• Online computer games offer children both fun and learning.Children with a laptop image by Elena Vdovina from Fotolia.com
  
  Many games on the market can help children learn and have fun at the same time---whether traditional or computer-based. But parents can now find free kids' games online as well. Educational games online give children a way to learn while being entertained, and they allow parents the chance to interact and help. Parents can keep their children ahead of the curve with one of the many free or paid online game available today. Here are just a few of the wide variety of online game sites designed especially for children.
  
  

KidsCom.com

• For free entertainment, kids can head over to KidsCom.com to try out a variety of games at no cost. In the "Cloud Dodge" game, kids can improve their hand-eye coordination by avoiding obstacles such as clouds that fall from the air. Children play as different types of plants they select at the beginning of the game. To help make sure children are clear of trouble online, KidsCom.com also offers a free game to teach children about the dangers of the Internet and test their knowledge of Internet safety. "Write Me a Story" is a game that challenges kids to make a short story after the KidsCom website gives them a few basic elements to work with.
  
  

Yahoo! Kids

• Yahoo! Kids is a free website where kids can play multiple games. Many of the games presented at Yahoo! Kids feature characters that children are familiar with, including Scooby Doo and the Prince of Persia. Children can also try their hand at sports games like "Backyard Sports." "Memory V" lets kids try to remember where various corresponding items are hidden on a board. Special themed games are available during all of the holiday seasons.
  
  

FunBrain.com

• FunBrain offers free games that combine engaging themes with learning. "Math Baseball" challenges kids to solve math problems in order that their baseball team can take swings and score runs against opponents. "Grammar Gorillas" asks children to earn bananas for their gorilla characters by figuring out what part of speech a particular word is. In "The Plural Girls," child players must help their characters solve a mystery by figuring out the plural forms of randomly given words.