If your child can read, check out Adventure Academy (adventureacademy.com) as an engaging and educational alternative to video games or TV. Created by the same company that created ABC Mouse, which makes award-winning learning games for young children, Adventure Academy offers learning activities at an 2nd- to 7th-grade level. It is playable on computer, tablet, and phone, and tracks progress even if the child switches devices. Each account can host up to three children.
The Adventure Academy world is a role-playing game, where users customize an avatar and walk around in the environment using the mouse, arrow keys, or touchscreen. Topics covered include science, math, and English. It has high production value and much of the content is presented via short, high-quality videos or cartoons.
Word games are offered, such as fill-in-the-blank crosswords and a Boggle-like game. There are untimed quests, friends to talk to, rewards to earn, and much to explore. Production value is high and some of the text, such as placards in the science room, and narrated. If there is one complaint about the game, it’s the way that books are presented. They are scanned versions of real books — the font size is rather small and the books are not narrated, which could make it difficult for struggling reader
The game is $12.99 a month, but offers a free trial for the first month.