Mar 20

Making math basics easy, one sum at a time

When starting to learn addition and subtraction, children may hit a roadblock. Learning numbers can seem easy but to combine or divide them can seem difficult. But you can help make maths easy for your children. From using every day activities to introducing them to learning games, here are five tips for learning addition and subtraction and make numbers fun.

1. Let’s eat numbers

Does your child like gummy bears or other candies? Let them count how many gummy bears they have on their plate. Do they like chocolates? Let them count the number of pieces in a bag. Start with one and ask them to add one more to it. Now they have two. Continue this process till it becomes fun for them and they start doing it on their own. Use the same trick to teach them subtraction. Give them five gummy bears and ask them to count. Now remove one from the plate. Voila! They are left with four. The best part for you? You can do this with anything that they like to eat.

2. Colour your way through maths

Colouring is definitely a good way to keep your child engaged while you finish your chores. But what if colouring could also teach your children addition and subtraction? Use colouring as a learning game. Draw a pie or a grid or a big flower. Now give your children simple addition problems. Let them solve the equation and then colour the answer. For example: What is 1+1? If they can give the correct answer (in this case 2) then they will colour two parts of the pie or two petals of the flower. This will keep them engaged and make it easy and fun for them to complete their math homework.

3. Create board games

Let each clue of the board game be an addition or subtraction problem, similar to snakes and ladder. The answer to every addition sum will make them move ahead in the game. If they land on a subtraction sum then the answer will make them go backwards. The more number of addition problems they solve correctly, the faster they win the game. Keep some double digit addition problems. Correct answers to these will help them jump ahead in the game. Children learn best when they play games. Let their learning be a fun way to pass time rather than a task to complete every day.

4. Play online learning games

Kids today spend more time on smartphones and tablets, almost to the point of addiction. But you can help your child turn an addiction to education. Instead of taking away the gadgets, make them a tool to help your child with addition and subtraction. Simply download quality learning games for kids and let them play while they learn. These will make their time spent on gadgets more useful and introduce them to more useful games.

5. Use everyday games to teach maths

Do your children have a favourite game? Do they play with action figures or build towers with Lego? Why not count the number of action figures they have or the number of bricks they use to build their tower? After a hard day’s work, this can prove to be an effective way of spending time with your children while helping them learn.

Do you have a fun way of teaching your children math? Share it with us in the comments below.

Feb 19

7

Real vs virtual: Balance your child’s screen time

By admin | Education | No Comments

With our busy lives, children often find a lot of time on their hands. Gadgets and apps have become an easy way to kill time. But you don’t want your child to get caught up in the vortex. Of course, you can child lock your television and smartphone. But children today are smarter than we would like to believe (my three-year-old nephew can crack his mother’s passcode, every time, trust me!). Read on to discover solutions that will help you balance your child’s screen time without having to face a tantrum every single time.

What is your child watching?

Even before you think of monitoring your child’s screen time, take stock of what is taking up most of their time. Are they watching movies or are hooked to the latest cartoons? Or have they discovered the latest gaming fad? If you don’t the extent of the problem, you can’t find the right solution.

Make small changes

Once you have figured out what they watch, find what you can alter to balance their screen time and give them a more fruitful upbringing. If they like playing games, why not introduce them to educational games that will help them learn while they have fun. This way, they won’t feel deprived and you won’t have to worry about their browsing habits.

Balance their time between the real world and the virtual world

You may have an easier task if your child enjoys outdoor activities. If not, then the challenge is bigger when it comes to their interaction with the outside world. Find learning apps that will encourage them to complete tasks in real life and feed results in the app before they proceed to the next level. This will ensure that your child puts to practice what they learn and, in the process, will reduce the time they spend in front of a screen.

Apps that allow you control

All of the above is possible when you are home. But what about the time when you are at the office? How can you ensure that your child is not distracted by gadgets? Educational apps today allow time restrictions. Find an app that will automatically switch off after a set time limit. You can also incentivise your child by encouraging them to fulfil daily chores like school work in lieu of additional play time on their favorite learning app once you get home.

Find other interests

The real world is always the best teacher. Find activities that you and your children can enjoy together. You can also find activities that are related to the environment of the learning apps so that your child can easily relate to the surroundings and enjoys the app even more. Encourage them to find and relate objects from the educational games to objects around them. This will enhance their learning process and divide their time between the screen and the outside world.

