When the kids get home from school, they often head straight to the computer, TV, or the couch to play games on their phone. While we can and should limit their time spent in front of a screen, it’s hard to completely ban them from these games and devices. Letting your children play video games is not always a bad thing – in fact, there are several games out there that may benefit your children by teaching them certain developmental skills. Here are a few examples of video games that are kid-friendly so you can feel comfortable letting your children play for an hour a day. 

Just Dance

Worried that too many video games will deter your kids from being physically active? Just Dance comes to the rescue! Taking advantage of motion control sensors in the Wii, Xbox Kinect, and PlayStation 4, this game forces your kids to bust a move, all while having the time of their lives!

http://just-dance.ubisoft.com/en-us/home/

Fireboy and Watergirl

Have two kids that fight too much? Have them play Fireboy and Watergirl, a game that requires two players to work together to complete each level. Scrunched over the same computer keyboard, your kids will learn the importance of cooperation and teamwork.

https://www.coolmath-games.com/0-fireboy-watergirl-forest-temple

Chariot

Want to teach the kids cooperation without being scrunched over the same keyboard? Have a PlayStation 4? Why not let them play Chariot? Chariot, a game whose purpose is to have players move, you guessed it, a chariot through puzzles, has a single player mode but this platform (think Super Mario Bros) is best in co-op mode.

https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/chariot-ps4/

National WW2 Museum Kids Corner

Let your kids learn some history while having fun. The national WW2 Museum allows your kids to use their creativity for WW2 themed history activities such as making your own patriotic poster or WWII era patch!

http://www.nationalww2museum.org/see-hear/kids-corner.html

CrayonPhysics

The premise behind this puzzle game is simple: you have to move a ball to a certain location to win by drawing objects (in virtual crayon) on the screen that move the object: You can go past the typical ramp or stairs and draw whatever creative object you can think of, just as long as it gets the ball to the right spot!

http://www.crayonphysics.com

Written by Alicia Overby - Founder & President of Baby Elephant Ears

Alicia is wife, mother, and creator of Baby Elephant Ears. Baby Elephant Ears was created out of parental concern, not financial desire. In 2005, when their second child was an infant, he cried all the time and just couldn't seem to get comfortable.

After seeking advice and suggestion from the medical community and alternative medicine, they eventually ended up in the chiropractors office where their baby was successfully treated for asubluxation, discomfort most likely the result of the strain during labor, which was now being exacerbated by the normal lack of infant neck strength. Only proper neck, head, and back alignment would offer him relief. When they couldn't find a product to give their baby the necessary support, Alicia took matters into her own hands and crafted her own infant support pillow. The first Baby Elephant Ears was born!

For more information, visit www.babyelephantears.com.