While almost everyone was on a vacation for the Holy Week, my family and I decided to just have a nice, quiet, and restful time staying at home. Because there was no school or work for the week-long holiday, we thought it would be a good opportunity for us to enjoy some fun activities indoors as a family.
One of the most fun things we did was playing online games. I have two kids – ages 7 and 2 – and they play educational games on their iPad once in a while. But this was the first time that we all played online games together, and it was just such a wonderful way for us to have a great time while also learning together.
Because we love food, we decided to visit the Culinary Schools website, which has hundreds of games in various categories such as sports games, arcade games, and more. There are plenty of games for both children and adults, but because I was playing with my kids, we chose games that are appropriate for their ages and interests. Here are some of their favorites:
Baby Supermarket
This game lets kids learn about different kinds of food inside a supermarket, and then they match the name of the food to the photo of the food.
Because it’s such an easy game, it’s perfect for younger kids. My toddler had fun identifying the food items and felt a sense of accomplishment whenever she got the answers right! She always comes with us whenever we shop in the grocery, so in playing this game, she felt like she was getting to relive her experiences whenever we are at the supermarket.
Ice Cream
Name a kid who doesn’t love ice cream, I challenge you! My kids are crazy about ice cream, so they also enjoyed playing this game wherein they get to follow the photos and the steps to make ice cream cones for the customers. It teaches them how to count (e.g. how many scoops of the green ice cream should they put?) and also to follow instructions carefully.
Kids Coloring Book
Kids love coloring (I know mine does!) and there’s nothing like using paper and crayons. But if you want to change it up a bit, this game gives them an entirely different coloring experience. Here, they get to select a black and white photo, then use a pencil, paint brush, and paint to color it. It’s also so cool that you can save and download your finished artwork on your computer! It’s a simple game, but I was surprised that the next day, when my toddler saw me in front of my laptop, she said, “Mama… color please?” referring to the coloring game!
Tasty Kingdom
This game reminded my kids of Mario Brothers, which they really like. In this game, they needed to collect healthy food like fruits, avoid ‘enemies’ like a venus flytrap, and jump over gaps and platforms. My 7-year-old had a blast playing this! It was exciting, but also educational because of the in-game food tips and information that pop up mid-game. It’s a fun way for kids to learn about healthy eating habits, as well as food to avoid and why to avoid them.
Hidden Food
This is a game that even I as an adult enjoyed playing. Players need to find the hidden objects before the timer runs out, before moving on to the next level. It starts off easy, then as you move to the succeeding levels, there are more objects shown on the photo, and it gets more difficult to locate the missing photos. I almost got dizzy looking for the hidden items, but I loved it because I was so up for the challenge! It was interesting playing this with my kids because I liked observing how patiently they would look for the items instead of throwing in the towel right away.
While you can find a multitude of food-related games in this website, they also have other non-food subjects.
Spot The Difference
I loved playing this game as a kid (on paper), so it was so cool to be able to play this game with my kids this time, only in digital form. There are two photos flashed on the screen and the goal was to spot 7 differences in the photos in one minute or less to unlock the next stage. My older daughter kept wanting to play this game over and over again. It was just the right amount of easy and tricky, and it really trained her to be observant and to notice the little details.
Easter Egg Hunt
And because Easter is coming up in a few days, and my kids are super excited to go on an Easter egg hunt, they wanted to play this game on my laptop. They had to find 10 egg outlines before the timer runs out, and when they successfully complete each level, they get to unlock a new one. This game may seem like a piece of cake, but we were surprised that finding some of the egg outlines was actually pretty challenging, and sometimes, we had to ask for ‘hints.’ I should also mention that this game is so inviting because the scenes are so pretty! We would gush at the dainty pastel colors, the gorgeous flowers, and all the lovely and feminine details!
Final Thoughts
This long holiday break was all about relaxation and family time, and we were able to enjoy both as we played with the games in the Culinary Schools website. We’re always so busy with our day-to-day responsibilities, and spending time with my kids as we explored these games and exercised our brains was really refreshing. Check out the Culinary Schools website for more games that will keep you and your little ones entertained at home for hours!
