How To Introduce Educational Games in Science

Learning is always more effective and fun when it’s coupled with entertainment. The subject of science can be very intimidating, but with the right amount of guidance from a teacher or parent, the topic can be quite an interesting one even for tikes. Science presents solutions to a lot of mysteries and problems seen all around us, and therefore it’s not too difficult to incorporate science in play.

To fully facilitate the learning of scientific concepts, several game creators have authored games that heavily included science concepts. Many of these appeal to both young and old alike. Some would involve simple concepts in physics, chemistry and the other sciences, while others will be more complex. Here are some of the best examples of educational games in science.

• Fun school has a page devoted to the teaching of scientific concepts. These are mainly concepts concerning zoology and taxonomy (the classification of animals). While these games may look simple, these are definitely tests that can improve a child’s visual acuity as well as critical thinking. From matching the labels for animals with the correct fur and spots, to tests on how well you know the heavenly bodies, this site certainly has it all. One advantage is that the navigation is superb. Even a child can find his way around this maze of links and games. There are also games for other subjects, including spelling and math.
• The Incredible Machine is a series of games that was first introduced in the early 1990s. Gameplay involved installing all sorts of gadgets and contraptions onscreen with the aim of achieving simple tasks through complex manipulation of onscreen objects. This involves the use of levers, weights, balls, pulleys, and other contraptions. TIM, as it is popularly known, makes heavy use of concepts in physics, such as kinetics, gravity and the like.
• The Jefferson Lab is solely devoted to making chemistry fun for high school students. Try a few of the games and you would surely see that this takes science games to a totally new level. All the games run on Javascript, making it easy for any capable browser to load. The site is also straightforward and doesn’t require much reading of the instructions to figure out.

  The games in Jefferson Lab train students to identify elements based on their Atomic Number as well as their different characteristics. It’s also excellent for testing out one’s skills in balancing chemical equations, which is helpful as a fun way to prepare for any exam. Aside from games, the site also features actual footage of chemical experiments as done by the experts themselves.

• The Nobel Prize Game Site takes science games to a totally new level. You will have to solve complex puzzles that have something to do with brains, blood interactions and even peace negotiations! All these games were meant to mimic the past technological and sociological advances that merited Nobel Prize awards. This is definitely not kids play, but kids would enjoy the role playing aspect of the game.

When you bring science and education into the fold of online gaming, learning becomes more interesting and entertaining. Children might sometimes have very short attention spans when studying from textbooks and lectures. However, if you factor in how fun, lively and engaging a science-oriented game is, they will more easily absorb and appreciate these concepts.