Virtual Earth

Free virtual pet games are becoming increasingly popular. They can be downloaded to your computer or played on websites. These games allow you to create virtual pets, like real-life pets, that lives on your computer or in cyberspace. These can usually be created to look and act like a real life animal, or you can go with more creative creatures including unicorns and dragons.

These virtual pet games are great fun. Like real pets they will have their own personalities, and will depend on you to take care of them. With love and affection they will grow from babies into adults, and you can also have fun with them by playing some of the many games offered by the different services.

When it comes to finding the right virtual pet game you can start by checking out some of the free online services. These are websites offering virtual creatures as well as a whole virtual world for you and your pet to explore. Many of these websites are visited by thousands of users, and you will also be able to interact with these users as well as your pet.

Virtual pet games are very popular due to the fact that just about every human loves taking care of their own pet. Try signing up to a free virtual pet website to get started, or buying a game and installing it to your computer. The process of creating your first pet is so simple, but they will bring you hours of enjoyment in the future. These games are great for young children as it teaches them the responsibility of raising a pet.

There are a huge number of educational computer games for kids. Some are online, some are designed for PC or consoles. This page focuses on some of the games with a science or medical element.

Kids love doctor, nurse and hospital games. As they get older, some will become interested in the science of health care and medicine. Treating sick animals in veterinary simulation games will engage children from a very young age and is another way to encourage an interest in science based learning.

Veterinary Games

Vet games are one of the most popular genres of simulation games on the net with an ever growing number of titles. Some vet games are highly realistic and follow the kinds of procedures a real vet adopts. Other games are aimed at younger children and foster a concern for the welfare of animals.

Legacy Games

Legacy have produced some of the most successful vet games and achieved wide popularity with Zoo Vet and Farm Vet. These games appeal most to young teens. In each game there are a wide range of animals to treat. Emphasis is on patient diagnosis followed by the correct selection and application of treatments.

In Zoo Vet, for example, there are several ways to examine each animal ranging from an ophthalmoscope to an x-ray machine. The animal can be monitored with a blood oxygen meter, a stethoscope and a thermometer. There are blood, urine and bacterial tests to administer. Diagnosis is made in a question and answer format with children entering the results of tests and eventually being led to a diagnosis. After this, treatment can begin. This might be the administration of medication or even surgery. For each successful treatment the player receives rewards like an office upgrade or an accolade.

Farm Vet follows a similar pattern of game play but also includes a large 3D world for the player to explore. There is also more emphasis on playing with the animal between treatments.

Paws and Claws

There are several titles available in the Paws and Claws series from Valusoft (for PC). They involve running a veterinary clinic in a variety of setting. Some settings are town based, some countryside based. Each has a large virtual world. There is less emphasis on strictly scientific investigation of animal illnesses and more on creating and running a clinic. Even so, there are many animals in need of simple treatments. Paws and Claws is suitable for younger children than the Legacy Games but has hooked many parents as well!

Petz Vet

This game is part of the popular Petz series and offers the chance to care for sick animals with problems like a broken leg, sunburn or asthma

Online Vet Games

There is range of games for online players. These are suitable for all ages with the emphasis much more on care, grooming and organizational skills (in a busy clinic, for example). There is a link below for online vet games.

Operation Games

Moving to the world of human medicine, there are many excellent online games available. Some of the best come from the Edheads team and have titles like’ Virtual Knee Surgery’ and ‘Deep brain Stimulation’. These offer realistic operations in a cartoon-like format which are fact packed and engaging. The games come with teacher’s notes and supporting material for use in an academic environment but teenagers find the games engrossing and will play them without any encouragement from educators!

There are also a number of heart surgery games from various charities and educational organizations.

A link for operation games can be found at the foot of this article.

PC Games with a Medical Theme

Medical simulation games have titles like 911 Paramedic. Hospital Tycoon, Sarahs’s Emergency Room and Theme Hospital. Each has a particular focus. The Paramedic game is from Legacy games and has a diagnose, monitor and treat format. Hospital Tycoon and Theme Hospital are more comic than serious as you try to manage a large hospital and deal with (often difficult) patients and staff. Sarah’s Emergency Room follows a nurse as she progresses through her first year in her job.

‘The Sims’ also offer a hospital game- but only in Sims 2. In ‘The Sims 3 Lifetime Wishes’ game, you can pursue the life and career (amongst many options) of World Renowned Surgeon!

Will these games encourage Children to be Vets, Doctors or Scientists?

They can certainly help you identify kids who have scientific interests. There is also plenty for kids to learn about important areas of life.