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Apps and games are a great way to introduce your child to concepts from maths and reading to languages and science.

These cooking games for kids are available on numerous platforms, and many are free (with in-app purchases). Let your kids get creative and hopefully learn some culinary skills in the process!

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Cooking Games For Kids

Dr. Panda’s Restaurant 2

Kids can take charge of their own kitchen in Dr. Panda’s Restaurant 2!

Future fine chefs have the freedom to choose what they want to prepare and exactly how they’d like to prepare it. Chop, grate, blend, fry and more with over 20 ingredients and create the perfect (or perfectly disgusting!) dish!

Feed them to your customers and pay attention to how they react – it’ll be different every time!

Available on iOS and Android

“My little lady (5) loves this game she can chop up food, bake things in an oven and serve customers! It’s great for her attention span.” – Caroline

Toca Kitchen

Ever wanted to play with your food? Now you can! Toca Kitchen lets you cook and play with food for four hungry characters.

Pick any ingredient and prepare it in your own way – slice, boil, fry, cook, microwave or mix? Then wait for your hungry friend’s response.

The 12 different ingredients can be prepared in 180 different ways, and there are no rules so your kids can play any way they want to.

Available iOS and Android

Toca Kitchen Monsters

In this free monster edition of the super-hit Toca Kitchen you can cook and play with food for two hungry monsters, each of which has their own favourite food.

There are 8 different ingredients which can be prepared in many ways. What happens if you mix a carrot and then fry it? What do Monsters like to eat? Why do the Monsters spit some food out if it is over-seasoned? No rules, so your kids can play any way they want to.

Available on iOS

“It’s fun to mess around with. You can mix random combinations. I like when the monster spits out the food! – Fern, aged 9

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Cake Doodle

If your kids love to decorate cakes, but hate cleaning up the dirty pans, messy counters and kitchen, then Cake Doodle is the answer!

Crack the eggs, shake the salt, pour in the liquids, squeeze the lemon, mash the bananas, sift the flour, and toss in the dry ingredients. Blend the batter and bake your cake in the super fast oven. No need to wait for the cake to cool before icing and decorating it.

With 14 different cake recipes and 25 different cake styles to try, there’s plenty to amuse here.

Available on iOS.

Pizza Factory for Kids

Let your kids explore their culinary talents and become pizza chefs. They get to make the dough, cut the vegetables, and assemble and cool the pizza for some discerning customers – including dogs, penguins, robots and monsters!

There are 2 modes – Mission Mode and Free Mode – with added gaming of delivering the pizzas.

Available on iOS.

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Diner Dash Adventures

Roll up your sleeves for the breakfast, lunch, and dinner shifts, because Flo needs your help in the latest instalment of the popular Diner Dash series.

Cook, match, serve and decorate over hundreds of levels! Play Diner Dash Adventures to help world-famous heroine Flo fix Dinertown. Create and manage restaurants, cruise ships and a lot of diverse venues. Serve hundreds of unique foods to customers, and design Dinetown YOUR way!

This is a fast-paced, action-packed time management game.

Available on iOS and Android.

Restaurant Dash: Gordon Ramsay

Travel around the globe, master your skills in unique restaurants and build your restaurant empire with Gordon Ramsay as your guide!

Use strategy, along with your culinary skills, to battle other players or friends online to reach the top of the leaderboards. Upgrade your recipes for even better rewards by collecting rare and unique items throughout the game!

Got what it takes to compete with the best? Face Gordon Ramsay and others in new Boss Battles!

Available on iOS and Android.

Delicious: Emily’s Road Trip

With more than a dozen Delicious games to play, Emily’s Roadtrip is just one great option.

In this game, Emily and her family travel through the American heartland along Route 66 and discover what is truly important in life. Sometimes it’s not the destination, but the journey and those who make the journey with you.

Along the way, Emily masters the challenges of being a chef, wife, mother and vlogging celebrity! This is no simple cooking game. Use your time management skills while cooking all the delicious dishes and serving your customers their food in time.

Available on iOS and Android.

Virtual Families: Cook Off!

Cook, grill and bake your way to greatness in this time management cooking game! Your Virtual Family needs to grow their house flipping fund, and you’re going to help them reach their goal – one feast at a time in their own personal backyard restaurant.

Become a top chef, making gourmet food and drinks from around the world. Manage your time to beat the dinner dash and dish out the delicious, from pizza to burgers, sushi and cupcakes and so much more!

The house isn’t going to flip itself! Spend your hard-earned dough and renovate the house and yard the way you want it. Maximize the property value and move to bigger, better homes.

Available on iOS and Android.

Food Truck Chef: Cooking Games

Travel across the world with your food truck and cook delicious dishes and desserts in this awesome time management game!

With 700 tasty dishes from across the world, 680 colourful levels and 17 exotic locations, there’s lots to keep you busy.

Decorate your Food Truck to make it look super cool and get more tips, and unlock new items to upgrade your kitchen and equipment and be a better chef.

Start with a Pasta Truck, then earn your way up while buying your own BBQ Truck, Pizza Truck, Tex-Mex Truck, Baker’s Truck and more! Drive your truck up to the Food Truck Carnival and battle it out against other Food Truck Chefs.

Available on iOS and Android.

Bistro Cook

In this app you get to become a chef and feed your hungry customers. You will be give a set of ingredients, and customer orders, and you will need to find your ingredients from the pantry, cook your dish (without burning!), and complete your orders on time, before they start to pile-up!

