How Virtual Pet Adoption Works

Are you new to the virtual pet adoption that your online friends are raving about? You don't have to miss out on this online trend, it's never too late to learn how to adopt a virtual pet of your own. Virtual pets can be an exciting and fun addition to anyone's life, no matter how old or young you are. If you are living in an apartment with other people or have allergies but you really desire a pet of your own, a virtual pet will be a good substitute. Usually free of charge, virtual pet adoption websites allow anyone to own the pet of their choice.

The first thing you need to do is do your research and look for a virtual pet adoption website. You have to make sure that the website you'll be signing up for is one that has features that meet your needs. You'll be surprised to know that there are a lot of virtual pet websites so you should take your time in evaluating each one.

When you have finally chosen a virtual pet adoption website, you can sign up for a membership and choose a type or create your new virtual pet games. There are many types of virtual pets that you can choose from, most virtual pet adoption websites offer an extensive line-up. These include the usual dogs, cats, birds, to odd creatures and aliens.

Making The Best Use of Online Games for Kids

When you were a 7-yr old kid, playtime was a leisure activity done with your friends in the public playground or in your front yard. With all the technological innovation that has become a part of everybody's lifestyle, kids as young as 4 years old have their own gadgets for playing mobile or online pet games. While they are enjoying all the blessings of today's technology, they are also prone to its curses. However, with sufficient supervision and the right game choices, online gaming can be a fun way for them to learn outside school.

Not all online games are meant for fun and entertainment only. There are a lot of online games for kids that incorporate the basic subjects in schools, including mathematics. As parents, you should search the Internet thoroughly, so that you may find the educational online games that can be played by kids as young as three to four years old.

Online Games: Stress-free Play Zone for Kids

Nowadays, kids don't even need to get out of the safety of their own homes to play and have fun. In the vast world of the Internet, there is a multitude of online games to choose from. Kids can play, compete with their friends, and win when they plunge into the world of online gaming.

The purpose of playing online games is to give kids a fun stress buster and to provide a quick break from the classroom environment. Online games have become an integral part in the daily routine of kids. They usually spend their time playing online games after school.

Over the years, online game technology has transformed in response to the needs and choices kids have made. Rather than a genre, online gaming is considered as a technology. Even social networking sites have incorporated online gaming in their site features. Online gaming gives everyone the opportunity to interact and have fun with their friends even if they're not physically together.

However, not all parents are familiar with online gaming and they may have a lot of questions. Here are two of the most questions that parents might have about online gaming:

What are precautions that parents should take into consideration when monitoring their kids' online gaming activities?

Parents need to monitor their kids’ online gaming activities to prevent any exposure to bad elements online. Even if online gaming doesn't require physical interaction like in the real world, parents should keep a close watch over their kids. The Internet is pervaded by perverts, pedophiles, and the like. Parents should be able to choose the games they want their kids to play. They should also have a say on whether theirs kid are responsible enough to play online. Playing online games should likewise be moderated since an addiction of any form can be bad.

What are the advantages of allowing kids to play online games?

Online games have been gaining a lot of popularity in recent years. Some games that incorporate educational elements actually have more benefits compared to watching cartoons. Making a habit of playing educational online games can actually have many advantages as opposed to watching nonsense TV shows. According to recent research, playing puzzle and word games decreases the risk of Alzheimer disease, and that watching daytime television increases the risk.  When playing online games, multiplayer activities provide the biggest advantage for the development of kids. Unlike other types of games often played by single players, online games can usually be played by players from all over the world. This enables kids to meet more people and develop their social skills.

There is a wide variety of games you can choose for your kids to play online. Online games deliver the ultimate experience for kids to enjoy while at the same time enabling them to learn outside the classroom setting. They can choose from online games where they can adopt virtual pets, create their own city, or unleash their creativity in dressing up virtual dolls. There are also a number of online gaming sites that offer free unlimited online gaming.

A Guide to Parents for Kids' Online Games

With so many online games developed for the younger audiences available in the market today, parents and guardians are now offered a wide variety of games to choose from for their kids. The best part of these online games is that you need not pay any money in order for you to access them as most of them are available for free in the Internet. The most popular of these online games include typing games, word formation games, puzzles, simple math and games related to general knowledge.

With these educational virtual worlds online games for kids, it will now be easier and faster for kids to learn, grasp new concepts and develop skills effectively. The other best part of such games is kids will be able to relax their minds by keeping them engaged, curious and entertained for a longer time while playing. They will also learn the fundamental concepts of computers. As parents, you need to guide them to play those games which are easy to use and they can operate on their own.

