Typing Games Increase Coordination and Open Doors

Have you been looking for a kids' game-or better yet, a FREE kids' game-that will keep your student's hands busy after school when they're not working on their homework or playing outside? Your child can stay busy playing the exciting, arcade style games they love while priming their mind and tuning their typing skills.

Games like Cup Stacking (in which several pyramids of cups are highlighted with letters that must be typed in order into the keyboard) help your child to develop quick typing skills and trains pattern recognition skills and understanding of spatial organization. Each success will encourage your child to keep playing because the game works on a point scoring system and moves quickly through levels. Bright colors will stimulate your child's senses with an entertaining break from more mindless and less constructive video games and cartoon programs.

The Typing of the Ghosts, another online game, introduces your child to new words. By typing the word that appears on the ghost, your child tries to get the ghost before it catches up to their in-game character. Words of three to four syllables appear often, while numbers that appear allow your child to explore the layout of the number keys on his computer.

Getting your child acquainted with the keyboard early will build confidence and save time in the future. How much harder will that first big research paper be if they're struggling just to type on the computer? Typing skills are fundamental to just about every subject your child will take as they progress through school. Even some art classes use illustrating software that requires keyboard input.

But be sure your child spends adequate time away from the computer. Keep their hands busy with building blocks, model cars and sewing projects, all of which develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination. The right balance of computer assisted programs and good old fashioned hands-on projects will build habits and give your child hand to eye coordination that will serve them well in the modern classroom, office, and beyond.