Available on iOS and Android.

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Have your kids got any favourite cooking games or apps we should add to our list? Leave a comment below and let us know – we’d love to hear from you!

The post 11 of the Best Cooking Games for Kids and Budding Chefs appeared first on MyKidsTime.

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We are big Harry Potter fans in our house – my 10-year-old can recite the movies off the top of her head, and loves nothing more than reading/watching/playing anything even vaguely Hogwarts-related.

So, when I saw this virtual Harry Potter escape room, it seemed like the perfect thing to add to our list of activities!

Fancy a Hogwarts Feast?

From butter beer and golden snitches to broomsticks and chocolate frogs, take a look at these AMAZING Harry Potter food ideas that will turn an ordinary party into a truly magical event!

TELL ME MORE!

What Are Escape Rooms?

Normally, escape rooms entail you being locked in a room – usually themed in some way – with a group of people. You all then have to work together to solve clues and puzzles, crack codes, and generally figure your way out within an allotted time frame.

That’s great for teens and adults, but not always suitable for tweens, those who don’t like the idea of being ‘locked’ in, those who find getting out difficult or need better accessibility, and so on.

And, of course, given that we’re all spending our time at home during the current COVID-19 situation, we need more home-based options.

Looking For More?

Download your FREE Harry Potter word search and challenge yourself to find them all!

DOWNLOAD

What Happens in the Harry Potter Escape Room?

This online Harry Potter escape room was created by Sydney Krawiec, Youth Services Librarian at the Peters Township Public Library in McMurray, Pennsylvania. (Well done Sydney!)

To begin with, you are told that you’ve just arrived at Hogwarts in your first year. You have been sorted into your house, had dinner with your classmates and now it is time to head to your common room for a team-building activity.

I won’t give too much away, but prepare to watch clips and trailers from the Harry Potter movies, answer questions about them, figure out different spells, calculate wizarding currency, and lots more!

The best bit is that you can complete the escape room by yourself or with the whole family – or you can compete against friends! And, brilliantly, you can do it multiple times.

Fancy taking a trip to Hogwarts? You can try your hand at the Harry Potter escape room here!

Good luck!

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Would your kids enjoy this Harry Potter escape room? Leave a comment below and let us know – we’d love to hear from you!

The post This Harry Potter Escape Room Lets You Visit Hogwarts From Home! appeared first on MyKidsTime.

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The Best Educational Apps for Preschoolers

#1. GS Preschool Games

GS Preschool Games provides 20 colourful and engaging kids games designed to cover preschool basics, and includes games in Numbers, Alphabets, Shapes, Sizes and Colours.

The games encourage kids to play at their own pace. No winning and no losing keep the kid enchanted with the experience of the game. Rewards and appreciation (lovely stickers) earned at the end of each game boost the kids morale. Suited for 3-6 yrs.

Available for iOS and Android

#2. PBS Parents Play & Learn

This app is designed specifically for parents, but there are interactive games for the kids to enjoy. PBS Parents Play & Learn provides more than a dozen games parents can play with their kids, each themed around a familiar location – including at the grocery store, at home, in the kitchen, and many more.

The app is designed to build on a child’s natural curiosity about his or her everyday world and to encourage dialogue between kids and parents.

Available for iOS

#3. Farm 123

Kids will love learning to count as they help Farmer Jo around the farm in this magical pop-up book and game. They’ll have fun playing with cheeky farm animals: chasing them, putting them in the pen and giving them a good wash!

Professionally designed for toddlers and preschoolers, Farm 123 pays special attention to learning reinforcement through the introduction of gentry progressive games that help children cement their grasp of the numbers 1-10 and the core concept of sorting.

Available for iOSand Android

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#4. Starfall Education Apps

The Starfall education apps are all worth considering(with apps for older kids too), but the Starfall Numbers and Starfall ABC apps are best suited for preschoolers.

In the Starfall Numbers app, your child will learn to recognize number symbols and values by connecting them to real-world objects (such as 1 sun, 5 fingers, and 10 toes), and can then apply these concepts with counting games!

With the Starfall ABCs app, children learn to recognise letters and develop skills that will ensure they become confident leaders. All children, and especially English language learners, benefit.

Starfall Numbers is available for iOS and Android

Starfall ABCs is available for iOS and Android

#5. AniMatch – Animal Pairs & Sound Matching Game

With its super-cute animal graphics and funny animal sounds, AniMatch is perfect for kids, but loved and played by grown-ups as well, who often get it for their kids and then end up playing it themselves!

AniMatch will keep your kids educationally entertained, all the while developing their concentration, memory, and cognitive skills, and teaching them what sounds animals make. There are no complicated menus, making it perfect for all ages.

“My 3yr old son adores playing AniMatch. He thinks the funny animal sounds are hilarious!” – Janet

Available for iOS

#6. Funbrain Jr.

Funbrain Jr. is a collection of unique and vibrant games for preschoolers and kindergarteners that helps jumpstart their journey of learning.

Offering five separate fun and engaging games, Funbrain Jr. introduces little learners to several important skills while they play.

With the help of colourful and quirky Funbrain Jr. characters, preschoolers will love practicing skills in early literacy, math, and problem solving.

Available for iOS

#7. Memory Match & Learn

The Memory Match & Learn app has a comprehensive preschool activity of memory matching games.