The advantages of playing these games are that the motor skills of kids will get better. Small movements of their feet, hands, fingers and wrists are encouraged while playing, bringing about development in the muscles of their hands and feet. The hand-eye coordination of kids are also improved when they use a mouse and a computer keyboard. Motor skills development plays a significant role in cognitive development.

Online coloring games for kids develop the sense of color and coordination skills as well as teaches them to express, communicate and develop their creativity. Coloring is often used as a therapy to understand a child's emotions. By introducing kids to such games, you are introducing a kind of therapy for the child to express his feelings and whatever he/she see in their daily activities.  Many education experts feel that art classes bring out the best in children.

Even if the child isn't incline to paint or draw, he or she is still captivated by the notion of bringing out what he or she has experiences onto the canvas. This reflects the inner thoughts of the child and in many cases it acts as a pointer to the counselors to deduce what the child has perceived when exposed to a situation. This enables the counselor to deal with the child effectively.

For a very long time, historians, educationists and counselors have based their observations on the art that was found painted, scribbled or drawn on walls and caves. This has enables them to logically conclude that art has always been the best medium to teach and learn more effectively. In the case of online games, with playful and colorful visuals combined with educational games, kids will find learning more enjoyable.

Introducing Your Child to Virtual Pets

There are plenty of games that appeal to children in the Internet nowadays, but there are no other games that have the universal appeal of virtual pets games. They're popular with kids and kids at heart for the reason that the enjoyment of having your own pet, be it real or virtual, isn't limited by age. If your an animal lover, keeping a virtual pet gives you the same fun as having one in real life. One advantage of keeping a virtual pet is you wouldn't need to worry about allergies that may be triggered by domestic pets.

Virtual pet games are a great way to introduce computers to children as well, at the same time there is the added benefit of teaching them about responsibility. The great things is that as your child grows up, they can behind to play these games online with their friends.

Children aren't born with a computer mouse in their hands, despite the fact that most kids nowadays are early exposed to the computing technology and the Internet. In fact, some children can be overawed by the technology and come to fear it. Though most kids are fast learners with advanced technologies such as portable gaming gadgets, if your child happens to not be in this majority, it is important for you to not place any pressure on them and make the introduction as fun as possible.

As a parent, the age when you should attempt to do this is really up to you, as you know you child best. However, it is important to start before they even enter school and begin using technology there. In most cases, you can start out by introducing the game to you child by letting them play it. However, for the more cautious children, or children who haven't learn about computers yet, it is a good idea to play it yourself first as they watch what you are doing. When they see how much fun you're having, they'll get curious and will gain interest in the game itself. They can choose to try it out for themselves when they feel ready.

When your child isn't afraid of using computers and the Internet anymore, it's time for you to choose the virtual pet game that best suits them. You can find great virtual pet games for girls and boys online and most are completely free. There are also games available for all the major gaming consoles and handheld devices. If your child is older, you could get them started with an online game, where they can create a virtual pet and interact with the other pet owners in the game.

Virtual pet games make a great introduction into the world of gaming, and computers in general. Not to mention, they'll get a taste of how its like to own a pet and get an idea of the responsibilities of caring for one. It's like hitting two birds with one stone. Get your child started before they start school and you can be sure that they will be able to keep up with the rest of the class, when it comes to technology at least!

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Is Gaming Good for Kids’ Brains?

According to Dr. James Paul Gee, a professor at Arizona State University and a leading authority on literacy and the potential of educational games, “Your brain’s important, but not all that important”. What does he mean by this? What we’d assumed about the importance of brain functions – following rules, logic, and calculating – are no longer relevant. There has been a revolution in the learning sciences and the new theories say the human beings learn from experiences, that our brains are capable of storing every experience we’ve ever had, and that’s what informs out learning process. Following the logic, Gee says, the best kind of learning comes as a result of well-designed experiences.

Gee, who spoke at the Learning and the Brain conference, used this theory to launch into research-validated reasons why gaming is good for learning. Here are 10 truths on gaming according to him:

1. Feed the Learning Process

The best learning experiences have the following values: motivation, clear goals, interpreted outcomes, and immediate and copious feedback. Gaming has all of these components. Kids play games for fun with the goal of progressing to the next level and eventually conquering the opponent, whether that’s another player on the computer. What’s more, the social aspect of gaming: sharing tactics, experiences, and explanations, helps cement what they’ve learned.

