow and green street lights. Rating: ** |
Pedestrian Lights |
This game reviews the meaning of a red hand, a walking person, and a flashing red hand. Depending on where you live, this would be a good activity for your child. Rating: ** |
Fire Safety |
This little activity review what to do and what not to do in case of a fire. It teaches “get outside straight away”, instead of the “stop, drop, and roll” that is taught in American schools. It took me a bit to realize that the reason the children’s voices aren’t as clear to me is because of their accent. The site is Australian. Still, the activity is a good one. Rating: *** |
Letter Ella |
This is a cute, silly little game, just one step harder than ABC Bang above. Your child presses any letter on the keyboard. Then a cartoon Viking woman in tennis shoes and a helmet says the name of the letter, sings it, says the sound of a letter, a word that begins with that letter, and then sounds out the word – for beginning reading instruction. Then there is a next level, where Letter Ella tells the child what letter to press. This may be beyond the level of most preschoolers. I would have to replace my keyboard before I could ask my four-year-old granddaughter to even try this one – most of the letters have rubbed off! Rating: ** |
Musical Worms |
This is a cute little game, but perhaps a little too advanced for many preschoolers. This is a beginning spelling game. The child clicks on the correct alphabet letters to spell simple words. A trio of talented worms pop up from the ground to sing the letters, and when the word is spelled correctly, they give an instrumental performance as they sing “Congratulations!” The letters are only about an inch tall – they should be larger. And the game only fills about a quarter of the screen with a lot of things all around it, which is distracting. Rating: *** |
Educational Songs and Videos |
These are darling! When I first opened the webpage, the video box was too small, but this site allowed me to zoom in to increase the size, which is very important when permitting young children to use a computer. Some of these clips are from Sesame Street or the Electric Company. Some the graphics are rather simple. The songs include ABCs, colors, counting, days of the week, the soft “g” sound, as well as some children’s classics like “The Wheels on the Bus”. There isn’t anything here for your child to click on or do, just watch and listen, and maybe sing along. Rating:*** |
Avoid These Games
| Game | Description |
|---|---|
| Funschool Kaboose | This is not a good website. The games load too slowly to hold a young child’s interest. Also, the letters are too small, causing possible eyestrain, and the screen is cluttered with advertisements. I realize the games are being provided for free, and the web designer needs to make an income, but he or she will not be making much from a three-year-old. If the advertisements were kept to the main page, and the games were larger, on an ad-free page, it would help. |
