Play a Free Online Game
Who says history is boring? Not with a free online game.
A number of historical attractions in Virginia have created interactive games designed to bring history alive, especially for jaded kids.
Here are two sites I've found which I "tested" on my 10-year-old and my 5-year-old. Both got a hearty "thumbs up" from my kids.
First, I'll tell you about their favorite.
Colonial Williamsburg's Kids Zone
Colonial Williamsburg doesn't just offer one free online game: they offer a slew of imaginative and interactive activities to help colonial and revolutionary history come alive.
"Here, try this site," I told my kids last week. I then disappeared to do laundry and forgot about them.
An hour later, I heard them laughing uproariously. "What on earth?" I thought. "This website is great, Mom!" they yelled. They'd been on it all that time. Learning while they're having fun? What better way to learn?
On Colonial Williamsburg's Kids Zone, you can:
- Dress paper dolls in colonial dress
- Be a “Dirt Detective” and practice archaeological skills
- Go on electronic field trips
- Do daily jigsaw puzzles
- “Write” with a quill pen
- Listen to podcasts of local historians and musicians
- Send electronic postcards
- And more...
The games can be accessed at this link, www.history.org.
For information on visiting Colonial Williamsburg, including how to visit the attraction for "free," click here.
Are you a Jamestown "Survivor?"
It's 1606: you and 105 other adventurers have set sail to set up the first permanent English colony in America. But will you survive?
Sponsored by America's 400 Anniversary Celebration--this free online game gives kids a hands-on opportunity to understand the challenges facing the early settlers in Jamestown.
In fact, the early years of the settlement were a disaster. In the first year, almost half of the settlers died from starvation, disease, and conflict with local Native Americans.
"Jamestown: The Online Adventure" lets you pretend that you're the captain of the new colony, and see if you can do better than the original settlers. Choose how to provide food, avoid disease and starvation...and make money (like by finding gold).
At they end, you can compare how your colony did with the original colony. Will you survive?
To access the game, go to www.jamestown2007.org/kids.
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