2. Obviate Testing

The current assessment system forces teachers to teach to the test. Gaming holds out a different way of thinking about assessments: namely, that we don’t need it. Compare a student who’s taken 12 weeks of algebra classes to one who’s played the video game Halo on the most challenging setting. The algebra student must take a test to assess what he known on the day of the test. The Halo player has mastered the skills needed to get to the final level – and that’s his ultimate goal. There’s no need for a test in that context. “Learning and assessment are exactly the same thing,” Gee said. “If you design learning so you can’t get out of one level until you complete the last one, there is no need for a test. There would be no Bell Curve. It’s unethical to test a student based on one day’s knowledge. We have to change the attitude about testing on a government level.”

3. Build on Experience

With every new game, the knowledge and expertise pocked up in previous games can be applied to a new experience, a fundamental part of learning.

4. Redefine Teachers as Learning Designers

Game designers create well-designed experiences and social interactions. Teachers are designers of learning, and can create experiences tailored to suit their outcome. If we “re-professionalize” teachers as designers, they can create their own scripts for what they want their students to learn. This type of learning is based on good teaching, not curriculum per se.

5. Teach Language Through Experience

The biggest problem with using scholastic language is that it’s not used outside of school. “The language you learn at school is not the one you use at home,” Gee said. The best way of learning language is not from a book or a dictionary, but from applying it to an experience. A good example of this is when kids can decode even the most cryptic game manual after they play the game because they’re experiencing every image, action, and dialogue that’s described.

6. Entice Kids to Love Challenges

The gaming industry is making a killing selling toys and games that are difficult to master. “They’re selling stuff to kids that are complex and hard. And because it’s outside of school, it’s virtually addictive.”

7. Motivate Learning

If a student isn’t motivated to learn, learning is non-existent. It’s hard to motivate student to learn something like algebra without context, without motivation and the gratification that comes with mastering a video game.

8. Teach Problem-Solving

When it comes to problem-solving, research shows that if you teach and test facts and formulas, student learn facts and formulas. This doesn’t correlate to solving problems. But if you teach through problem-solving, students learn problem-solving skills, plus they learn the facts for free.

9. Encourage Risk-Taking

If the cost of failure is high, as it is in schools, then student are discouraged to explore and take risks. If the cost of failure is made lower, such as in games where players die and start over again, students are motivated to explore all their options. They rethink goals over and over again, and try out new tactics if something’s not working. That type of learning, risk-taking, can’t happen if the cost of failure is too high.

10. Provide Valid Learning Model for Schools

“We should use the learning principles built into good games in and out of schools, even if we are not using games. The learning principles can be built into many different curricula”.

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Discovering your child’s core competencies through gaming

Valerie J. Shute, a researcher from Florida State University, has presented an approach wherein a learning experience can be made more enjoyable by creating games into which educational content and assessment tools have been discreetly added – and how this can online and video games can be incorporated into school curricula.

Shute believes that this would not only remain a pleasant diversion for kids, it will also reassure parents that their child is acquiring the knowledge and skills that they need to excel in an increasingly competitive world.

“The concept is known as ‘stealth assessment’. Essentially what we try to do is disguise educational content in such a way that kids aren’t even aware that they’re being assessed while they’re engrossed in gameplay,” said Shute.

How a child reacts to new challenges and put evidence together in the games that they play can reveal a great deal about their creative problem-solving skills.

According to Shute, “Based on a student’s responses to various situations that come up during the course of playing a video game, the game itself can be programmed to assess where that student might be especially strong or weak in core competencies.”

“The game can then adapt its content so that the student is exposed to more or less information in that area. And it continues to assess the student’s progress to determine how well he or she is learning the embedded concepts and skills.

So in theory, not only can these stealth-assessment games measure a student’s current level of knowledge in a given area, they can also determine areas where that student needs to improves and then help him or her to make those improvements, using feedback, maybe easier problems, and so on,” Shute adds.

There are other important features of such games: They can be used to assess a student’s knowledge on a specific topic both at the beginning and at the end of the game, thus providing numerical data that illustrates how much the student has learned. They can be easily customized to meet the educational strengths and weaknesses of individual students. Through this, each student can learn at his or her own speed and be appropriately challenged.

“Essentially, the patent is for a computer algorithm that we developed,” she said. "The algorithm applies ‘weights’ to a student's responses to specific tasks within a game, then uses those weights to measure proficiency levels. With that information, the game knows whether to assign additional tasks to the student in a particular area or move on to another area."

"It's important that we change the way education thinks about what competencies are important to support in students (that we're not currently doing) to yield excellent global citizens. We also need to develop new kinds of assessments to capture and make sense of this new information. Stealth assessment within engaging learning and gaming environments might be one of the key tools we can use to improve the way we teach our children and the way they learn.”

