Best Learning Games

Make-believe Games

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Imagination is healthy. Unfortunately, many toys and games these days actually stifle the imagination. If there is any indication of the future success of children, it is the amount of imaginative, or make-believe play they engage in on a daily basis. Many parents overlook this critical factor and begin to push learning games or toys with built-in story lines.

From Real-Life to Virtual

Young children almost always begin to play using their imaginations. Toy kitchens and doll houses help little kids act like the grown-ups they admire. Of course, the minute the children discover the wonders of the internet, much of this imaginative play begins to fade, but it doesn’t have to.

There are opportunities online for make-believe games. Although many games children play via the internet involve predetermined actions and plot sequences, this is not the case for all. Some games utilize the imagination more than even traditional toys. Online dolls offer young girls a chance to stretch not only their fashion sense but their imagination as well.

Playing Make-Believe Games

It may seem simple to the casual observer. Stick some clothes on a doll and you have a finished creation. But it is much more than that to the regulars. Every aspect of online play has great significance. Choosing the right base is the first step – is the doll going to represent the doll maker, or is she trying her hand at something new? Then clothing is selected based on what that doll is going to be doing or represent.

Young girls with rich imaginations love playing dress up games with these dolls. The dolls can lead wild fantasy lives or do literally anything the doll maker wishes. Young girls can try on imaginary personalities or styles, or create avatars and characters to be used for any number of games and contests.

Many doll creation sites, like TheDollPalace.com, offer more than simple doll creation software. They give girls a chance to find others interested in the same sort of make-believe games and imaginary worlds. Doll Palace offers forums and opportunities to share stories about dolls. Not only are the girls creating these complex dolls, they are writing histories and stories for their characters as well.

The Benefits of Make-Believe Games

If it is not already obvious, make-believe games, such as these online dolls, give children an opportunity to flex their creative muscle. Creativity and imagination are some of the most wonderful gifts of childhood and often they are stomped out by excessive school work or games that trap players in certain characters or roles. Those that enjoy these dolls should be encouraged to continue playing, and parents interested in developing or fostering these skills in their own children should seek out make-believe games.

Of course the best way to interact with your child as well as encourage the use of the imagination is to sit down routinely with your daughter and ask about her dolls. Do they have a history or is there something special about each one? Parents will be amazed at the lengths doll makers will go to build a complete fantasy life around a simple online paper doll. Imagination is truly a wonder to behold.

Education Spiced Up With Entertainments – Free Online Games

It is true that the word “educational” do not often link it to any degree of enjoyment to people but to young kids, they are as fun and as productive as they could possibly be. Research shows that the developing brain of children in their early stage have active capacity of absorbing almost anything thrown at them. Therefore if you have young kids then bring some twist to your teaching method. Introducing online educational games in your teaching process where they can have both fun and knowledge can be highly rewarding.

Generally educational games are highly underestimated but unfortunately the least visited applications in an entertainment site reside within this educational category. Max out the application of the internet which is considered as the most amazing learning tool where you will find answer to any kind of questions with a few points and clicks. There are plenty of on-line resources for kids especially when it comes to free kid’s educational games on varied subjects like math, English, geography etc.

Educational games are have been specifically designed to teach people about a certain subject, grow their concepts, reinforce development, understand an historical event or culture, or assist them in learning a skill as they play. But no wonder why children’s educational computer games have often encountered more negative critics instead of positive critics. Centralized by increasing technological and informational society, education to the growing children will be provided through a mediated combination of learning and enjoyment experience.

Online educational games will help even the teachers to assist students on social aspects such as critical learning, knowledge based communication and effective interpersonal skill that traditional method of teaching could not offer. The recent emergence of educational games spiced up with entertainments are helping the children to take interest and learn fast their subjects as well as their guide that may be their parents at homes or teachers at school to teach them with ease.

The advent of online educational games had brought a new revolution in the world of education providing additional information to the growing children. These computer-aided learning programs are said to be highly effective when designed to address a specific problem or teach a certain skill in any subjects. So whether its letters, numbers or colors that you would like your child to learn and respond to you positively online educational games can be a good option for you to avail. Just try and see.

