{photo by jutheanh}
Although we don’t have classes on campus today, we know many of you will be finishing up home assignments… isn’t it nice to have an extra day?
If by any chance your kids find themselves with nothing to do (ha!) or if you’re looking for some E&E activities, here are several online thinking games that are fun and educational. We do want to mention, however, that playing physical games and puzzles (i.e., not on a screen) is always preferred, but this is a nice collection of activities to offer when your kids are allowed to have screen time:
For younger children:
I Spy Games – Find and click on the objects listed in the riddle, or play a Bingo or Puzzle version of I Spy.
Connect the Dots – Make creative pictures by connecting dots. Here’s a newer version, once you get the hang of it.
Oddball – Click on the picture that does not belong in the group.
Whack a Difference – This is another game where you look for the object that doesn’t belong.
RoboPacker – Fit robot shapes into “suitcases” to travel to their new homes.
Frog Hop Strategy Game – Move the frog to jump on the lily pads and remove them.
Maze – Use your arrow keys to move the red ball to the yellow square.
Mouse Trap Jr. and Mouse Trap Jr. 2 – Trap the mouse!
Chat Noir – (French for black cat) Keep the kitty from running off the game field by trapping it (very similar to Mouse Trap).
Poodle Weigh-In – Help the poodles get their numbers back with this balance scale.
Guess My Button – A sorting and classifying game, using questions and elimination.
Kidoku Puzzles – Printable puzzles, different difficulty levels.
These might be good for Intermediate level kids:
Checkers – Play against the computer.
Chess Kids Academy – Learn to play chess.
Kidoku Puzzles – Printable puzzles, different difficulty levels.
Make 15 – Compete against the computer in selecting 3 numbers whose sum is 15.
Hex Lines – Move marbles to make matches of 5 or more and clear them from the board.
Loot the King – Figure out how to remove the guards and collect the loot.
Leap Frog – Move all 3 green frogs to the left and all 3 brown frogs to the right in 60 seconds or less.
Apple Mine Game – Clear the board of all the apples except the ones with worms.
Feed with Fruits – Get the apple to the hungry bird by deleting the right objects.
Number Jumbler – Like those little plastic toys with the 1 missing space and you have to move the pieces around one by one to complete the puzzle.
3D Logic – Link pairs of like-colored markers.
Tangram Game – Use 7 different geometric shapes to make fun pictures.
Shapes Inlay – Place the tangram shapes on the canvas.
Daily SET Puzzle – Just like the card game. There are instructions if you don’t know how to play SET.
Daily Quiddler Puzzle – Also just like the card game, and instructions are provided.
Slightly more challenging for Middle Schoolers:
Mastermind – Just like the board game (remember this one?)
Web Sudoku – Choose your level and play online.
Backgammon – Play backgammon online.
And here are more collections of thinking games:
Brain Boosters from Discovery Education
Brain Teasers and Math Puzzles
