The Best Educational Roblox Games for Science Loving Kids
In the vast world of Roblox, there are many different game styles. From RPGs to obbys, your kiddo is sure to find something they love to play. However, one category tends to be less popular — educational games.
But why? Kids love to learn (really, they do). But after a full week of school, most children are not jumping at the chance to play these overtly educational video games. They want to relax and have fun. Take a brain break.
Kinjo believes there are loads of Roblox games with learning and life skills practice (just check out the Kinjo app for some of our top recommendations). And we love analyzing the challenges in these non-traditional-educational games.
But there are some Roblox games that find a good mix of fun and (more explicit) learning. And today we’re going to explore two of them — the Roblox science games Mission: Mars and Pathogen Patrol.
Mission: Mars
Is your child interested in space and engineering? Point them to Mission: Mars!
In this Roblox game (developed by the Boston Museum of Science and Filament Games), players design their own Mars Rover to complete missions on the Red Planet’s surface.
- What should they customize to help them jump over a large canyon?
- Do they need to add parts to help them search for water under the surface?
- Why did the last mission fail and what needs to be changed for future success?
This game requires a lot of critical thinking skills. And since the game mechanics and design are based on real-life NASA data, it’s easy to see how this game can translate into real-life problem-solving skills.
One quick note — playing this game on a tablet is tricky. It’s especially hard to control the rover, and that may frustrate some kids right off the bat. They’ll get the hang of it after a while. But, if possible, we recommend playing Mission: Mars on a computer.
What your child can learn from Mission: Mars
Your child can learn a ton of academic and life skills from this Roblox game!
Outside of the critical thinking skills we’ve already mentioned, this game is a great introduction to engineering basics. So much of engineering is building and testing, and then re-building when you inevitably fail. And Mission: Mars puts the perseverance required in engineering disciplines right into the game.
Want to really bring all these skills home? Download the game’s Educator Guide! This guide is perfect for homeschooling families or for setting up a weekend project.
Inside the guide, you’ll find hands-on engineering and math activities, as well as mission logs and follow-up questions. There’s also a nifty vehicle crafting manual to help you figure out the best way to design your rover for each mission.
Even if your child balks at worksheets or traditional instruction, they can still enjoy the learning found in Mission: Mars!
Pathogen Patrol
If your child enjoys action-packed adventures, suggest they check out Pathogen Patrol!
This educational game (created by Project Lead the Way) takes players into the human body. The mission — fight off deadly pathogens that cause infections.
When your child starts the game, they are taken through 3 different tutorials explaining both the game mechanics and the types of white blood cells they can choose to fight with. The learning can come on a little strong here, but it’s all important information for completing your missions.
As players learn about the different types of white blood cells they’re also battling hordes of incoming bacteria and viruses. And while the game mechanics are fairly simple, keeping up with all the info to choose the best defense at the right time is tricky.
What your child can learn from Pathogen Patrol
So many things!
As we mentioned, the tutorials take you through a lot of learning. Your child will discover the names of different white blood cells — like dendritic and macrophage — and what they do. Pathogen Patrol will also teach how the body responds to infection.
There’s also a lot of big-picture learning going on. The human body is a complicated system. The game breaks it all down into fun bits of info, but they don’t shy away from the complexity of it either.
Even playing this game as an adult, we had to work hard to remember what each cell’s primary function was. And then keep in mind the likely next steps while fighting our microscopic battles. This strategic thinking creates many great learning moments for kids (and adults alike)!
Not Every Kid Will Love Educational Roblox Games
At Kinjo, we know some kids reject overtly educational gameplay. If you have one of those kids, don’t worry! We chose to focus on these games because they’re also a lot of fun.
But if they start playing these science games and can’t get past the heavily educational tutorials, remind them that every game has a learning curve. Reading the descriptions and use of each cell is no different than learning the stats of their favorite Pokemon. This information helps them choose the best character for the job.
If your kid is still wary, don’t push it. Yes, the more educational games are nice. And it’s much easier to see the explicit learning in these — meaning less screen time worries. But there’s still loads of learning in many of their favorite Roblox games too.
And that’s why we made Kinjo — to help your child choose the best games for learning. And to help parents see the learning that’s already happening when they play.
Use Kinjo to Find Even More Learning in Games Kids Love
With Kinjo, it doesn’t matter whether or not your child is on board with educational games like Mission: Mars and Pathogen Patrol. We’re here to give you all the info you need to feel good about your child’s Roblox play.
You can check out our blog to explore the many skills your child is learning as they game. Or find more quality game recommendations that kids love to play.
And if your child has a Kinjo account, you can boost their learning by doubling their rewards with our monthly subscription, Kinjo Plus! With Kinjo Plus your child gets double incentives to choose games with learning and you get weekly emails breaking down their gameplay. Each email details what they’re learning and how much challenge they’re seeking each week. It’s a lifesaver for busy families.
It’s time to ditch the screen time struggles with Kinjo.