Tons of Free Online Games – a New Twist

The excitement and the enjoyment offered by game parlors is very different to the level of enjoyment offered by online flash game. We cannot compare the excitement delivered by playing at game parlors with online games. Ask them those who have played in game arcades and you will see they cannot deny entertainment they have have just had. On the other hand flash games vividly bringing alive the superficial impression but beyond that lies the several benefits we can derive from this entertainment form.

Educational games are highly underestimated, most of the people who head towards entertainment sites almost always end up having several choices where they must pick the right category in order to get the form of entertainment they are looking for. It is also true that most of the people choose board games because they are common and they know how to play them; the least visited applications in an entertainment site reside within the educational category.

It is true that when people hear the word “educational” they don’t often link it to any activity which might give them a certain degree of enjoyment but to young kids, they are as fun and as productive as they could possibly be. At their young and immature age, children have a mental capacity unlike any other, since their brains is developing and actively adding more layers it can absorb almost anything thrown at it, that is why teaching a second, third or even fourth language to a child at that age is very easy. Learning how to use the computer is a no brainer as well, this is where gaming sites come in handy.

Recently, a popular video has been going around the web which shows a young girl in her early years (2-3 years old) and she can not only recognize all the estates within the USA but she can locate them on a map! At such early age their parents taught her not only geographical facts related to this country but they also taught her the names and locations of the rest the countries around the globe. The most amazing thing is that she can locate each county without missing one. In a second video their parents explained that since they both were teachers they tested a new teaching method on her young daughter which included the use of the web and gaming sites to teach their daughter facts which are well beyond her years. If you have young kids this might be the best teaching method where they can have fun and acquire knowledge which will be of use to them later on their lives. How’s that for a gaming site new twist?

Educate Your Child With Games

Forcing your child to study or show learning of concepts that they are not ready for are a guaranteed way of creating a hatred for learning. The best way to let kids learn is to provide them learning games and let them set their own pace. As and when kids get curious about things they will indicate in some way or the other that they would like to know more. Your task as a parent at this stage is to expose them to a myriad of options starting from picture books to shapes and blocks that they can plug together. Allowing a comfortable pace at this stage and not being pushy about learning right from the very start helps kids become creative, develop exploratory skills and are more involved as students later.

As your child grows older the educational needs of your child change and so do the educational toys or games. At this stage your child may need to develop skills in math or science or maybe reading skills. One of the games that have been developed for increasing math skills is a variation of Bingo, in which you call out simple mathematics problems that may require mental addition or subtraction to start with and the kids strikes off the number that is the answer. This can prove to be a very interesting game that can be played among friends as well without intervention from you. The kind of problems that you set as questions can be made to be relevant to the age of your child and so this is one game that does not make itself useless to fast. Older kids may like to play with games that can demonstrate the practical aspect of science and the manner in which it can be used in normal daily life.

It is important to note that there may be some children that may take to learning easily and enjoy the activity as is but there are some who do not take to it so easily. For these children, especially the educational games are a boon and allow them to learn while having fun. The benefits of using these games do not stop at learning skills but they also associate a sense of fun and enjoyment with learning of any kind. Your child is less likely to desist from acquiring new skills if the process has been smooth in the past.

Computer Games Good For Kids

A study conducted in the U.K. found that primary school children improve their math scores and concentration levels by playing online educational games, according to an article released in the BBC last month. Thirty primary school children between the ages of nine and ten, played a game called “Dr. Kawashima’s More Brain Training” game every morning for about 15 minutes before their lessons started. The game consists of several mini-games including reading tests, number challenges, memory puzzles and problem-solving exercises. At the end of the study, the children were tested in math and the results compared to a control group. Children who had played the games increased their test scores by more points than those who did not play, even though the test scores for both groups increased.

