 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
PrimaryGames
Common Sense Media says
Ads more primary here than the games.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this site is chock full of ads. There is a banner ad at the top, a banner along the side, and a smaller ad along the bottom of each page. They aren't just static ads, either; they move, flash and are generally distracting. What is more annoying are the occasional interstitial ads that pop-up when you click on a game you want to play. The ad pops onto the screen and stays there while your game is loading, forcing exposure to the ad -- you can't just close a window like you can with a "regular" pop-up. There are "pop-under" ads that arrive, too, silently lurking behind your main browser window. The games themselves are fun, if you can concentrate on them with all the flashing adware competing for your attention.
What's it about?
Created by an educator, this site aims to please kids from pre-K to fourth grade. It's arranged by subject area. There's a section for math, science, language arts, social studies, and more. A handy curriculum guide helps you choose appropriate games for each grade level. There are many other puzzles, including matching games, word searches, and sliders. Other parts of the site include printables like award certificates and coloring pages.
Is it any good?
This site has created and licensed some entertaining games, but the downside is the over-the-top emphasis on ads, which cost the site at least one star in this review. In the Social Studies section, for example, you can try your hand at solving a strategy puzzle with Diego Smart. Unfortunately, the game is sponsored by a company that also tries to sell you a digital camera or printer after your game is over.
Some of the games, however, involve less advertising. In the math section there's "Da' Numba'," for example. The Tetris-like object is to click on falling tiles that add up to the target number. The clever part is that certain combinations unleash special sounds and animations, such as the "Numba Rumba." It's cute and helps kids learn to do fast mental math.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about having ads on educational sites. Do you think it distracts from learning? If a site needs to have ads, what's a good way to keep them subtle?
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AGE
Fine for online, but watch the downloads!
The games on here are mostly fantastic, but my son just asked to download a Dora Carnival game. I checked out the site and it looked fine, so I told him to go ahead. When we opened it to install it, the game actually came from WildTangent, and that's a site with frequent virus problems. NO WAY am I going to let him install something from WildTangent. Primary Games needs to sponsor different sites.
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AGE
I Love this Website!
I love this website. It is loaded with really cool, and fun games. :)
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AGE
Creationism, not science
The science section contains no true science. It is simply creationism hiding under a claim to be scientific. Suggestions that man and dinosaurs might have roamed the world together. Children should not be exposed to this rubbish.
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AGE
Good, but links to other sites.
This is a good website for kids, but it also has links to Miniclip, ArcadeTown, KewlBlox, and Novel Games.
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AGE
Primary Games
I thought that there was too much ad's but in all, it was really educational and appropriate for all ages!
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| Genre: | Gaming |
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