Get started with the right learning apps here.

Feb 11

2

Make math fun: Apps that make learning simple

By admin | Education | No Comments

Most children are scared of numbers. But what if maths could be easy and fun? What if numbers became your child’s best friend? Here’s how you can make math learning simple for your child.

Make numbers fun

Addition and subtraction can be boring. But if the same can be taught in a fun way, children are sure to love it. Look at mathematics games that include attractive characters and interactive levels to keep children engaged for hours. This will also help your child to concentrate better on school work.

Get your child exclusive attention

Whether your child is in kindergarten learning numbers or a 2^nd grader learning problem solving, it is not always possible for a teacher to give exclusive attention to every child in the classroom. A fun, interactive learning game will help your child learn at their own pace.

Bring maths to everyday life

Math is all around us. Let your child see it too. Encourage your child to use their classroom and gaming app learning at home. Can they help you total the grocery bill? Can they count the number of apples left in the fruit basket? Can your child keep a count on the number of times you get a phone call in a day? Simple, everyday activities that will make your child interested in maths.

Make math interesting

If your child loves to play online games, nothing could be better than educational maths games. These will help your child learn math in a colorful environment. Whether they like adventures like car racing and surfing or cute characters like bunny rabbits and bears & bees, you are sure to find games that will interest your child and make math interesting.

Share the math fear

Like things we like, things we don’t like can also bring us closer to our children. If you too found math scary, let your child know. Share the funny stories. And then find ways to solve maths equations together. Select multiplayer games and share your tips & tricks. When education is made fun instead of a burden, children tend to put more effort.

Don’t make math a monster

Maths is important. But don’t punish your child if they run in the opposite direction at the mere mention of numbers. Let them know that it is alright to learn slow. And it is alright to not get top grades all the time. They should be able to look at it like a problem that can have multiple solutions. Instead of comparing your child to the math genius in their class, find mathematics games that will show them the fun side of numbers.

Always encourage

Till your child finds school and education a ‘cool’ thing, you are in a good spot. There will always be challenges. Not all children learn at the same pace. Make sure your child does not feel isolated just because they could not score well.

Start with some fun math games at https://skidos.com/portfolio-coolmathgames-coding-games/[NS1] .

Feb 01

1

Quality versus quantity: Tips for the modern parent

By admin | Parenthood | No Comments

Our busy lives often make us guilty for not having enough time for other pleasures. Especially, if you are a parent then you may often find yourself counting the number of hours you spend with your children versus the number of hours spent at the office or fulfilling other responsibilities. But right parenting should not be about the number of hours, rather it should be about how you utilize the time spent in a fun and useful manner. Here are some handy tips for busy parents:

Parents, our first teacher

You are your child’s first teacher. Why not be the fun teacher? Instead of letting your children play games as a distraction, let them play fun educational games that will help them learn. Spend time with them while they discover new words and learn math in a colorful, friendly environment.

Give your child the best

Your child deserves the best of everything. And money alone can’t give them the best. Kids learning games may come with a subscription. But make sure that your money is spent on the right app. With the market flooded with educational apps, find the one that will give your child the required learning support and you some quality time with your child.

Don’t fall in the trap

People around you may often try to tell you the ‘right’ rules of ‘good’ parenting. But there is no one correct parenting style. Find what works best for you and your children. While other parents may be spending hours taking their children from one class to another, you can take the smart route. Choose learning apps that will cater to all kinds of learning needs, from primary to advanced levels of learning.

Don’t get scared

Inexperienced people around you may suggest that apps can get your child addicted to the gadget. But you can enlighten them about parental control apps. You definitely don’t want your child to get addicted to a smartphone or tablet 24X7. Do some research to find apps that will allow you to monitor and restrict the usage of apps. This will ensure that your child has a wholesome life where technology is an aid and not an impediment.

Create memories of a lifetime

Some of a child’s best memories are always about the time spent laughing and learning with their parents. Children learn best when they are not forced to study and spend an ample amount of time having fun with their family. Learning apps can be your pathway to give your child a lifetime of happy memories. Make mistakes and learn together.