With over 130 colourful, vivid items in 7 major preschool categories including Colours & Shapes, Nature, Numbers & Fruits, your child can improve their concentration, memory and motor skills.

Available for iOS

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#8. Fisher Price Apps

The Fisher Price range of apps for babies and toddlers, encourage learning through play – kids can learn their ABCs, Numbers, Shapes, Colours, Animal Sounds & Storybook Rhymes.

In Storybook Rhymes (Vol 1), there are dynamic characters, engaging music, songs, animations and two great classic stories: One, Two, Buckle My Shoe and Itsy Bitsy Spider. There are 2 modes of play – Sing to Me is for younger baby, where narrator signs stories, and any touch advances content, and Read & Learn is for toddlers, where the narrator reads the stories and the interactive touch points reveal additional animated content.

Available for iOS and Android

#9. Learning Games – Play & Create

The Learning Games app consists of 6 adorable educational games addressing various topics such as musical instruments, colouring, shapes and colours, puzzle, farming.

It can help kids understand the world, improve their memory, judgment and thinking abilities.

Available for iOS

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#10. Toca Town

From the makers of Toca Hair and Toca Food, Toca Town is made for kids as young as 3 yet can capture the imagination of those much older. It’s filled with surprises and exciting things to do – there are no limits, just fun!

Explore Toca Town, buy some groceries, cook at the restaurant, head home – you decide. Kids can use their imaginations to create their own worlds, while discovering the treasures of Toca Town, and interacting with everything.

“My 3 year old loves the Toca Boca apps, especially Toca Town. She loves buying the groceries best of all.” – Sandra

Available for iOS and Android

#11. The Monster At The End of This Book…Starring Grover

The Monster at the End of This Book enhances the classic Sesame Street book with a completely immersive experience that draws children right into the story. Join lovable, furry old Grover as he tries his very hardest to tie down pages and build brick walls— all to keep readers away from the monster at the end of this book.

With interactive play, plus touch-point animation children will ask to read this again and again.

Available for iOS

#12. Breathe, Think Do with Sesame

Best suited for 3-5 yrs, this bilingual (English and Spanish), research-based app helps your child learn Sesame’s “Breathe, Think, Do” strategy for problem-solving. Tap and touch to help the monster friend take deep breaths, think of plans, and try them out!

Your child will enjoy silly animations and playful interactions as she is exposed to important emotional vocabulary, a calm breathing technique, personalised encouragements, and more.

Available for iOS and Android

#13. Beck & Bo

Beck and Bo is a fun educational app that is sure to engage your little kids in a creative way, while helping them build their early vocabulary.

Follow the amazing adventures of Beck and Bo as they go on a train trip with their beloved dog, swim in the ocean with a giant whale, go on safari and run into noisy gorillas, win prizes at the theme park and do a whole lot of exciting activities.

Available for iOS and Android

#14. Splingo’s Language Universe

An exceptionally high-quality, interactive game designed by Speech and Language Therapists/Pathologists to help children learn listening and language skills.

With thousands of different word and sentence possibilities, Splingo the alien’s spoken instructions will guide your child through a galaxy of language learning, helping them practice their listening and language skills. Kids will love helping Splingo build a spaceship and complete the tasks in order to get him home. His hilarious animated responses will capture your child’s imagination.

“My kids, 3 and 5, love Splingo’s Language Universe” – Erin

Available for iOS

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#15. Dr. Panda Hospital

If you have a child who loves the idea of being a vet or doctor, here’s their chance to help Dr. Panda take care of animals at Dr. Panda’s Hospital. Your child will greet different animals in the waiting room, help them to their hospital beds, discover and treat their ailments – all while learning sequencing!

Dr. Panda Hospital is ideal for kids ages 2 – 6 that are naturally curious about basic medical procedures and anatomy.

Available for iOS and Android

16. LEGO® Juniors

The LEGO® Juniors app is an engaging, creative building game for children ages 4-7, with lots of opportunities to practice creative problem-solving.

With every new LEGO vehicle your child builds, they can cruise around LEGO landscapes as minifigure avatars like mechanics, princesses, pilots – and even LEGO Batman™. The goal is to turn the open landscapes into busy neighbourhoods by unlocking and building virtual houses and decorations.

Available for iOS

#17. LetterSchool

LetterSchool is an educational app designed to help every child play and learn how to write all letters of the English alphabet (from A to Z) and numbers from 1-10. Kids practice and develop essential phonics and handwriting skills as they play three exciting games per letter or number – as an extra, they learn words associated with the letters.

Available for iOS and Android

#18. LEGO® DUPLO® World

LEGO DUPLO WORLD is full of fun games for toddlers and juniors. Your child can explore each scene to find out what’s in it, discover how everything works and—of course—play with it. Children also get to build structures using 3D bricks, stimulating their creativity.

LEGO DUPLO WORLD is carefully aligned with the highly-regarded Headstart Early Learning Outcomes Framework to ensure it’s age-appropriate and meets the developmental needs of 2-5-year-olds. Each activity targets key learning goals for toddlers and preschool kids. In the Parent Center, you can read about the learning benefits of each activity.

Available for iOS and Android

#19. The Lonely Beast ABC

The Lonely Beast ABC is an alphabet adventure from the world of Chris Judge’s much loved children’s book, The Lonely Beast. It’s got easy, no-fuss controls, simple interactions and lots of funny stuff to keep your little one giggling while they learn.