So what does this mean? With educational games popping up by various manufacturers all over the world, a trend is emerging. Combining a child’s “play” time with education, seems to have positive results. Making learning fun-as in part of a game-increases a child’s desire to learn. The repetition of playing is more enjoyable than simply working math problems over and over and the concentration needed, as well as the child’s own competitive desire to beat the game, adds to the beneficial outcome.

So is it time to buy a computer for your kid? Possibly.

Setting up a computer desk and computer in your child’s room or play room may help. Give your child his/her own space with a computer desk at the proper height for comfort. We found fully customizable computer desks at excellent prices on Versatables’ website.

A computer just for your child can also be the way to go. Giving him/her his own computer allows you, as a parent, to lock off inappropriate features like internet websites and pop-ups, and download fun games and colorful desktops and screen savers.

Customize your child’s computer work area with fun mouse pads or a mouse (Target sells a Hello Kitty mouse for under $10). Versatables’ computer desks can also be customized with shelves, speaker platforms, and locking CPU holders and cable management systems that provide a safer environment for children.

Stickers can be used to decorate the outside of the monitor and the keyboard, or use the computer and desk to create a themed room. For example, an aquatic themed room would look great with a fishbowl screensaver, or a princess-themed room could have a photo slide show of Disney’s princess characters.

When picking computer games, be sure to do your research. Many have been tested and are endorsed by schools and learning centers. Keep in mind, anyone can put out educational software, and just because it says it’s educational, doesn’t mean your child will learn from it. Choose games that are age-appropriate and that your child enjoys playing. Give your child time to play before studying, as increased blood flow to the frontal cortex (which happens during game play) can increase memory and concentration for hours afterward, making them ripe for learning.

While much of what you hear about computers and kids is negative press, keep in mind that computers allow us to do much more than we could without them and with proper parental control, they can be key in giving your child the educational edge.

Education Toys & Games for Young Mind

Educational games are an integral part of childhood; more so with the new age trend of ‘learn while you play’. Educational toys are mainly classified based on the type, design and the particular age group they are targeted at.

The choices of educational toys and learning games are however mind boggling. With the ever growing trend and popularity of educational games almost every store you go to is generally filled with such toys and games.

Before zooming on the ideal educational games for your little ones, it is important to make the shopping ‘age’ specific. If your child is a newborn then a game suitable for a 3 year old is going to be of little or no use as the infant will hardly be able to play with them.
It is therefore important to choose toys that are age specific.

Educational toys for infants:
They are designed to nurture the creativity in infants. This is certainly one of the best ways to make your little one learn and have fun at the same time. From a very young age babies respond to color therefore toys like building blocks, cushions and play mats in vibrant colors are good options. Playhouses, creative play, musical toys and soft cushion blocks make resourceful educational toys for your little one.

Educational toys for a two year old:
At this age kids generally learn about their physical skills and actions of the world around them. Toys that augment hand and finger co ordination are ideal. Therefore simple crafts and artwork are ideal toys for your two year old.

Several soft bath toys are available which enhance the hand grip. They also make room for imaginative play which adds a whole new dimension to educational toys and games.

Educational toys for a three year old:
Educational games for a three year old are mainly those that are constructed to enhance the learning skills. Therefore they are categorized as learning games. Alphabet puzzle book, number games, magnetic toys and other activity sets are ideal toys for a three year old.

As the child starts school, it is important to get toys that would augment his learning process. Rhyme and story books, art book set, crayon colors etc are a must have. Besides this, each subject that is taught in school can be pictorially represented to him so that learning becomes a fun activity. Drama, choir and dance are the other activities that help making the learning process truly engaging.

Toys and games do have a positive effect on a growing mind. Learning games are especially important in the early stages of a child’s growth. Choose appropriate education toys and present your little one, the gift of learning with playthings.

EGAR Educational Games And Resources Crime Prevention Resources

Series 2A covers ten topical discussions around CRIME PREVENTION.

There are 10 ‘CHOICE’ Discussion Card sets in the CRIME PREVENTION series.