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Be a Believer: Gaming’s Good for You and Your Kid Part 2

3) Socializing Through Games
Games are social. Of course, there are many games that kids play alone with an electronic competitor. But games are social in a number of ways
-Chat rooms with the games
-Playing a game while your friends watch (often happens on desktops at schools)
-Background to a party. When your kid has friends over, the Wii is always on. They still talk and eat and communicate but someone is always playing in the background.
-Social networks built behind the games. There are many game websites that have whole social networks and profiles built behind their games where users can list their hobbies and favorite games and tips.

4) Movies and Games as One
“We are the 16 candles of online games,” says Connally of AddictingGames.com. Gaming sites are trying very hard (and succeeding) to tie together traditional entertainment and games so that they are seamless. Almost every movie out has a component online game and this is a way that young people experience more of the movie, by playing a version of it.
5) Games with Statements
There are many games that make some kind of statement and might even teach a lesson. For example “Barry Bonds Game” is a game where you can give steroids to your baseball playing avatars where they will play well, but if you choose to give them steroids then, after the game you run the risk of having them get really bad press and have to switch teams making your next season bad. There is also Trillion Dollar Bailout, it has little AIG employees running around New York City cartoon buildings. Escape the Oval Office is another popular one featuring a cartoon Bush. There are many attack and kill mode games but also some that are pro-social.

6) Homework Games
There are online games or dashboard games which are very popular on Mac laptops where there are mini-games like tic tac toe and Bedazzle. They are literally one click away when the teacher decides to breathe in between points.

7) Double Time Games
This generation’s middle name should be multi-task. Teens often are gaming while doing something else. Especially casual gamers, they almost never just do gaming. They play games while watching TV, while in class, while at a party, while on the bus, while hanging out with friends.

8) Mobile Games
Mobile games are on cell phones as opposed to dashboard games (on a computer) or games in the cloud (games online). These are so popular. If a teen is bored and they have their cell phone on them (which of course they do), they will have some sort of game on their phone and play it to fill any gap times.

Tips for Parents of Gamers
-Make time limits
-Identify the ‘No Electronic’ zones in your house
-Make no electronic times during your week where they have to find something else to do
-Spend some time gaming yourself, gaming can be really positive and the best way for parents to make relevant rules is to understand the appeal and the types of games they are playing
-Ask them to show you what they are playing
-Make it a bonding thing. Play with them!

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Be a Believer: Gaming’s Good for You and Your Kid Part 1

According to Kate Connally of AddictingGames.com, 78% of teen girls and 82% of teen boys play online games. Most probably, your kid is included in that percentage. Every parent with kids ages 6 and up should consider that this generation is a new gaming era. Gaming today is very different from how it was developed decades ago. For a lot of parents, gaming is perceived as a distraction and is not a helpful tool in the education of their children. Not today, online games can actually help kids in different aspects without them realizing it because they’re having too much fun. There are tons of studies today that show how this generation is able to think faster and gaming has helped with this. Here’s a story that you may want to read if you’re still not a believer of the good side of gaming for your kids

“I am a dad and I travel a lot for business. I used to call home and talk to my son on the phone and get grunts or short answers. It was always expensive and the calls just made me feel further away because I would ask how he was and not really get any answers it always sounded like he was texting at the same time or something. When I was between trips one time I saw him playing Command and Conquer and asked to play with him. We figured out that I could play anywhere with an Internet connection and you can chat with head phones through the game or text chat in the bottom of the game about strategy. So, when I travel now we log on to a game together and play a mission and talk and chat during the game. Not only is it a great break for me, but he looks forward to talking to me and we actually chat during the game.”

This is a true example of the positive effect of the new form of gaming. Check out some other ideas

1) This is not the video game talk
Online gaming is different than the talk about video games 5-15 years ago. 5 years ago, gaming was mainly in your TV with your Play Station, Sega or Nintendo. Gaming is now mobile, in the cloud and on the desktop and the type of gamers has changed.

2) Casual Gaming
The majority of kids are casual gamers, meaning that they play games 1-2 times at least per week and often game when
-they want to pass time
-they are bored
-there is nothing good to watch on TV
-they want to talk with friends

They do not necessarily trade tips or take their gaming very seriously. Yet, just because someone is a casual gamer, does not mean they do not necessarily spend a lot of time gaming. Casual gamers can spend 12 hours a day gaming, it just means that they do not compete regularly in the same forums or on levels of a game.

3) Socializing Through Games
Games are social. Of course, there are many games that kids play alone with an electronic competitor. But games are social in a number of ways
-Chat rooms with the games
-Playing a game while your friends watch (often happens on desktops at schools)
-Background to a party. When your kid has friends over, the Wii is always on. They still talk and eat and communicate but someone is always playing in the background.
-Social networks built behind the games. There are many game websites that have whole social networks and profiles built behind their games where users can list their hobbies and favorite games and tips.