If you’re a fan of Chris Judge’s books, then you and your little one will love this app.

Available for iOS

#20. Math Superheroes

Math Superheroes is an award winning app that will teach your children math skills while they play games. There are six different topics:

• Understanding Numbers
• Counting / Ordering
• Patterns & Sequences
• Adding & Subtracting
• Multiplying & Dividing
• Shapes & Symmetry.

The app contains thirty original games with funny and colourful graphics, as well as tutorials and help to guide your child.

Available for iOS

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Have your say! Have you tried any of these educational apps for preschoolers? Do you have any others to recommend? Leave a comment below and let us know – we’d love to hear from you!

The post 20 of the Best Educational Apps for Preschoolers appeared first on MyKidsTime.

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Is your child mad for dinosaurs? Do they know their pteradactyl from their T-Rex?

Get to grips with dinos with lots of fantastic dinosaur games and apps that will keep children of all ages entertained.

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Have Fun With These Dinosaur Games

#1. Dinosaur Train

Fans of the PBS Kids and Jim Henson-produced Dinosaur Train will enjoy playing and learning with a whole range of Dinosaur Train games.

The simple games include Buddy’s A-Maze-ing Adventure, Pinecone Pass, Dinosaur Dive, Buddy’s Big Campout Adventure, Fossil Finder and lots more.

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#2. Dinosaur Games For All Ages

With flashcards, over 120 dinosaur facts, an egg tapping game, dino bone collecting game, dancing dinosaurs, and new find the Christmas dinosaurs the interactive Dinosaur Games for All Ages app (iOS) will entertain and delight everyone that digs dinosaurs!

Designed by teachers in Canada with over 15 years childcare experience using their philosophy of learning through play this app will keep everyone engaged while they play and learn real facts about the dinosaurs.

#3. Dino Storm

Fame and fortune await brave adventurers in Dino Storm, a free 3D multiplayer game. With just a few dollars in your pocket, little ammunition, a laser gun and your small but trusty dinosaur you arrive at gold rush town Dinoville.

Face enormous wild dinosaur herds and merciless bandits, manage outposts, supply camps and claims. Prevail, and your fame and respect will keep rising until you are the town’s greatest hero: The Sheriff of Dinoville.

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#4. Dinosaur Games – Jurassic Dino Simulator

Ever wanted to play with dinosaurs? Now you can!

Dinosaur Games (iOS) is a uniquely styled collection of games and activities that are entertaining and educational.

There are 12 different mini-games to play – including memory match, excavating fossils, mazes and more – all delivered in kid-friendly style with plenty of animations.

#5. Dinosaur Game

If you’ve ever been unable to connect to the internet with Google Chrome, you may be familiar with this little T-Rex…but did you know you can play while you’re waiting?

In the Dinosaur Game, click to jump over obstacles in your way – simple enough for kids, still fun for grown ups!

Looking For More?

Is your child dino-mad? Download our FREE dinosaur word search and find all your favourites!

DOWNLOAD

#6. Dino Fun

Dino Fun has a host of online dinosaur games and your kids can take their pick from activities, colouring books, pictures and puzzles. They are all aimed at kids and preschoolers and will keep them entertained for ages.

#7. Dinosaur Truck

In Dinosaur Truck, a free online game from Y8, leave your child in charge of delivering eggs in the Dinosaur Park.

However the dinosaurs have been on the loose and want their eggs back, and the goods must get to their destination without getting attacked!

#8. Dino Ice Age

Help a pair of dinosaurs survive during the Ice Age! This two-player platform game challenges you to eat food and cross frozen land.

In Dino Ice Age, the little dinosaur can eat grapes and make bridges over water. Let the big dinosaur defeat the woolly mammoth

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Have your say! What other dinosaur games do your kids love playing? Leave a comment below and let us know – we’d love to hear from you!

The post 8 Free Online Dinosaur Games That Your Kids Will Love appeared first on MyKidsTime.

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Predicting which video games will be the ones that capture the attention of gamers is difficult. There are so many genres and platforms for games to live on that singling out which ones specifically will be hits, can seem impossible.

The last thing a gamer, or someone purchasing games for others, wants to do is bet on a game that ends up underperforming. Just ask any Fallout fan how things are going now that Fallout 76 has been launched. That is a classic example of when a game ends up being all hype, and no substance.

The best thing we can do, is look at what Fortnite itself has done right, and try to find games that have adapted or incorporated those features into their gameplay in order to discover what games have the potential to get that big.

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Why Is the Fortnite Game so Successful?

Here are some reasons Fortnite has become so wildly popular:

#1. Free to Play

Want more people to play your game? Don’t charge for it. Many people who are unfamiliar with Fortnite are surprised to learn that it’s actually free. They make all their money based on what’s known as “micro transactions”. These are purchases players can make within the game to change their players appearance or gain “mounts” they can ride around the game in.

Where Fortnite gets it right is that none of the micro transactions change the core mechanics of the game or increase an individual player’s power. Players are willing to tolerate micro transactions on a few conditions.

A player should not be able to “pay to win”. Paying for power in a game is greatly frowned upon among gamers. Players should never be required to make micro transactions. They should be something players can choose to do, but not punished for avoiding.

Micro transactions are also much more tolerable when the price of the game is low. Fortnite does all three of these things very well. If we are looking at what will be the next Fortnite game, it will follow all these micro transaction rules.

