- The Internet has many family-friendly websites that include free holiday games. Some sites feature interactive games that help children develop math, reading or analytical skills. Other websites include games that enable children to practice keyboarding or develop eye-hand coordination. Many sites are free, although some may ask you to register your email address and set up a password. Here are a few websites that offer holiday-themed games appropriate for families to play together.
- No time to bake and decorate a gingerbread house? Make a virtual one at the BillyBear4Kids.com. If you live in a place that never gets snow at Christmas, you can still build a snowman--virtually--at Blackdog.net. You can also decorate a virtual Christmas tree on that website.
Like playing Hangman? Try your hand at Nutcracker Hangman at 12days.com. Play tic-tac-toe or checkers with an elf or challenge yourself to Christmas trivia at Merry-Christmas.com.
If you are looking for some offline fun, print out mazes shaped like Christmas trees or holiday bingo cards at Blackdog.net. - PrimaryGames.com is a great resource for kid-friendly online games for all holidays. On their Valentine pages you can help Romeo find his way through Shakespeare country to rescue Juliet or search for hearts hidden by Cupid. There's a valentine-themed memory match game, too, and a game where you try to catch floating Valentine cupcakes.
Apples4theteacher.com has heart-themed animated jigsaw puzzles and interactive word finds with Valentine themes. - Although it is heavy with advertising, Fupa.com has some unique online Easter games, including one where you help a rabbit improve his golf game and another where you line up Easter eggs. TheKidzpage.com has Easter-themed Mahjong and Sudoku, both which are played online. It also has spring-themed sliding puzzles and spot the difference games. At EasterFun.com, you can guide an Easter bunny through a maze or virtually decorate your own Easter eggs.
Children can enjoy painting without the mess at Happy-Easter.com, which allows them to color an Easter bunny with a virtual paintbrush and pots of paint.
Try to catch the Easter Bunny at TheHolidaySpot.com or go on a virtual egg hunt at AKidsHeart.com. - PBSKids.org has a number of Halloween games that include characters from their shows. Play a spooky game of Seek and Find with Ord from Dragon Tales. Arthur's friend Buster has a fun game called Alien Assembly Required on the website. Or play Crank It Up with D.W., a game that allows you to make and record spooky sounds using your keyboard.
At FunschoolKaboose.com, play Wack-o-Ween and help a cartoon witch chase ghosts away from her pumpkin patch. They also have printable maze and word searches with Halloween themes.
Test your knowledge with a spooky Halloween quiz at Kids.NationalGeographic.com or carve a virtual pumpkin at Ben & Jerry's Halloween website. Take a scary ghost walk at Meddybemps.com, where you can play table tennis with skeletons, see ghosts flying in the cemetery, meet a tooth fairy in the fairy ring, or help Frogwart cast some silly spells. - Internet sites can change their format or owners quickly. Some free sites might also run ads that you feel are inappropriate for your children. Review all sites before introducing them to your children and supervise while your child is playing games on them.
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