Online Board Games that are Beneficial for Young Kids

In this era of science and technology, when everyone relies heavily on digitalization and digital products, most parents started to debate or raise concern if online games are really safe for the kids, especially the very young and the growing up ones. The negative effects of too much screen exposure to kids is an open book. Nobody’s denying it. Prolonged exposure, uncontrolled screen time, unmonitored online activities of the kids may develop tantrums, poor eyesight and other health problems. But these problems only arise if kids are not guided or disciplined by their parents or guardians. As they say, too much of something is bad enough; but if the kids’ online activity is controlled, there can be a lot of benefits for them as they grow old.

Yes, there are downsides to playing video or online games, but there are also surprising benefits if we will just choose to give them the age-appropriate ones. Social connection is the number one benefit of playing online games. They work together for a common goal; they form alliances and teams to work with cooperation. Online games are also helpful in building the skills and creativity of the kids. However, these are only possible if we will train them to set limitations while playing and we will not allow them to be totally consumed by games. 

Today, most people perceive online gaming a threat to the safety and personal development of our kids. But did you know that there are still age-appropriate games online which can help them learn and discover a lot of things about themselves and their surroundings? 

These online board games from an online site offering safe and educational games for all ages, can be introduced even to young kids or young learners so they will develop in many aspects and fields while enjoying at the comfort of home.

Master Chess

Chess, which is said to have originated in the 7th century is a very popular board game for any age. The online chess that can be played nowadays is exactly the board game that we play, but the board, pieces and timer are virtual. In Master Chess, the player can play against a computer in the single player mode or he or she can select two players to play against another human by sharing the computer. When playing against the computer, difficulty can be set at 1, 2, or 3 stars. White pieces are controlled by the first player, while the second player which can be a computer controls the black pieces.

The playing grid has 64 cells, a 8×8 grid – same with the physical chess board. Standard chess rules apply to Master Chess, so don’t be confused.

Simon Says online

This is a popular memory game which looks simple but it really is not. You have to play this game without blinking, because you might miss which color lit up.  In this game, the player must remember which order the lights were activated and replicate it. Remember, the same light can be activated multiple times consecutively. The player must click the correct color that light up in order or the game is over. A light is added to the sequence for every additional round, so you really need a very good memory to be able to level up. This is a test of patience and attentiveness. A player must possess an excellent photographic memory, unless he or she will easily fail in the first 3 to 5 rounds. This game is a very good brain exercise as well.

Snake and Ladder

This board game originated in India and is now regarded as a worldwide classic. In this online virtual Snake and Ladder game, players can compete against up to 3 other friends, or 3 other computer players. At the start of the game, the player can choose between two modes: Single Player to play against computer players, or Multi Player where he or she can play against other human players. When it is your turn, simply click the roll button. The player who rolls a six, gets another roll. For computer players, they automatically roll the dice for themselves.

Rules are the same as the snakes and ladders we play using a physical board and a dice. If you land at the top of a snake you will fall to the bottom of it, meanwhile if you land at the bottom of a ladder you will climb to the top of it.

A player wins if he or she is the first one to reach the 100th. If a player rolls more than the number of spaces needed to reach square 100, he or she will bounce back the additional squares. If a player land on a square already occupied by an opponent, that opponent is knocked back to square 1.