Best example: Path of Exile is an action role-playing game (ARPG) that follows in the footsteps of Diablo and Torchlight. The game has constantly grown in popularity over the years. The game is a joy to play, easy to learn and difficult to master.

Best of all, it’s free to play. The game supports itself through micro transactions. As we mentioned above however, all micro transactions grant cosmetic changes or storage space for in-game items, not in-game power.

#2. Colourful and Playful

Fortnite does not take itself too seriously. Its art, style and colour schemes are bright, light and fun. Games looking for mass appeal (beyond regular gamers) cannot burden themselves with strict realism.

These games often adopt a darker and more toned down aesthetic. While this can appeal to more seasoned gamers, casual players look for something more inviting. It also allows for younger players (approx 8-12 years) to get involved in the fun. This is a huge demographic that goes largely untapped by most triple A games.

The next Fortnite game will adopt a similar art style. It will have more of a “cartoony” aesthetic with a bright and vibrant colour pallet. This will appeal to casual and younger gamers alike, while not discouraging more experienced gamers from trying it out.

Best example: Borderlands 2 is an older game that set itself apart from other shooters through its gorgeous, comic book-style graphics. It is proof positive that games are not required to have the “best” graphics in order to succeed, they just need visually appealing graphics.

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#3. Social

Fortnite is not the first game to enter into the “Battle Royale” genre, but it’s without question the most popular. Many are also surprised to learn that the Battle Royale was not the originally intended format. With 100 players jumping into battle at once, it is a lot more fun when you are playing with friends.

Fortnite also supports cross play. This means regardless of the platform you play on, you can still connect with friends. This breaks down a huge barrier to entry for the game. If two friends are playing on an Xbox and they have another friend who is on a Playstation, they can still connect and play together.

Making a game social allows it to spread as fast as possible. The more who play and talk about the game, the more people feel like they have to try it. Single player games can become popular but the next Fortnite game will almost certainly be one that incorporates multiplayer into its design.

Best example: Though their numbers have been declining, there are still 1.7 million active subscribers to World of Warcraft. At its peak, the game boasted over 10 million subscribers. For a game that launched over 14 years ago, the fact that close to 2 million people still pay the $15-a-month subscription fee is astounding, making WoW the most social game ever.

#4. Unique and Blended Gameplay

Fortnite is not just another shooter. It’s a Battle Royale game of course. 100 players enter the arena, which shrinks over time, but there is only one winner. The “violence” is very cartoonish so as to not upset younger players. But it’s not all about killing other players.

There is resource gathering and building as well. They hide loot boxes and other treasures throughout the maps to encourage explorations as well. Much like Minecraft, the last game that swept through our culture like Fortnite, players can collect resources and building defences for the coming battles they need to fight to survive.

The next Fortnite game will not have a niche mechanic or specific game play. It will broaden the scope of what’s expected in a game and will meld different popular aspects from many games. Whether it is shooting, multiplayer, base building or others – the next Fortnite game will be a combination of many of these aspects of play and blend them to appeal to all kinds of gamers.

Other Battle Royale games: While they can’t boast the extensive resource gathering and base building mechanics like Fortnite, other games like Playerunknown’s Battle Ground, Dying Light: Bad Blood, or Realm Royale could be worth checking out.

No one foresaw the overwhelming popularity of Fortnite and, as such, it would be impossible to say with certainty which specific game will replace it. We can however predict that the next massively popular game will follow the rules set in place. It will be multiplayer, free to play and appeal to a mass audience of both young and old, casual and experienced gamers.

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Is your tween or teen playing another online game that could become the next Fortnite game? Leave a comment below and let us know – we’d love to hear from you!

The post What is the Next Fortnite Game Going to Be? appeared first on MyKidsTime.

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Apps are the perfect way to get your children interacting with and learning about different topics. Here we look at some free science apps, guaranteed to get children learning and understanding science.

Free Science Apps for Kids

Tappity

Imagine if your child could tell Bill Nye the Science Guy what he should do next in his science experiment—and he actually does it! That’s what Tappity is all about: learning by participation.

Currently the #1 science app for kids, Tappity covers over 100 science topics in its library—more than enough for the most curious young scientist! Plus, new content is added every week.

At the heart of each topic is Haley, your child’s fearless science guide. Together with her team, kids embark on science adventures together. As they tackle one challenge after another, she introduces foundational science concepts with kid-friendly explanations, games, activities, and endless encouragement.

And when a lesson is complete, Tappity sends you an email update containing discussion questions based on everything your child has learned and accomplished.

With content that’s teacher-approved and aligned with the latest science standards, Tappity makes learning at home fun, exciting, and engaging!

Download it on the App Store and try out over 30 lessons for free! To unlock the rest, subscribe through this special MyKidsTime link and get 33% off.

Available for iOS. It is subscription based but you can watch the first 30 lessons for free. To unlock all content, there are paid subscription plans. To unlock the rest, subscribe through this special MyKidsTime link and get 33% off.

Read what our family reviewers thought of Tappity

Little Alchemy

With Little Alchemy you explore what you can create by mixing simple elements. You start with four basic items and use them to find dinosaurs, unicorns and spaceships!

There are 580 elements and you mix elements to create interesting, fun and surprising items.

Available for iOS and Android

(Once you have exhausted Little Alchemy there’s a version 2 of the app available for iOS and Android.)

