All of us can agree on one thing – it is impossible to keep children away from the online gaming world. Something as simple and necessary as a mobile phone can be a gateway to the cyber world for your children. 

So if attempting to dissuade them is futile, it makes sense for parents to try and monitor their online activities. This comes with its own share of privacy concerns for the children but it can be managed through an open dialogue. The best way to develop trust is by being the first person to introduce your children to some fun and safe online games.

In this post, we bring to you some tips that can help you choose the best online games for your children. Let’s get gaming.

  • Check out reviews –

This is the simplest way to decide if the game that you are considering for your children is appropriate for them. There are a lot of gaming review websites which give you a detailed review of the most popular online games. 

Apart from just informing you about the suitable age group for the games, these reviewing websites also provide a lengthy account of how to play the game, the characters involved, the plot and the violence level of the respective game. All these factors can help you in making the right call. 

Further, other than gaming review sites, you can also check user/player reviews of the games on Google and other community platforms like reddit. A lot of adults play these games and reading their comments can give you an inkling of the nuances involved.

  • Start with free games –

Let’s face it. Online games are not cheap, especially the popular ones. Therefore, it is reasonable to think twice before buying a game online. The correct approach is to start your child with free ones, maybe those that are based on their favorite movie or cartoon character. 

Once you realize that your child is enjoying the online gaming scenario and is also not so entwined into it that he may get addicted, you may want to go ahead and spend a few bucks on the paid games. Needless to say, there are enough free games available online to satisfy any person’s gaming needs. 

In fact, some online casinos offer 10 euro gratis (a free bonus) to new users. Obviously, this information is only for the parents. 

  • Play sports based games with your child –

The whole purpose of this post is to help parents do the right thing when it comes to the online gaming behavior of their children. Playing sports based games with your child has twin benefits. 

First, you know that most sports-based games will not have inappropriate content so you can let your kids go wild with them. Secondly, when you play with your child, they will also develop an interest in the respective sport and may ask you to arrange for physical classes in the real world. Win-win for all. 

  • Diversify their choices –

In an ideal world, kids would love and play only educational games. Alas! That is not to be. Hence, it is important that you as parents provide your kids with a variety of choices ranging from learning-based games to games that are sheer entertainment (maybe mindless too). 

You must realize that while game time can be used to impart learning, children must not start looking at it as a burden as this may alienate them and lead them astray. Attempting to make your kids interested in smart online games like chess at an early age can help you with this. 

  • Go with your child’s interests –

Earlier on in this post, we talked about using online games to kindle an interest in offline games (sports) but the reverse can also be used to select the right games. If your kid is interested in some fantasy-based books like Harry Potter, you can go for games based on their reading interests.

Another good example of choosing a game based on their interest would be to see what physical activity or game they like and opt for an online game with similar activity. The options are endless. 

In the end, it is important to not just monitor your children’s online gaming activity but also be a part of it. This helps you in ensuring that their other tasks like homework, physical activity, and household chores do not get affected by their game time. 

Pro tip – Installing a parental lock on your gaming computer is really helpful. While trust is essential in any relationship, having rules and implementing a mechanism to enforce those rules is equally important. At the end of the day, you are responsible for your child’s discipline and upbringing.