Because schools are so uptight about restricting their internet connections, sometimes genuinely educational sites are blocked. This includes internet games that stimulate the mind, teaching players about math, English, and all sorts of life topics.
Here’s a list of games you might be able to persuade your teacher to let you play – that is, if your school doesn’t block them already!
1. Countdown
This game is based off the British game show of the same name. You can play with letters or numbers. The goal is simple – you pick a bunch of letters (either vowels or consonants) or numbers (either “big” or “small” numbers) and the goal is to make words out of the letters, or, in the case of numbers, work out a calculation that produces a randomly generated three-digit number. It’s fun playing under the time limit, especially if your whole class does it.
[Link] http://www.subtangent.com/maths/countdown.php
2. Dots and Boxes
This is a fun, simple, logic-based game. You and the computer take turns to click on the space between two dots to connect them. The aim is to make a square, using you and/or your opponent’s lines. Each square you get awards a point, but each time you create a square you must take another turn, so be careful not to inadvertently allow your opponent to make a bunch of squares!
[Link] http://www.well.com/user/argv/java/dots.html
3. Immune System Defense Forces
Finally make biology lessons fun as you command an army of macrophages and dendrite cells to fight invading bacteria, whilst learning about the immune system at the same time!
[Link] http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/immunity/index.html
4. Word Wiz
As the letters fall, you have to remove them from the game by joining them up to make words. This is a great game for sharpening your memory and vocabulary. It plays just like Tetris, yet also improves your English skills – a winning combination.
[Link] http://www.thekidzpage.com/freekidsgames/games/wacky/wackywordwiz2.html
5. Super Mario Bounce
Initially, this may seem like just another platforming game, but it’s actually very strategic. The aim is to progress through each level in as few bounces as possible. If you jump too many times during a level, you’re dead! You can only beat the game by logically considering which places are best to bounce.
[Link] http://www.shegame.com/view/23417/Super-Mario-Bounce
6. Broken Calculator
If your calculator stops working during an exam, it’s probably best to ask to borrow one. Otherwise, this is a great game to test your mathematical intuition, plus your ability to use a calculator’s memory function.
[Link] http://www.subtangent.com/maths/broken-calc.php
7. enDice
One of the most entertaining puzzle games on the internet. You have to roll dice into all of the marked squares on the level. You can only roll a dice a certain number of times (indicated by the number on top of it) and you can push a die into another to roll them both simultaneously. Levels start out easy, but get very tough later on. Playing games like enDice will surely help you with your mathematical skills.
[Link] http://armorgames.com/play/2759/endice
8. Portal: The Flash Version
Portal is one of the most famous video games in existence, and for good reason. The game is built on a simple but amazing idea that offers substantial scope for a puzzle game – using two portals to maneuver your character. Again, this isn’t a mindless game. Only skill and logic will allow you to finish it.
[Link] http://armorgames.com/play/107/portal-the-flash-version
9. Othello
Othello, also known as Reversi, is a classic board game. The goal is simple – to turn over as many of your opponent’s pieces, leaving the majority of spaces on the board occupied by your own. You can play against the computer or your friends!
[Link] http://www.springfrog.com/games/othello/othello.htm
10. Bloxorz
Bloxorz is similar to enDice in that you need to maneuver logically objects through space. Unsure what that exactly means? Well, in Bloxorz you move a three-dimensional rectangle across a grid. Since it’s a rectangle, you need to consider how moving the shape onto its side or having stand up straight will affect your ability to move it through the level. Tell it to your teacher like that and they may sound impressed!
[Link] http://www.coolmath-games.com/0-bloxorz/index.html
Hopefully those games are allowed on your school computers. Enjoy.
