Online Bingo for Kids
Probably most of us would agree that the internet is a dual edged sword when it comes to our children. Certainly any newspaper from a major city anywhere in the world on any given day will contain at least one horror story involving children duped by an online predator; maybe the child is missing, maybe brutalized or maybe even dead. Many times the incident started with an online predator contacting the child on what would normally be considered a children’s website.
Therein lies the crux of the question of whether or not to let your child play games such as bingo online; is the risk worth the reward? Or to put it another way, is the fun and educational value that your child will derive while playing bingo online be worth the risk that a predator may be lurking in the chat room?
Online bingo has been praised as a great educational tool. Schools know that in order to compete in today’s job market, students must learn how to use computers. Recognizing a level of social responsibility, online bingo website operators have joined educators to create a potentially powerful learning tool for children of all ages. Today, if you go online and search among bingo websites, you will find a great many offer free bingo games specifically designed for instructional purposes. Children as young as toddlers can benefit by playing games on these websites.
Games for those too young to read often utilize brightly colored, highly attractive screens and high levels of activity to keep the child’s attention focused. Games for children of this age and ability are commonly matching games, such as the bingo game with cards that shows animals instead of numbers. The child hears a noise an animal makes instead of a “caller” relaying a number. The purpose of this bingo game is for the child to “daub” by pointing and clicking on the animal on the card that makes the noise they just heard. This is bingo created to reinforce memory and recognitions skills, as well as enhancing the child’s coordination by requiring the child to point and click. Adults would call this educational, toddlers would call it fun.
There are some really good games for older children as well. Online bingo can be used to make math fun. We had flash cards; today’s kids have online bingo to learn their multiplication and other math skills. One online bingo game stands out for teaching math to any child struggling with the subject. The child or teacher chooses the level to play and then the game begins. Bingo cards are similar to real bingo cards in that the grid squares contain numbers. Near the card is a “caller” box that contains a math problem, such as “2 x 2 =”. The goal is for the child to click on the correct answer on the card. Each game contains a set of problems for the child to work. There are various levels to this game ranging from easy to difficult. Again, kids think of bingo as fun, not as work.
Now the question becomes, is online bingo’s potential for education worth the associated risk? This is a question each parent must answer for themselves. When any child is on any website, it is highly recommended that they are supervised by a responsible adult.
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