You are the best parent

Believe in yourself. You are doing the best that you can. You are giving the best to your child. You are giving your child the best gift possible – learning with fun with reliable educational games. Your parenting style may not be the same as others. But it is the most suited to you and your child’s needs.

Find the right learning app for your child at https://skidos.com/[NS1] .

Jan 25

4

Learning while playing: Find the best learning app for your child

By admin | Parenthood | No Comments

Learning does not have to be boring. Children today are constantly engaged with smartphones and tablets. Why not make these gadgets their learning buddy? Here are some handy tips to find the best educational apps of 2019 for your children.

Learning is the key

Identify your child’s learning needs and choose learning games that will help them to fulfill those needs. Whether it is learning to count or spelling new words, mobile games can be an engaging way to spend time on gadgets while also improving your skills.

Is it engaging?

This question may not be important for you. But it is definitely important for your children. If the game app is not engaging and exciting, be sure that your child will get easily distracted and bored with the game. It is one thing to add colorful numbers and a completely different thing to do maths while fighting pirates. Which one do you think will your child enjoy more?

Get rid of the clutter

There are too many apps for kids that cater to the same need. So how do you know which is the best for your child? Always read the user reviews. If another parent faced a challenge, chances are you will too. But if most parents are satisfied with the results, then be rest assured that you’re making the right choice. If the app has a website then visit the site to know more about the mobile game. An informed decision is a better decision.

One or many

There are mobile games that teach multiple skills like math, spellings, colors, and shapes. And then there are learning apps that are designed to meet specific learning needs. Assess what your child needs. If they are in primary school then choosing an app to teach multiple skills may be helpful. But if your child is in the advanced stages of learning then choose a game that will provide targeted engagement instead of slowing down your child with unnecessary rounds.

Us time

Our busy lives coupled with gadgets are making us isolated. As a parent, you may sometimes feel guilty for not spending as much time with your child as you would like to. A good education app may be your chance to make up for some of the lost time. Find a multi-player app or an app like Bike Racing, where you and your children can spend some quality time together, while they learn and have fun.

Is it expensive?

Maybe, maybe not. But a good educational app should cost you less than your monthly Netflix subscription. And will save you the trouble of searching for the right content. A lot of apps may also have ads that will require an additional purchase to stop them from interrupting your child’s experience. Make sure to find out about these hidden costs. Your subscription should be the only payment you make for the app.

Get started to find the right learning app for your child at https://skidos.com/.

Jan 18

4

Creative ways to keep your child learning in 2019!

By admin | Curiosities, Education, Parenthood | No Comments

1. Play fun learning games

Let’s be honest. Nobody really likes homework or boring games that look just like homework. Kids love to play fun games. Rather than merely producing clumsily camouflaged ‘gamified’ lessons, why not put the gaming experience first and then embed the education. The result? Educational games kids actually enjoy. Find tips to pick actually fun and creative learning games here.

For preschoolers & kindergarten kids, you can start with simple games that help them learn the basics- numbers, colours and shapes. When a child is actively engaged with the game, their mind experiences the pleasure of learning a new system. You can adapt the cool learning games by age. Download the games on your phone or tablets.

2. Enrich their minds with Coding puzzles

Yes, you and your kids can get inspired and interested in coding. Coding stimulates computational thinking and encourages creativity. Learning to code helps kids develop critical thinking skills as well as the ability to solve problems. Your kids can understand the coding logic behind their favourite games. The best way to start learning is by solving coding puzzles. This will help your kids foster an early interest in coding which is already a very critical 21st-century skill.  

You can find some of the best coding games here.

3. Math Fun for Kids

Integrate math in their everyday activities. Start with grocery shopping, count the number of oranges your child helps you put in the grocery bag at the supermarket or the number of stairs you go up to the front door. You can start with small amounts and add a few as your child is ready for a challenge.

In the new digital age, you can also get some cool math games in the App Store for your kids to improve their math skills.

You can find some of the cool math games here.

Jan 10

4

What are our best online learning games for kids in 2019?

By admin | Education, News, Skidos | No Comments

In this article, we share with you the best online learning games for 2019 published by SKIDOS. Our platform grows every month as we add new games. Some of our users’ favourites online learning games are here:

1. Bike Racing is one of our most popular game available on Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

One of the most successful games we published last year was BIKE RACING. Kids fell in love with it instantly, and it helped them not only play like a real pro motorcyclist across the most exciting race tracks, but it also assisted in Mathematics and Coding practice.

