ABCya!
Common Sense says
A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this website.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that ABCYa! is an educational games website that organizes games by grade level (K-5) and subject categories, including letters, numbers, holiday games, and more. Games include arcade-style games that kids use arrow keys to play, word find games that can be played on screen or printed, racing games that can be played virtually against other players, typing games, and more. Some of the games may require a parent or teacher to read brief instructions, but most -- even for kids in younger grades -- are self-explanatory. The main page is a bit ad heavy. The games include one or two banner ads, vetted for appropriateness, and ads for any app versions of the site's games.
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User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
An educational game website
abcya is great
What's it about?
First, students select the appropriate grade level (K-5) from the home page. Then, they choose a category of games: Letters, Numbers, More (Shapes, Patterns, Geometry, Mouse Manipulation, and Art), Holiday, or Just for Fun. Next, kids tap on a game that looks interesting and read the instructions. Some games include grade levels within the game, so kids may need to choose their grade level again. A few games include multiplayer gaming, which requires kids to create a username to play. A passcode can be set on the games so that only kids within the same class or friends who know the passcode can access the same game. Gameplay may include the use of the mouse, arrow keys, keyboard, and printables.
Is it any good?
ABCYA! gives kids the freedom to choose from dozens of safe, educational games categorized in ways that even younger kids can probably begin to conceptualize why certain games are grouped with others. The site creators say they need to include some ads in order to keep the site free for all users, and the ads (other than on the main page), aren't terribly intrusive. Still, the prevalence of ads is the only downside to this otherwise well-organized, fun, and sticky educational gaming website.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about which games your kids like best and why. Help your kids explore other similar games on the site that approach different school subjects in the same gaming style that they enjoy most.
Talk to your kid about your family's screen time limits, even for educational game sites.
Website details
- Subjects: Math: addition, division, fractions, geometry, multiplication, numbers, patterns, subtraction
Language & Reading: following directions, letter or word recognition, phonics, reading, spelling
Arts: drawing
Social Studies: geography - Skills: Self-Direction: identifying strengths and weaknesses, set objectives
Thinking & Reasoning: deduction, logic, solving puzzles - Genre: Educational
- Price: Free
- Pricing structure: Paid, Free (Subscribe to use an ad-free version: $6.99/month for access on up to three devices.)
For kids who love learning online
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.