Game 1) KNIFE CULTURE

Game 2) GUN CULTURE

Game 3) DRUGS AWARENESS

Game 4) CRIME

Game 5) ANGER

Game 6) GANG CULTURE

Game 7) SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Game STEALING

Game 9) VANDALISM

Game 10) ALCOHOL ABUSE

For each card game there is one question, such as “Why do young people join a gang?”

(Game 6: GANG CULTURE)

Communication, connection, education and support leads to personal growth and the confidence to make the right choices.

Praise for EGAR products:

“I’m impressed by the EGAR ‘Choice’ Discussion Cards and Posters. I work with 11 to 20 year olds in an area of London where kids are under peer pressure to carry knives. They don’t like what’s going on but can easily be led and don’t think about their actions. The cards get them thinking about the consequences of what they do. I was shocked how much they opened up – it’s like planting a pea in their head; they’re more aware and start to grow. They should be used in every secondary school.” Paul Canoville, ex Chelsea FC player, now a youth worker and teaching assistant.

Scott-Horne says, “EGAR resources fills a gap for staff teams to communicate and discuss real issues in young people’s lives.  EGAR’s ‘Choice’ Discussion cards and posters tie in with the governments ‘Every Child Matters’ agenda as well as being an additional and complementary tool for the national core or recreational curriculums.  Adolescence is a massive transition, there is so much that happens at that time for young people in terms of personal development. These aren’t simply a discussion tool but can actually help change young people’s minds and attitudes opening up better decisions made and of course consequences.  This in turn will raise young people’s self esteem and confidence, making them valuable citizens of society.” www.egar.co.uk    email: egar@egar.co.uk

Educational Games For Babies 6 To 12 Months

By six months of age your baby may be sitting unassisted, her coordination skills are growing in leaps and bounds, and she will soon be crawling, standing, and then walking. Six to twelve months is a fun time for parents and babies. Play a variety of games with your little one and watch her quickly master new skills, like language skills and fine and gross motor development.

Between 6 and 9 months your baby will love to experiment with simple cause and effect relationships like pressing a button to play a song. Little ones also love to explore sounds by banging spoons and toys together or on the table at this age. Give your baby an assortment of pots, coffee cans, and containers along with wooden spoons and metal spoons. Encourage her to play the drums as you sing along. The Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Toy Bench is a great toy to satisfy those banging urges. It also offers a number of educational benefits, like color and letter recognition, and provides opportunities for your baby to explore cause and effect.

Games with balls are a lot of fun at this age. Use soft, squishy balls to roll back and forth across the floor with your baby. Try dropping beanbags into a wide, open container. Your little one will love taking them out just as much as watching you toss them in. Once your baby starts to crawl, set up an obstacle course for her to crawl over. Pillows, large stuffed animals, and piles of soft cloth scraps make perfect climbing obstacles to boost her crawling skills and strengthen the muscles she will soon use to walk.

Sometime between 9 months old and the first birthday, most babies will begin to walk, some earlier and some later. During this age, your baby will be developing a number of new large muscles as well as her fine motor skills. She will know how to hold her toys and can probably throw them. These soon-to-be toddlers also love to imitate and copy the things they see.

Play sound games with your baby. Make a sound or unusual noise and encourage your baby to copy it. Try this with funny faces and movements for even more fun. Stacking and arranging blocks, cups, or other toys is also a fun game to enhance fine motor development. Give your baby an assortment of toys and a big box and watch her meticulously put them in and then dump them again all over the floor.

Sing lots of silly songs with your child and read everyday. Language skills are becoming quite strong during this stage and her vocabulary of understood words is growing rapidly. Repetition of her favorite story books, nursery rhymes, and songs can give her an even better understanding of the common patterns of spoken language. Songs with movements, like the Itsy Bitsy Spider, are favorites at this age.

As your baby begins to cruise around the house, typically using furniture to aid her balance, play walking games. Hold her teddy bear or another cherished toy a few steps away and encourage your little one to walk to you to get it. Remember to praise her efforts and not to make too big of a deal when she stumbles or falls. Once your baby becomes a confident toddler, there are tons of new games to enjoy together!