STEM Kids

STEM Kids contains hundreds of articles, videos and pictures to kick start your child’s education in STEM subjects. Kids can read the interesting facts and explanations by themselves or sit down with parents, grandparents or older siblings to learn together.

Explore by topic and watch videos and read fun facts as you go.

Available for Android

DK Quiz

Love quizzes? Feel like a challenge? Test your knowledge with DK’s Quiz app and play thousands of questions for free.

Mum Naomi said “My daughter found the app a little too hard – she is only 5 – so is probably better suited to older kids, teenagers.

I found it to be an interesting app, and it’s challenging –  I tried some of the quizzes on easy and I struggled! But, I would say it is good to get information and test your knowledge.”

Available for iOS and Android

Cargo-Bot

Cargo-Bot is a puzzle game where you teach a robot to move crates.

Sounds quite simple – but is quite challenging! Essentially – you are writing a programme for the robot to move, using arrows and some additional function keys. There are 5 levels, of play from easy to impossible, and one level of tutorials. It is worth starting with the Tutorials, as shows you ways to write the programmes, as movements required gets more complicated.

Mum Jennifer says “My 8 year old son got through half the tutorials, before they became too complicated. I found I had to sit down with him and we worked on them together. I would say is best suited for older kids/adults or kids who enjoy a basic level of programming. That said is quite addictive once you start! And the background music is very pleasant!”

Available for iPad

3D Brain

On the 3D Brain app you can use your touch screen to rotate and zoom around pictures of the brain. It shows you how each brain region functions, what happens when it is injured, and gives you information on the brain works with information on studies and links to read more.

“It’s cool because it’s very visual you can see all the different parts of the brain and it has lots of information. I like how you can move the image around” Jane, aged 12

Available for iPhone, iPad & Android

Earth School

Earth School app teaches young kids about how the universe began in a fun and effective way that is at just the right level for them to understand. Through 7 different mini-games, kids will explore and learn about the big bang, black holes, planet generation, and galaxies. App is intended for 2-6 years.

Sarah said, “My 5 year old really enjoyed it! The 7 free levels and mini-games are beautifully illustrated and learning is taught by simple games, so the kids don’t even realise they are learning!

On iOS, the free version comes with 6 levels in stage 1, with option to purchase full version, with 11 additional levels. My son quickly whizzed through these, so might be best suited for slightly younger kids, or be prepared for purchase of additional levels – would reckon is probably worth it though!”

Available for iOS & Android

You May Also Enjoy 20 Free Apps for Kids & 20 Educational Apps for Kids

Have you say. If you have a favourite science app that your kids love, let us know in the comments below!

The post Free Science Apps for Kids Guaranteed to Engage appeared first on MyKidsTime.

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These Easter apps are perfect if you’re travelling with kids over the holidays, or you and the kids are just in need of some Easter fun.

10 Of The Best Easter Apps For Kids

#1. Hidden Egg Hunt

The hunt is on to find the most Easter eggs, and fill your basket before the time runs out. There are 11 colourful Easter scenes, and you will never play the same game twice – eggs always randomly placed.

This app is free, but you can upgrade to Premium version, which gives more tokens and stronger power-ups.

Available for iOS (Free)

#2. Doodle Jump Easter Special

This is the Easter version of the very popular Doodle Jump game. Complete all the 25 levels by collecting Easter eggs at the end of each.

It’s trickier than it sounds thanks to all the different platform types and a few cute monsters along the way. If your kids enjoy Doodle Jump, they’ll love this.

Available for iOS and Android (Free)

You Might Also Enjoy 10 Super Fun Apps for Tweens

#3. Easter Coloring Book

If your child like to doodle and and likes colouring then they might enjoy the Easter Colour Book app. It has plenty of colouring and drawing games.

And there are lots of different colour options to choose for the selection of cute pictures of Easter bunny and Easter egg available on the app.

Available for Android (Free)

#4. Easter Bunny Games

This is a fun animated puzzle game for toddlers, preschoolers, and kids from ages 2 -6. The app includes twelve different child and toddler friendly, jigsaw-style puzzles with options to change the number of pieces and remove other helpers.

The puzzles start off easy to play and can be made more challenging – perfect for learning shape recognition and matching.

Available for iOS and Android (Free)

#5. Happy Easter Little Critter

Join Little Critter and his family in this interactive book app as they celebrate Easter! Explore pictures, learn new vocabulary, and follow along with three fun ways to read!

Go on your own Easter egg hunt to find 100 eggs hidden throughout the story as Little Critter enjoys all the traditional Easter activities! For 2-5 yrs.

Available for iOS (€0.49) and Android (€2.19)

You Might Also Enjoy 20 of the Best Educational Apps for Preschoolers

#6. Bakery Shop: Easter Cookies

Decorate your own easter cookies without the mess, in this fun app, and help develop fine motor skills. Lite version allows you to try the app, with in-app purchases available for various cookies and decorations.

Available for iOS (Free with in-app purchases).

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#7. Easter Coloring Pages

The Easter Coloring Pages is full of Easter egg coloring pages and Easter bunny coloring pages with 4 ways to color: bucket, brush, spray and color pencil.

You can add stickers and colour with patterns, choose from 10+ colour palettes and generally colour away to your heart’s content.

