Children Online: 3 Free Gaming Sites

My son has entered into a new and exciting arena, especially for an almost-six year old: the world of online gaming. Upon seeing a commercial featuring games from his favorite cartoons and movies, he begged me to let him go on the Internet.

I checked out the sites first, to make sure they were age-appropriate, and then I set up an account for him on my computer. I still wasn't convinced he would be able to work my laptop mouse with enough efficiency to get anywhere on the games, but it was worth a shot. He now works the mouse better than I do.

Together we have found three sites that offer free games for children his age, all highly recommended by the six year old himself.

Zathura - A New Adventure from the World of Jumanji
Based on the popular 2005 movie 'Zathura: A Space Adventure', this site features games directly from the movie. Remember the first attack from the movie's board game? Meteor Storm is a game that challenges the player to dodge fiery rocks flying at him. There are also games mimicking the Zorgon Attack, Robot Reboot, Space Flight and many other fun adventures, such as Interstellar Pinball and both junior and senior editions of Zathura Bound.

There is a two-player option on this site; however, we haven't explored it yet. The site is very kid-friendly, allowing the child to easily navigate between games. The instructions are easy to pick up on if your child isn't yet reading.

Scooby-Doo by Warner Brothers
Games starring Scooby-Doo, children's favorite detective canine, and the Gang can be found here. Top five Scooby-Doo games are Ghost in the Cellar, The Last Act, Theatre Terror, Ripping Ride, and Pirate Ship of Fools. My son assures me that each of these games are based on actual episodes. My favorite game on this site is the Construction Crash Course, probably because it's so simple my three-year-old daughter had it figured out before I did.

This site is kid-friendly with a lot of different places to explore.

4K!DSTV - The Game Station
This site offers a ton of games, suitable for both boys and girls. Gleaned from popular cartoons such as Winx, Yu-Gi-Oh! and Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Viva Pinata, Dinosaur King, Chaotic, SonicX, and Di-Gata, these online games vary in difficulty level.

Many feature puzzle games which are challenging enough to keep a six year old's attention without frustrating him. There are online coloring pages which are reminiscent of Microsoft's Paint program. Kids can choose from a variety of games: arcade, puzzle, activites, action, adventure, and driving. Again, this website is very kid-friendly. Expect endless hours of peace and quiet while your child explores this site.