Before I had my son, I never thought I would be a fan of using apps, video, or computer games as learning tools. I just thought electronic games were just passive forms of entertainment that really couldn’t teach my child the way I would. My opinion changed, however, when I started reading more about the research on video games and learning and started seeing my son learning through games on ABCMouse.com.

We all know by now that children learn best through play and if you think about it, video games are just another form of play, which according to the research, can teach kids noncognitive skills as well as S.T.E.M. Here’s the best rationale I’ve come across for  allowing kids to learn through games:

“Natural selection equipped us supremely well to learn actions by actually doing them. In fact, any other way is hopelessly inefficient. eg. Try learning to ride a bike by sitting in a lecture or reading a book – or even watching a video! It doesn’t work.”

It’s not too early to start having our kids learn through e-play. Starting as early as three, kids can play interactive games on your iPhone or iPad and learn while they are doing it. Even better you can get some of these apps for FREE!

For just a few days, iLearnWith.com, a company that makes educational games and apps for pre-schooler through early elementary school,  is offering its “Max and Ruby Science App” for free. (I’m not affiliated with this company. I just love to share the freebies.) As a mommy to a kid who loves all things science, the description of the app sounds intriguing:

Description

Max & Ruby Science Educational Games will get your child ready for school with these fun science learning games for kids in Preschool and Kindergarten!
Join your favorite bunny siblings, Max and Ruby, at the local fair where they’ll teach your child all about physical science while providing them with a fun-filled experience! Through guided narration, music and, of course, silly bunny fun, Max and Ruby will teach your child two components of their core curriculum – the properties of liquids and the motion of objects. This app also includes a bonus game that allows your child to step into Max & Ruby’s world by dragging and dropping objects and characters into scenes from the popular television series, tap them to see a surprise animation! Based on the hit TV series, this Max & Ruby app will keep children entertained and learning for hours.

Here’s a link to the Max and Ruby app which is only free until February, 2nd so download before it’s too late. You can also search for it in the iTunes store.

I plan to discuss learning through e-play in future blogs because the research on video game learning is amazing but in the meantime, enjoy the app and let me know what you think about allowing your kids to use apps and video games in the comments.

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