Available for Android (Free)

#8. Swipe Easter Eggs

Slide the colorful Easter eggs in this beautiful Easter matching game. Match the egg on top of the queue to increase the multiplier and progress through the level. This is a challenging and fun action puzzle game that the whole family will enjoy.

Available for Android (Free)

#9. Bubble Blast Easter

Bubble Blast Easter is a puzzle game in which you burst a multi-coloured egg or a bunny. 2 game modes are available – Puzzle mode with 2500 levels and Arcade mode to play freely. This is a fun game that the whole family will enjoy as levels get progressively more challenging.

Available for iOS and Android (Free)

#10. Easter Sweeper

Get in the mood for Easter with this match 3 game called Easter Sweeper. Play over 1500 levels filled with many challenges – collect the golden eggs, fill your basket with chocolate goodies and get the Easter bunny out of the magic hat. Clear the remaining ice, make the spring flowers bloom and collect the first butterflies. Eat the cookies, uncover the tasty cakes and fire off the explosive candy canes.

Available for iOS

Lots more Easter fun in our Most Eggs-citing Easter Section ever!

Over to you now! Do you have any favourite Easter apps for kids? Tell us in the comments below.

The post 10 of the Best Easter Apps for Kids appeared first on MyKidsTime.

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If your child needs some help with maths then learning games can be a good way of engaging and teaching them. Here are some websites that offer fun math games for kids.

7 Cool Math Games Websites for Kids

#1. Learninggamesforkids.com

learninggamesforkids.com has fun games with lots of free printables as well. If you click the Math Games option on the left hand menu it offers the different age groups, by grade from Kindergarten up to 5th grade, as well as by type of maths e.g. Addition or Subtraction.

#2. Coolmath-games.com

Coolmathgames.com and sister website Coolmath4kids.com both have interactive online math games for kids.

We liked the Number Monster game on the Coolmath4kids website as you can work your way through different functions addition, subtraction, division, multiplication and start with lower numbers and work your way up higher.

#3. Mathplayground.com

Mathplayground.com has a variety of games covering topics such as addition, multiplication, fractions, geometry and pre-algebra.

Each game gives an indication of which Grade level and what particular maths stanards it supports. For example. “Speedway supports Grade 4 and Grade 5 Common Core Math Standards in Number and Operations – Fractions.”

#4. Primarygames.com

Primarygames.com has some cool maths games for different age groups. For example, Math Eggs Even and Odd Numbers where you have to catch the eggs with either even or odd numbers is a fun way of learning and you can choose different levels of speed to play at too.

#5. Topmarks.co.uk

Topmarks.co.uk has games for different age groups 3-5, 5-7, 7-11, 11-17 years. As well as the usual maths topics, it covers things like Shapes, Data Handling and Problem Solving.

You Might Also Enjoy Free Educational Apps for Kids reviewed by Families

#6. Funbrain.com

Funbrain.com has free maths games, for example, you can play different sports such as soccer, basketball and baseball.

#7. PBSkids.org

For those familiar with PBS characters such as Curious George and Caillou, the PBSkids.org Math section lets kids play math games with the characters with a good range of topics from What groceries can you buy with your budget? to Measure crystals with May.

Over to you now. Has your child got a favourite website to play math games on? Share it with us in the comments below.

The post 7 Cool Math Games Websites for Kids appeared first on MyKidsTime.

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What is Fortnite?

Fortnite is a popular strategy survival game. It’s free, fun to play, has a silly sense of humour. YouTubers such as Ali-A and DanTDM have been enjoying it and showing it off on their streams.

According to the Epic Games website, it is “One giant map. A battle bus. Fortnite building skills and destructible environments combined with intense PvP combat. The last one standing wins.”

Fortnite is available to play on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One & Mac.

How does Fortnite work?

Fortnite combines Minecraft resource collecting and building with team-based survival shooting games.

The main action, in the Save The World mode, is shooting and attacking with melee weapons, but players can also build fortifications and work with teammates to defend survivors from waves of enemy monsters.

So it’s like a cross between a battle game and Minecraft.

The popular Fortnite Battle Royale mode can be played for free and you go up against 99 other players in a big fight for survival.

Although you may think it’s just a shooting game, players can develop strategic thinking, forward planning and be creative. It also teaches collaboration, how to work together and save team-mates. But it is competitive, and its online play style does mean it’s hard to stop halfway through a game, so you might find kids complaining if they are asked to stop.

You might also want to read Is Your Child Playing Roblox? 

What Parents Need to be Aware Of

You need to create an account

In order to play Fortnite you have to create an account on the Epic Games website. To create this account you need to provide an email address (which you will have to verify) and pick a display name. NB you are not asked your age in order to create an account.

It can be tricky to stop half way through a game

The competitive nature and style of play on this online game makes it hard to stop a game part way through. Games typically last up to 20 minutes so it’s a good idea to give advance warning if your child needs to stop with your child being responsible then to stop when it really is stop time. (You might still get “Just ten more minutes”.)

It is rated as unsuitable for under 12 years

The game is rated PEGI 12 for frequent scenes of mild violence. It is not suitable for persons under 12 years of age. However, you should note that this PEGI rating only takes into account the content in the game and not the contact element, where players may be exposed to swearing and offensive language from strangers in voice or on-screen text chat.

You are playing against other players

Fortnite is an online game so you play against players from around the world, of different ages. You can’t choose who you play against and you can’t turn off the voice/text chat communication.

