Ideal Bite

Eco-themed Video Games

Wanna sign up your kids for better video games?

10.02.2009

Submitted by alara on Thu, 10/01/2009 - 11:00pm.

The Bite:

Here: Get wired to online games about the planet. Role playing games (RPGs), where kids take on parts like island natives or explorers, are a fun, interactive way to introduce them to stuff like climate change and endangered animals. Even better: These picks use their virtual worlds to fund eco-causes in the present.

The Benefits:

Calling out change. These in-game activities translate to real-world actions - for example, track virtual polar bears online, and the org behind the games will support Arctic habitat protection. (Yes, really.)
Enrolling kids' brains. The stories, plants, and animals in these RPGs are based on real-life environmental issues and species, so in the course of playing, kids'll learn about repairing and sustaining actual ecosystems.

Wanna Try:

For kids, youngest to oldest:

Elf Island - nonprof-sponsored, free online game where players (elves) complete eco-quests that result in real-world results; so once your kid plants 20,000 virtual fruit trees, someone in Niger plants 2,000 real fruit trees; ages 4-8.
Emerald Island - free, downloadable game where players are island natives questing to reverse the eco-damage wrought by pirats (pirate rats); earn points by growing plants, etc.; one tree planted for every child who plays; ages 6-10.
Planet Green Game - free online game where players cruise the virtual town of Evergreen, completing challenges to reduce CO2 emissions and slow global warming; sponsored by Starbucks and Global Green USA, with links for taking further action; ages 10-18.

Timeout

Mama Bite Editor Alison didn't really play video games as a kid - D&D wasn't even on her radar in the '80s - but she'd let her 1-year-old, Roxane, play these if she were old enough.

Bang For The Bite

If 10,000 Mama Biters encourage their kids to play an eco role playing game instead of a conventional one, we'll help plant 10,000 trees in deforested regions around the world and teach bitty Biters about global ecosystems.

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Laura on October 02, 2009 at 07:53 AM 1

Our 7 year old doesn't get to watch TV or play the computer very often, but I am really excited to let him play these! I am going to forward the information to his school and maybe they'll be able to incorporate these into their computer program. Great Tip!!

Perry Peck on November 06, 2009 at 05:50 AM 2

Wow this is very cool. My 8 year old and 11 year old kids are on the web all day and are playing games that are not exactly educational. So thank you for taking the time and finding these green games that are free and fun and express my feelings for greener environment. Great Post!

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