Free Online Addicting Games

(1) ONLINE GAMING
Play is an important contributor to human development, maturation and learning. That is why games are an essential ingredient in the curriculum of every school and college and also a popular pastime for adults. However, today’s busy lifestyle and living in matchboxes leave neither time nor room for outdoor games. This is when the internet comes in as a saviour to all those sports freaks who lack the opportunity.

Yes, online gaming is here to stay! Though computer games have been around for as long as there have been personal computers, online gaming is an increasing pastime and is popular due to the convergence of virtual worlds, games and social networking spiced up with Rich Internet Applications. Thousands of players from all over the world come together in one massive web that knows no team, nationality or boundaries. It is just a one to one challenge in a click’s notice!

Online gaming is a multi-million dollar industry today and thousands of websites have mushroomed in cyber-space that vie for the clicks of eager online gamers. Some have their link on another website but many are a separate entity. One such site is

addicting-games.org.uk which is solely dedicated to passionate gaming. Want to set the racing track on fire? Or be the sharp detective and break a coded message? Feel like helping Mario rescue the helpless girl? Then head for addicting-games.org.uk. From racing games to puzzles to board games to Harry Potter, this fantastic site offers a plethora of options to pacify gamers of all ages, likes and abilities.

As the name suggests one might get addicted to the site and never want to pull out of it! Besides giving the gamer the opportunity to learn new games and the pleasure of sharpening existing skills, online gaming also promotes social interaction. A player could have an opponent from the other side of the world who could be many years younger and from a completely different educational background. But all that matters here is skill. Interspersed with play is a chance to interact socially too. Best of all, online gaming follows a 24 x 7 calendar which is convenient for everyone living in any time zone on earth.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab the mouse! Surf the cyber space to enter the mesmerizing world of addicting-games.org.uk and addict yourself…..forever!

(2)  BEST GAMES WEBSITE

It’s the weekend and you are bored stiff with too much TV. You are wondering what to do! Chances are you will hit the internet and logon to some social networking site to join an ever increasing web of online gamers!

The online gaming community is growing. At a fast and furious pace! And why not? There is no need of joining expensive clubs to play some golf or football. You can hit those fantastic fours and sixes against a Bret Lee delivery with a deft click of your mouse. Or blaze past Raikkonen on the winding tracks at a Grand Prix from your chair! Or, easier still, you can opt for a more intellectual challenge with games that test your skills at solving puzzles, words and other popular games like chess.

The expansion of online games is largely an outcome of easy internet access and ever growing social communities on the net. Endless possibilities have also arisen after the integration of software like Flash and Java to the internet browsers. This has enabled streaming audio and video on websites and also made user interaction easy. Ranging from simple text-based games to those with complex graphics, online games have come a long way from single user to Massively Multiplayer Online Games.

One of the resultant effects of this is the growth of websites with links to playing online games or those that are completely dedicated to the games itself. One such popular site is

addicting-games.org.uk. It is mainly a community driven online gaming website whose main focus is online games but also provides for meeting up with new people and chatting with online buddies. With 578 games categorized under various genres of action/adventure, sports, puzzles, racing, shooting etc, the site boasts of a more than 390 members and still counting! All you have to do is to log on, register and start playing. It is that simple. You can create your own profile and strike up some good online buddies as you play. The best thing is that all of it is for free and anyone can join!

So, look no further, log on to addicting-games.org.uk and discover a whole new world of challenges and fun. All from the comfort of your home!

(3) GAMES AND FRIENDS IN ONE WEB!

Are you an online gaming freak who cant wait to log on to the net to play? Then join the ever increasing web of online game addicts who pursue their gaming interests passionately. The world wide web has indeed shrunk the world by many degrees and one of the most popular gathering places are online gaming communities.

While there are many websites that offer various kinds of games for enthusiasts,

addicting-games.org.uk is one that offers its members a unique cocktail of variety and spice! With a collection of 578 games and more than 390 members, it is slated to grow with popularity. It has a simple system of registering and then, logging on to start playing.