Fortnite is a game where the sound is crucial – you want to be able to hear footsteps of other players, for example. This means that players would normally wear headphones and parents might therefore not hear what is being said by strangers. Consider setting up your console or PC to have sound coming from the TV as well as headset so you can hear what other players are saying to your children from time to time.

The good thing is that on consoles, players can join a lobby of friends before they play which enables them to mute other players and just talk to people they know.

There are in-game purchases

Although Battle Royale is free to play, as with many free games, there are in-game purchases. Players are able to unlock new items as they progress without paying anything. But if you purchase a Premium Battle Pass you gain access to exclusive clothing and items. These are tiered so that doing well in the game or carrying out weekly challenges to earn more points unlocks access to more items.

A Battle Pass costs 950 V-Bucks, which is the game’s own currency – you need to pay £7.99 to download 1,000 V-Bucks, which lasts until the end of the season (Fornite is played in seasons).

So set some ground rules before your child plays about in-game purchases.

Xbox or PlayStation Parental Controls Can Limit Game Sessions

If your child is playing Fortnite on an Xbox or PlayStation you can use the parental controls to limit the length of gaming sessions.

Even if they are not on Xbox or PS4, it’s a good idea to set definite play session times, e.g. 1 hour, and use a stopwatch, timer or ask Alexa to countdown.

Here are some other similar games to Fortnite that you could suggest to your child:

Minecraft (PEGI 7+)
Roblox (PEGI 7+)
Stardew Valley (PEGI 7+)
Lovers In a Dangerous Space Time (PEGI 7+)
Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 (PEGI 12+).

Tips for Parents if Your Child is Using Fortnite

#1. Familiarise yourself with the game

As we always recommend, try it yourself. This is one of the best ways of learning and understanding what it’s about.

#2. Stay near while they are playing

It’s a good idea to either play with your child or at least stay near and watch what they are doing, and with whom they interact.

#3. Make sure they are aware of the risks

Your child should know that there could be adults using Fortnite too and that they need to be careful.

#4. Advise them to be careful when chatting

If they play Battle Royale mode talk to them about chatting online, how it’s important not to chat to strangers and that, as with all internet apps or websites, they should never ever give out personal information online.

#5. Have a conversation again about internet safety

Remind your child that they should only ever befriend true life friends or family members online and to tell you if they see anything strange or receive any adverse messages.

Over to you now. Does your child play Fortnite? What are your thoughts on it?

The post Is Your Child Playing Fortnite? A Parent’s Guide appeared first on MyKidsTime.

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What is Roblox?

According to the Roblox website, it is the world’s largest interactive platform for play that allows kids to imagine, create, and play together in immersive 3D worlds. All the games and experiences on Roblox have been created by the players themselves. Once a player has signed up and created an avatar, they are given their own piece of real estate along with a virtual toolbox (known as “Roblox Studio”) for building.

They can monetize their creations to earn “Robux” (virtual currency on Roblox), which can then be used to purchase more avatar accessories or additional abilities in one of the millions of experiences available on the platform.

Players can play, chat, and collaborate on creative projects.

How does Roblox work?

Roblox isn’t a game, it’s a platform where people post the games they have created using Roblox Studio and where social interactions can take place through multi player gaming.

Roblox calls itself a “social platform for play”. Players can comment and chat with other players inside a game and also chat with their friends on Roblox.

The Roblox characters are like a cross between Minecraft and Lego. Players can either create their own game or play existing games. Some of the most popular games on Roblox can have 100s of thousands of players playing at the same time.

What Parents Need to be Aware Of

When you create an account, you need to give your birthdate, this is because under 13s have some security and privacy settings that older teens don’t.

All accounts have the option to activate a “Parent PIN”, a 4-digit code that you can use to make changes to your child’s account. Click the Security Tab on the Settings page which you access by clicking on the gear icon in the upper-right corner of the site.

There is no age limit according to the Roblox Terms Of Service. It does mention that younger children under 13+ need to have parental supervision, but there is no parental consent required for underage sign up.

Because Roblox is really thousands of multiplayer games, there is not much control over the types of people or age limits of those playing the games. There are strict chat filters that can be activated to block inappropriate words and phrases, however, as with any online social platform, children can still be susceptible to being targeted by online predators.

Players can block users and report abuse on Roblox.

Roblox is on the board of the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) and complies with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Extra features were introduced last year to enhance child safety, but even so, it’s always good to be in the know about the platform.

Tips for Parents if Your Child is Using Roblox

#1. Familiarise yourself with the website

As we always recommend, try it yourself. This is one of the best ways of learning and understanding what it’s about. Activate the Parent Pin and make sure you know how to go into the account history, where you can see what games your child has created, history of private messages, friends and followers as well as trading and purchasing history.

#2. Stay near while they are playing

It’s a good idea to either play with your child or at least stay near and watch what they are doing, what kinds of games they play, with whom they interact.

#3. Make sure they are aware of the risks

Your child should know that there are adults using Roblox too and that they need to be careful.

#4. Advise them to be careful when chatting

If they do use Roblox talk to them about chatting online, how it’s important not to chat to strangers and that, as with all internet apps or websites, they should never ever give out personal information online.

#5. Have a conversation again about internet safety

Remind your child that they should only ever befriend true life friends or family members online and to tell you if they see anything strange or receive any adverse messages.

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The post Is Your Child Playing Roblox? A Parent’s Guide appeared first on MyKidsTime.