What makes it so popular amongst kids is the fact that progression is smooth and entertaining. The game has 99 race tracks and the possibility to modify the racer’s gear, outfits and skills. Each level the gameplay becomes slightly harder, but not that hard to make kids give up on the game.

Math puzzles in the game can be adjusted to match the school curriculum and specific mathematics operations such as multiplication, fractions etc. can be chosen

2. Snow Race

Similar in gameplay to Bike Racing, but the scenes are as cool as the mountain slopes in the game. The gameplay is more straightforward, so it can perfectly match with children between 4 and 10 years old. Here the educational questions are again for math and coding.

3. Bakery Game

Children can learn how to bake a cake with real ingredients. On top of that, the whole “Do It Yourself” scenario provokes their creative thinking, and the fun is guaranteed. In this game, the educational questions are within coding and maths as well, but the gameplay has many voice-overs to help children improve their listening skills and remember the name of the ingredients for baking. Who knows, they may want to help you next time in the kitchen?

4. ABC Town and Fishing Game

These games help kids to practice spelling and pronunciation of the first 200 english words using phonetics and pictures. It does include the math puzzles too. The cool thing about both these games is the amazingly cute graphics and the ease of the gameplay. Those two online educational games will match best for kids at the age of 4 and 5 years.

5. Rabbit Rescue and Flower Match

Coming last but not the least as the best online learning games for kids. One is a very popular bubble shooter game which kids love and the other is based on a match 3 puzzle gameplay popularly seen in games like Candy Crush.

Here the fun is to rescue cute Rabbits from being stuck in balloons and kids can advance in their trajectory by shooting to the sides and learning about angles. Best for kids from 6 to 11+ years age group.

Now is the time that you go and download these five stars learning games for your kids and start their fun learning.

More new games are being added every month.

So expect news from us very soon 🙂

Go play and learn now!

You want to know more about how online learning games help kids and how to choose them? See this article.

Jan 02

3

Online learning games for kids in 2019 for safe, fun & quality screen time

By admin | Education, Parenthood | No Comments

We understand how hard it is to be a parent in today’s world. Online learning is what takes over the traditional education and you wonder how can you help your kids with it. New technologies are developing faster than ever before. It’s hard to keep up, no matter how much of a tech nerd you are. Your children are a few steps ahead in adopting new technologies. You may have to make peace with the fact that your child will have some amount of screen time. But how to make sure that this screen time is safe and productive for your child?

We have put together tips for you to help you out, when taking decisions about your child’s screen time.

Problem with Screen Time and Internet

The internet is largely Ad based, and while your child is watching or playing a game suddenly a screen pops up with inappropriate advertising or content for your child. You really don’t want your child to be exposed to this content but at the same time don’t want to completely ban them from screen time.

How to find fun, safe online content for your kids?

Online mobile games are the most effective tools for combining fun and online learning. Learning through play has shown to have a positive impact on kids. Therefore, teachers and parents acknowledge and being use it as a source for quality screen time. One challenge for parents is to find educational games which kids also love without getting bored too soon. Most educational games are perceived to be less of a game and more of boring school work by kids. Kids don’t want to replace the casual games they often play with these educational games.

Second challenge is to ensure these games don’t have Ads or inappropriate content.

Safe Advertising free learning games which kids never get bored off! Really?

There are 2 possible ways to make educational games as fun as casual games (Like Subway Surfer, Candy Crush, Bike Racing etc). One option would be to design games exactly like casual games, so that kids would enjoy the gameplay. The second option would be to put the learning into these casual games. Moreover, online learning with mobile games is kids favourite activity. They understand it as play and this instantly excites them and increases their motivation to learn.

How do I find these games?

Look for the below points in the games you download:

The game should have gameplay which your kids normally like to play.
The game should not have any advertising. Look at their description to see if they mention “No Ads”
Read the reviews and ratings
Show the gameplay video (if there is any) to your child to see if she/he likes it.

If your child likes what she/he sees, then go ahead and download the game.

We at SKIDOS build a learning games platform which follows the above points. It includes more than 24 safe, fun learning games. We add new games every month. In addition, games does not have advertising or violent content, they are designed as casual games kids love and have received a lot of positive feedback from parents around the world.