The website addicting-games.org.uk is solely dedicated to games. In a mood for action or adventure? There are 32 different games to choose ranging from Exreme Racing to Lord of the Rings battle! There are a still more under various genres like Puzzles (like Code Breaker and Jigsaw Puzzles) Shooting (like Asteroid Attack and Liner Assault) Retro, Sports (like Billiards, Mini Golf and Football) and Racing( like 3D Motorbike racing and MotoRush). Apart from this is a collection of miscellaneous games to suit the needs of gamers who like to try out different games. For new users, there are trial lessons along with clearly mentioned rules. Some games offer the user the choice of continuing the game the next time he or she logs on. This eliminates the nuisance of starting from the easier levels all over again the next time. Statistics of games played, points won and highest ever score etc make it more interesting and meaningful. You can climb up in the rank charts as you are rated according to your playing ability and in comparison to other players.

While playing, the user can also strike up some buddies online as there is room for social interaction also here. Creating an interesting profile will definitely be an attraction to other members with similar interests and could be the beginning of a long lasting friendship for you. Facilities to chat while playing adds spice to the game because one could be interacting with a person from the other side of the world which provides a good, healthy opportunity to exchange information about the countries, culture etc.

So, enter this virtual world of online games and get hooked forever!

(4) AN ADDICTING GAMES SITE

Are you an online games freak in search of a website that offers you a variety of games to choose from? Then, addicting-games.org.uk should be a permanent bookmark on your browser.

This unique website unfolds before you a collection of fascinating games to satisfy players of all ages and with different likes and abilities. A simple registration makes you a member and then starts the fun. Each game has a brief description to guide newcomers through the game and of course, trial lessons can give you the feel of it before you plunge into the actual game itself. Once you’ve challenged yourself many times and mastered the game you can try your skills out against an opponent from the ever-growing list of members registered on the site.

The games are sifted into genres according to the fare they offer. Under Action/Adventure, you can choose from a variety of games. There is the Ninja Hunter where you can wield your samurai against the toughest of enemies. Never learnt Karate or Kung Fu? No problems. You can try it out here at IK, and that too without the risk of breaking your back!!! The sky is the limit they say. In the real world, that’s a tough one you will agree. But in Reach the Sky, all you need is a few deft clicks of the mouse and some well-timed keyboard moves! Feel like being Harry Potter? Well, get ready to use your charms and spells to escape from Knock-Turn Alley.

Feel like playing some real sports? Then, click on Sports link and enter the virtually real world of sports! Realize your unfinished childhood dream of being the star of the sprinting track here as you take the 100m Dash challenge. You could be living in the hot tropics but you can still have a go at Ice Hockey from your keyboard! Feel like doing a Ronaldinho stunt? Then, Kicker it is.

On those days when you are in the mood to tickle your intellectual skills, hit the Puzzles link at addicting-games.org.uk for a variety of brain tickling challenges. You can play Robert Langdon and crack the encrypted codes to get the Da Vinci Code feeling. Or try worming out of tough Labyrinths. Or piece together intricate jigsaws.

All this and a lot more under the Shooting, Racing and Miscellaneous sections awaits you. The website also offers you a profile page where you can post details about yourself which you would like to tell others. You too can browse through hundreds of other profiles to find friends with similar interests.

Shouldn’t be long before you to get addicted to this wonderful gaming site which is perfect mix of pleasure and entertainment!

(5) CALLING ALL ONLINE GAMING ADDICTS

Does the very mention of Games pump up your adrenaline and make you want to pick up the sports gear and dash off to the nearest club or gym? What do you do if there is no gym or club around? Well, you don’t have to get depressed because this is the cyber age where everything and anything is always a possibility. Including games and sports! It is a virtual explosion of play out there in cyber space where virtually all sports fields, courts and boards are created and becoming a champ is only a matter of dexterous clicks of the mouse!

