Is Learning Fun? 5 Educational Games That Are Actually Great

Long before Cars was a lucrative Pixar franchise, there was the talking car Putt-Putt and his series of point-and-click adventures for kids. This beautifully animated, hand-drawn adventure taught kids problem-solving and critical thinking. Puzzles and story details would change every time you played, meaning that you could play over and over and keep experiencing the game anew. It had arcade-style mini games and gorgeous, atmospheric music. Nearly all of developer Humongous Entertainment’s educational games are available on Steam, meaning you can revisit that childhood nostalgia and introduce your own kids to the magic.

3. The Amazon Trail

Unlike The Oregon Trail, which is set firmly in the real world, The Amazon Trail adds a fantasy element to its journey. With a talking jaguar spirit as your guide, you canoe down the Amazon River, traveling through time and meeting historical figures while struggling to survive the harsh conditions. The game has a mysterious, somewhat creepy atmosphere that still gives me chills to this day. More educational games should embrace an unsettling element – that might interest kids more than you think.

4. SimTunes

This little-known educational game is one of the most creative ways to teach kids about music, hands-down. It combines art with music, where each color represents a note, and little instrument-playing bugs play the notes as they creep over the picture. There are many different bugs to choose from, meaning that you can mix and match to create a harmony you like. You can also set specific paths for each bug. You can randomly play around, or you can get serious and create an elaborate picture to go with your masterpiece song. It’s all up to you.

5. Math Munchers

This game turned math into a fast-paced arcade game. Inspired by Pac-Man, you take the Muncher through an eating journey where you can only eat numbers that fit a certain description such as “multiples of 3” or “prime numbers.” There are various enemies to avoid, each with different attributes, and powerups to collect. Levels are short, meaning that they’re perfect to hold kids’ attention, and the music and sound effects get you pumped to eat numbers.

Conclusion

Educational games don’t have to be bad. Learning can indeed be fun, and as these games show, educational games can have as much love and attention put into them as regular games. I formed some cherished memories with educational games as a child, and thinking about them still puts a smile on my face. Yes, I even learned a few things.