We encourage you to try a few of our games and give us your feedback to support@skidos.com

You can find our games in Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Dec 28

2

Have online games changed the way schools teach?

By admin | Education, Gamification | No Comments

Online games are playing major role in children’s daily life. Teachers have always been struggling to grab the attention of their students. This is and has always been the biggest challenge in the classroom. Children are overwhelmed with a lot of information flow from all sides. This naturally leads to a drop in their attention span.
When it comes to acquiring new knowledge, there are few crucial points to think about.

Attention Span of the Child!

When a new learning concept is introduced, attention span of the child plays a key factor in understanding the concept. There are many experts who believe that children who pay attention in the early adoption phase of a new concept, tend to remember and understand the concepts better. Another crucial point is when practicing the use of the new concept. This is when a theory becomes alive.

Teachers wanting to achieve better results with their students need to be creative. Look for innovative and attention-grabbing techniques of teaching and be patient of course.

This is the reason why many teachers have adopted game-based learning. According to many articles and researches gaming or gamification is the leading technique in engaged learning and intuitive problem-solving.

Gaming is not a new teaching technique. It has always been a part of it in one way or another. Game designers are inspired to solve the attention problem with their gameplay concepts. In other words, they learn from teachers problems and look for ways to help.

Online games can be good!

Online games include not only problem-solving questions but also social aspects. Many games have gameplay interactions, discussions or competition with other players where social skills are used. Data shows that often children adopt gameplay strategies in real life. And refer to them as a navigating point when they have to solve a real-life problem.

Online games for kids for the last few years have a tremendous positive impact on children’s learning process. This is the reason why teachers use educational mobile games as a supplement to the school curriculum. In addition to that, parents have great use of educational games to assist kids who are under homeschooling programs.

Teachers understand the importance of fun!

Teachers have realized that lessons need to be relevant and attractive to their students. They successfully include game/play interaction in the learning process. Many schools are already using games on BYOD tablets/iPads to supplement lessons and the results are great. Especially when it comes to the new tech generation kids. Children that experience difficulties with concentration (ADHD) or anxiety have shown progress in class thanks to game-based learning.

Teaching in school should be relevant with the time we live in. School teaching should also include critical thinking, questioning the concepts, applying them to new concepts to co-create new knowledge.

Ultimately schools should teach how ideas can be generated, navigated and executed.In the era of constant change, where the speed of innovation has no limits, our children have to get the best out of school education. School teachers understand the need for online games to help children be up to date with the time we live in. Therefore, both will go hand in hand in the future education.

Dec 14

2

Improve your child’s math with SKIDOS

By admin | Education, News, Parenthood, Skidos | No Comments

Ever wondered if there were fun ways to improve your child’s math skills? Can there be something beyond the boring old classroom? SKIDOS learning games are your answer.

Why choose SKIDOS?

SKIDOS games are designed to engage kids with fun characters and interesting levels. These will encourage them to practice more and learn from the feedback without the pressure to score top grades.

But it’s not all just games. We understand that each child has a unique learning need. Our learning content is customized to meet each child’s individual skill level. This helps them to progress at their own pace. Our team constantly gathers and monitors data on how kids perform with the learning games. As a result, we strongly feel that –

“The more kids play – the more they learn”

SKIDOS improves your child’s maths

Mathematics is a primary concern for parents and teachers. Most kids dread numbers. Teachers and parents are often at a loss about how to make them interested. SKIDOS helps make math fun.

Our data shows (refer graph below) that kids improve their accuracy in math when they play more. As illustrated, the more questions they answer, the better their accuracy becomes.

Levels represent the difficulty of the questions asked. Children in Level 1 (4-5 years old) enhance overall accuracy. They improve basic counting, and simple addition and subtraction with visual and audio tools in the games. Children receive feedback based on their answers which improves their accuracy by up to 3%.

As the levels get harder, children continue to improve their accuracy by bigger margins.

By the time they reach Level 3, children improve their accuracy by more than 20% (refer below graph). This improvement continues as the levels get harder and the number of questions increase.

Our collected data, regular school visits and feedback from teachers and parents all indicate that children who play SKIDOS games show visible improvement while having fun with math. So, next time your kids demand more game screen time, be sure that SKIDOS will give them the best game-based learning experience .