Founder, Inventor, Creator
Crayon Physics is a download/install game, I received it as part of the humble indie bundle which cost me ~$5 for 4 games. There is a windows, mac and linux version.
There is no right or wrong answer to any of the puzzles and each buzzle is really bite size making it ideal for learning about shapes and space &forces. The design is perfect for kids and even at 20$ I think it’s a bit of a bargain.
So I was going to write a Nintendo 3DS review but the escapist did it for me. He even mentioned Primary Schools and e-safety… The escapist is awesome but I should warn you that this video may offend you as it contains strong language and some really bad graphics.
I’m not sure how much support for html5 the xbox 360 web browser has? It would be cool to try it out with something like PrimaryPad
I would love to see if kids are quicker are typing with a keyboard or an xbox 360 controller.
Admongo is a game by the US Federal trade commission that “aims to educate tweens (kids ages 8 to 12) about advertising so they can become more discerning consumers of information. The goal of the campaign is to boost advertising literacy by…”
I think this is a great idea because advertising is becoming more and more a part of daily life.
The game is side scrolling and plays pretty nice, it is obviously a linear game with coins thrown in for fun. It’s a pretty high quality game and good to see good games with what I think is a positive thing to be teaching young people.
Click here to play Admongo on Primary Games Arena
UPDATE: It’s not just me who thinks Minecraft is great, so does Leon!
Minecraft is an online game, the free version isn’t multi-player. Minecraft can be played in your web browser (when it’s up). Minecraft requires Java (not the usual flash software).
Minecraft is a first person survival game. You must manipulate elements/resources to survive and construct your own world. During the day everything is fine and peaceful, you spend this time constructing and crafting a safe environment because at night is when the dangerous beings come out to attack you. Admittedly this may be a bit scary but as its 8bit and its not exactly grand theft auto graphics I’m sure it can be classed as “U” rated or at most “PG”.
Well, mostly in the crafting section of the game. Trying to persuade you that control and/or the day/night thing is educational would be a bit far fetched and I try to treat my readers with respect. The crafting part of the game basically asks you to merge certain elements to create new materials. For example, you turn wood into planks, planks into sticks then craft 2 sticks and one piece of coal together to create a match.
Don’t expect for this game to be easy, in fact it’s tough! Watch below for a video on how to survive your first night!
Minecraft has been buggy so they released a free single player download version, how nice of them is that? This is the current download link. I haven’t played the multi player yet, I’m not sure on the child protection issues surrounding this. I guess like any other MMORPG (of sorts) it will have the ability to chat etc. Private educational collaborative servers could be an option though? In the mean time I’m getting in touch with the developer to see if we can get some free educational access so we can try it out in a few schools.
What do you think? Is this more a primary or secondary tool and other than geography what subjects does it complement?
