3 Great Word Game Apps to Improve Children's Vocabulary

British children between the ages of 5 and 16 spend an average of 6 and a half hours a day using screens compared to roughly 3 hours back in 1995 according to research conducted by Childwise. While there are many steps educators and parents can take to try and reduce the amount of screen time children are subjected to, a different approach can also prove beneficial. Word games have always been popular among children and now technological advances have made it possible to play a variety of old-time classics and new creations on our beloved mobile devices.

Word games are extremely beneficial

Whether you design your own crossword and word search puzzles and print them or encourage the use of suitable mobile apps, children of all ages can benefit greatly from playing word games. Word games such as hangman, word search, and crosswords not only help with spelling but also improve the speed at which a child works. Other benefits include a boosted working memory, an extended vocabulary, and better problem-solving abilities. Word game apps, in particular, are also great for children who enjoy some competition as they usually have a competitive element to them that sees the players either compete against a timer or against other users from across the globe.

Pick the best word game apps for your students

With new apps being developed just about daily, it is often hard to distinguish between those that are conducive of educational growth and those that function as nothing but a mindless yet fun pastime. As a teacher, it is important to sift through the masses of apps to find those that have the most educational value. Whether you make use of PC’s, laptops or mobile devices, there is bound to be an app that will benefit your students in at least one area of learning.

Here are three of the best word game apps out there:

1) Word Beach

Word Beach is a fun and educational word puzzle game suitable for children and adults alike. The app has a lot of fun-filled features such as fun word games, word-connect games, and word puzzles. The various mini-games not only aim to improve the user’s vocabulary but also to better their spelling of both common and unusual words.  Although the puzzles start out very easy, it does increase in difficulty as you make your way through the various fun-filled and challenging levels. Word Beach can be downloaded free-of-charge for both iOS and Android devices.

2) Word Cookies

This popular app puts a modern-day spin on the classic word search games that have been loved for many decades. The interface is visually appealing and easy to use and boasts a ton of added features that make it especially appealing to younger players.  You simply swipe to connect alphabet cookies on a pan to form words. You can also earn extra coins by filling up a cookie jar with additional words. The game is free to download on Windows, iOS, and Android devices although in-app purchases are available to unlock extra features.

3) Alphabear

Alphabear is a game that is reminiscent of Scrabble, albeit with the inclusion of cute dancing bears. In the game, you need to spell words by selecting letters on a grid. Bears will appear when you use letters that are next to each other. The more letters you use within a certain area, the more points you earn and the bigger your bear gets. If you do well enough you can even win a bear of your own.  The app is free to download from the Google Play Store and iOS App Store and includes a number of in-app purchases for an enhanced gaming experience.

Word games can be as educational as they are fun. While nothing prevents you from playing old-fashioned pencil-and-paper games with your pupils, embracing new technology can take their game playing to the next level.

While the internet and mobile devices can be beneficial tools for learning and development, you might worry about what your children are doing online when you're not keep a watchful eye on them. Take a look at these 5 Tips to Keep Your Children Safe Online.