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Benefits of Playing Online Educational Games for Kids

For every growing kid in today’s generation, online games are a staple in their life. Technology is now kid-friendly enough that even kindergarten aged kids play games on the computer. Grown-ups who grew up without such innovations often frown upon this trend, seeing these games as disturbing elements for the child’s growth. However, if you analyze these games closely, you’ll be surprised to find that they actually provide positive benefits and help kids to learn things that aren’t in their schoolbooks and daily class lectures. Combining fun and learning is one of the best advantages offered by online games, helping them to grow and educate by their own pacing and effort.

There are tons of online games freely available for kids to play, but not all of these games can be categorized as educational for kids. Some of them do not have the values that parents would like for their children to learn, some impose a sense of violence and killer instincts that are not good for the sensitive minds of young kids. That is why parents need to keep a good eye on what games their children are playing and see to it that the games provide enjoyment and learning at the same time.  Educational games and music games are the best choices that can help a child learn something different which will surely help him to grow mentally.

Apart from learning control over playing gears, musical games help kids to learn how to compose music at their own effort. These musical games are excellent stress relievers thus help kids and parents unwind at the end of a hectic day, while at the same time stimulate mental freshness and stamina. On the other hand, there are three main aspects of kids’ education which get especially nourished with regular playing of online games. These three fundamental areas are: learning and acquiring command over mathematical skill, spelling conception, and language skill.

These three aspects are the pillars of complete education. Online educational games can help a kid learn these three fundamental pillars of education grooming in a friendly and fun-packed way, which is obviously a great comfort for their parents and teachers. But one thing that parents need to manage is taking subscription with a quality website for kids.

Developing general math skills and conception is a great help for kids’ grooming. With all that playing of math skill oriented games, it will definitely help to get rid of kids’ math phobia, and will prove helpful for developing better motoring skills in managing  addition, subtraction, or multiplication which are the fundamentals of mathematics. Math games incorporated in storylines are also very effective for the process of learning math. The skill of managing finances can also be learned at an early age from math games where a kid might be allowed to shop or to visit play stores and handle their own virtual money.

Spelling is another important skill for kids as well as for adults in education. Learning spelling is a great help for kids to help them with literature and writing. Parents can also play along with their kids and help them to learn grammar and spelling.

Language skill is very important even after education in the professional world. Language skill games are the best way to teach growing kids about language in a friendly method.

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Why You Should Let Your Kids Play Online Games

When we talk about online gaming, most parents have this negative notion that online gaming will do no good for their kids. Parents believe that once kids start playing online games, they’ll get too hooked with it and take their studies for granted, and sometimes worse, acquire bad habits that they see in the games. That’s why for most parents, rather than take that risk, they immediately don’t allow their kids to play any type of online game.

Believe it or not, there is actually a good side to online gaming. And there are plenty of reasons why you should let your kids play online games. Read on below and you might change your mind about your negative notion of online games:

1.       All the other kids are playing. For a kid, it’s important to go along with the social trends and popular culture. It’s a vital part of their childhood. You wouldn’t want your kid to be bullied around because they’re labeled as a lame weirdo.

2.       Online games make kids smarter. Yes, you read that right. There are certain online games that actually improve kids’ reading skills, stimulate their creativity and teach them basic computer skills.

3.       Keeps them away from bad influences. They’ll love online games so much that they wouldn’t even want to hang out too much with other kids who have nothing else to do but try to smoke or any of those nasty habits.

4.       Family bonding. While your kids are playing on the computer, you can watch them as you work on that business report on your working station. And when you’re done, you can play with them too.

5.       Builds a good sibling relationship.  When your kids can play together, they tend to help each other out when they’re stuck in a certain level in the game, or they teach each other the tricks that they’ve learned.

6.       Learning to be independent. Online games do not require total parental guide for a kid to play. When kids learn the basics of the game, they want to play it all by themselves without any help from other people.

7.       Computer skills.  Kids will discover the complications of the Internet and the computer during the process. This skill will help them someday when they grow up as computers nowadays are an indispensible part of people’s lives.

8.       It’s fun. Games are always fun, and kids should have fun because that’s what being a kid is all about!

9.       It’s better than television. Some of the shows in TV nowadays are just, well, you get it, they suck. Especially those reality shows, don’t even get me started on that. Online games on the other hand, require your kids to take action and respond to what they’re seeing.

10.   It keeps them inside the house. Some kids always go out and party, or hang out with their friends until late at night. When they’re immersed with gaming, they’ll spend their time inside the house where you can always guard them and ask them to watch the house while you’re out.

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