Remember how, some time ago, I made a list of 15 Games for Girls of all Ages? Now, for the first time ever and after having written 320 articles on Ladiesgamer.com myself, I would like to give the pen this time to guest blogger Sarah Dyson. Sarah runs her own blog Parents guide to gaming and has made a list of five MMO games for all ages.
Massive Multiplayer online games or MMO games are now for all ages. While playing these games players can interact with the environment and other players. There are several safety features to take into account before letting your child play these games. Each of these games are designed for specific age groups yet any age can enjoy playing them, and benefit from what they have to teach us.
1.Animal Jam by National Geographic (http://www.animaljam.com/home) is appropriate for ages 4 to 10, but in some cases adults have been known to play just because it’s absolutely adorable. Animal Jam is a browser based game, it can be played on both Windows and Mac browsers. The team at National Geographic has designed this game to not only teach children about animals and their habitats, but it also teaches teamwork and social skills. This game allows players to play their favorite animal while completing task and dressing their character up in awesome gear. There is a great safety response team (http://dailyexplorer.animaljam.com/?cat=18) that monitors chat. If Animal Jam rules are broken the player is banned for a period of time. This game also supports safety and respect among other online gamers.
2.ToonTown https://www.toontownrewritten.com once owned by Disney is a wonderful game for 7 to 13-year-old. Of course, this game is great for younger children if parents are playing on joining in on the fun. If you ever wanted to be a cute bunny with your own garden and adorable house, then this game is for you or your child. As you make your way through the game, you notice that cogs have taken over Toon Town. Your job is to rid the city of cogs with your personal gags. With the help of friends, you can defeat entire building allowing shopkeepers to return to the city. This game is perfect for all ages. The chat is monitored very well and requires email authorization to work. If authorization is never made the only chatting going on is emojis. It is fun to join forces with another toon who are working towards their next gag. Several skills can be enhanced while playing this game such as teamwork, resilience, creativity, and strategy. The player must strategize how they will take on the cogs; he must also call upon friends to help if he is not strong enough to defeat them. Toon Town is a browser based game and can be played on either a PC or Mac.
3.Disney Infantry 3.0 (https://infinity.disney.com/home) is a massive game with astounding content it’s appropriate for ages 10 and up unless parents are totally into Star Wars. This game has just about everything that Disney and Pixar have created. The unlimited action, creativity, and innovations that have taken place in this game are absolutely amazing. Kids and adults get the opportunity to create and interact with every Disney characters, Pixar characters, Marvel hero, and now star war characters Disney Infantry 3.0 allows children to experiences creativity, imagination, teamwork and leadership skills. Kids can create new levels for friends to complete; they can also battle in different kinds of vehicles throughout the game. Infantry 3.0 game can be played on PC, Playstation 3 and 4, WiiU, and Xbox 1 and 360. Disney has gone a step further by allowing game play on handheld devices such as iPad and Android tablets.
4.Wizard*101* is an awesome game appropriate for ages 10 to 16. If parents are playing with their children, this game is appropriate for younger children as well. This game is a great form of entertainment for the entire family. Wizard 101 is a massive multiplayer game for children; it provides social interaction with an easy to learn design or user interface. Parents will have the opportunity to observe their children learning a new skill of spatial recognition and object manipulation. You can also engage in creative conversations with your children in regards to how the game relates to real life situations. For example in Wizard 101 your child can start a garden, and own a pet that are related to real life responsibilities and can be applied to real life situations. Wizard 101 can be played on PC and Mac download a free copy here.
5.DC Universe https://www.dcuniverseonline.com/home is a great game appropriate for ages 13 to 17 due to its mild language, violence, and suggestive content this game is for older teen unless parents play with their children. This game allows players to be their favorite superhero. Ever wanted to fly like Superman or swing from your web as Spiderman did, then this game has it all. Although the game offers the player to save victims, put out fires it also allows players to work as a team. Teamwork is a significant skill required in everyday life. This game will offer skill enhancements such as responsibility, reliability, resilience, and creativity to reach certain achievements within the game. With quick wit and some ingenuity the player can become a very powerful hero within the game in no time. DC Universe can be played on PS 3 and 4, and PC. It is cross-platform that may be more appealing to teens who want to play with their real life friends.
Finally, a bit more about Sarah:
Sarah enjoys gaming, and all it has to offer and she has been gaming for 25 years. It has been consisted mainly of Massive Multi-Player Online Role Playing Games or MMORPGs. She has played games on all platforms (i.e. consoles, personal computers, and handheld devices). Sarah has a Masters degree in information technology and project management and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in social psychology. She believes that gaming is fun, and it can benefit your child’s processing speed coordination, multi-tasking, and risk analysis. She realized that gaming is a form of entertainment and relaxation for children; however, parents may not fully understand the role that games play in their children’s life.
Find Sarah on: Twitter https://twitter.com/sarahmdyson
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Gamingguideforparents/
Can I make a confession? I played Toontown on and off since I was like 12. In fact… I was playing it a little bit earlier this year. Nostalgia is a powerful thing.
Indeed it is! The older you get, the more powerful the memories of your youth are!