The world of internet is experiencing a new high in the arena of online gaming especially after the induction of Flash and Java into browsers. While online gaming started with subscription rates for members, today it has become so popular that many sites have offers for free, though a paid member has access to more and better services.

This has given rise to many gaming links and websites wooing surfers to try out their skills. Many sites have well planned gaming choices that are attractive and also safe to use. For instance, addicting-games.org.uk is a site where a plethora of games that cater to a variety of age groups and ability levels are available. What is more, it offers a wonderful chance to mingle with other members as well through chat windows and discuss game strategies besides striking up a lasting friendship.

Though online games have been frowned upon for its addictive side effects, it is touted as one of the best ways of improving your game skills coupled with social skills. An online gamer often starts with a challenge against a programmed computer. This not only enables the gamer to sharpen his own skills but also to learn new tactics in the game. Later, when the gamer is pitched against another gamer, there is further opportunity to try out these skills, learn more and compare oneself to others, and all this from the comfort of your home. It is an arena where every player has no nationality or boundary or age limit or physical ability. All that is required is deftness with the mouse and keyboard and a zest to play!

Online gaming has become so popular that it is an essential part of many social networking sites where meeting people and making friends over a board of chess or a game of football has become a favourite pastime. Playing against an experienced, champion in the game can be a valuable lesson in picking up expert advice to improve strategies of the game. Playing against another person from another part of the world can initiate a sort of “mouse-pal ship” with meaningful exchanges of cultural information as well!!!

Online gaming is a global phenomenon and is here to stay. It is perhaps, the key to bringing about a universal union of human beings and wean people away from differences of caste, creed or religion, uniting them into peaceful earthlings.

Exciting Educational Games For Children

The training of the physical co-ordinations of children is most naturally accomlished through the medium of games.

It should be fully appreciated by teachers, parents and superintendents that the playing of these games is not “mere play,” but definite training of the best kind. In many cases there is little else to be done.

Here are some games that you can try.

BASEBALL BOWLING : MATERIAL

Two dozen bright colored blocks, six colored baseballs. Colors: Red, blue and yellow.

Draw a chalk circle three feet in diameter ; make a starting line fifteen feet from the circle.

Place the blocks on end inside the circle, not too closely together.

Call upon a child, have her stand on starting line and bowl the balls one at a time, endeavoring to knock down as many blocks as possible.

Continue the exercise in this way having the children play in turn.

Choose one child to pick up the fallen blocks, and another to pick up scattered balls.

OBJECT

To develop sureness of aim; attention; natural activity.

SILENCE PERIOD

It is very important that a period of silence be maintained from three to five minutes during one hour classes.

Have the children sit with arms folded and knees close together, each child erect in his seat. Have perfect quiet in the classroom.

Do not allow the silence to become tense and strained, the object of the exercise is tranquillity and rest.

Teachers will find after a period of silence children lose their restlessness and concentrate more readily.

OBJECT

Rest; attention; tranquillity.

BLOCK PLACING : MATERIAL

Wooden blocks of one color, according to number of children playing.

Make a line of small chalk crosses on the floor twelve inches between each cross ; draw a starting line parallel with crosses, eighteen feet between.

Give each child a block and have them stand in position on starting line.

At a given signal have children run and place their blocks each on one of the crosses; they then run back to starting line.

The blocks must be placed on end upon the crosses; should a block fall, the child must place it upright again.

This exercise may be repeated three or four consecutive times.

OBJECT

Muscular control; attention; to stimulate the spirit of play; voluntary activity.

COLOR EXERCISE : MATERIAL

Six bright colored balls two red, two blue, two yellow.

Place three balls on the table, one of eacK color, teacher holding the duplicates.

Hold up the red ball that all may see it, and call upon A to pick out ball of same color on the table. When A has picked out red ball, teacher should then hold up blue ball, and call upon B to find duplicate. Do not call the balls by color name.

The child will develop color sense more quickly if name of color is omitted at this period of training.

OBJECT

Color sense ; attention ; independent thought.