Yahoo Games

For kids, summer is freedom, fun, and friends. They look forward to summer throughout the entire fall, winter, and spring, and, when it arrives, they embrace the many opportunities with open arms and lit up faces; for about two days. Then the complaints start. And the most grumbling that is done is 'Mom I'm bored!' Instead of suggesting to your child to clean his room or something equally productive (because you already now that won't work), or answering with one of the many colorful words that are rapidly filling your mind (bet you didn't even know you knew how to say that in French!), try this.

Sit the little angels down in front of the computer, and introduce them to Yahoo games. Your summer blues will be over. Yahoo offers hundreds of games ranging from educational all the way to mind-numbing (but time consuming) repetition. No need for parental controls on these games, either. There is no inappropriate content, violence, or language.

Online and Offline Yahoo Games

Yahoo games can either be played on or offline. Have your kids try a few to see which ones they really like, and then download their favorites onto your computer. For members not yet familiar with Yahoo, here's how to get onto your Yahoo games. Go to Yahoo's home page (not the e-mail page, and not the chat pages). In the middle of your screen there should be an alphabetized list of the different options Yahoo offers. Click on games, and this will bring you to the whole gamut of games available to you. Yahoo offers hundreds of well-designed games that are full of colors and sounds, and are highly inter- active. These games put all your senses to work! Whether you are looking to challenge your mind through logic and puzzle solution, or practice hand-eye coordination, reflexes, and stamina, Yahoo delivers what you want.

Yahoo games are divided into several categories including holiday, puzzle, word, card, arcade, board, video and other. Yahoo even offers a version of Solitaire you can play right on your cell phone! Here's a look at just a few of the choices they offer.

Yahoo Puzzle Games

Alchemy: a fun puzzle in which you must carefully place symbols on your board in a proper order. Tiles must match every piece around them in either color or symbol. Fill rows to turn them gold, and clear the symbols from the board. The level is complete when all of the squares are turned gold. Alchemy requires you to constantly be checking yourself, thinking two steps ahead, and planning for future moves. Difficulty level increases quickly in this game, so watch out. The no time limit aspect lessens the challenge greatly, but the complexity of the game soon makes up for it!

Cubis Gold: the graphics on this game are nice change from the flat screen images of most games, but the between rounds statistics are far too slow for the fast-pace style this is intended to be. The challenge, and it is quite a challenge, is to maneuver cubes of the same color into rows of three to clear the board. Cubis Gold is a three-dimensional board, and, therefore, allows for piles of cubes to be made. This feature gets really tricky when you're trying to clear the board and you're not sure what color cube is on which level!

Hexalot: a deceivingly tricky game. The first board is sure to bore you to tears, but from then on, this game of carefully thought out movement gets more and more intense.

Yahoo Word Games

Text twist: Not your typical word-hunt, Text Twist works off of a list of very uncommon words that are tricky and difficult to recall. If you're looking to increase your vocabulary (and you're not afraid of getting frustrated!) this game provides just such an opportunity. After just a few rounds of Text Twist, your child's vocabulary is sure to develop.

Bookworm: is a fun word search game. Yahoo has thrown in a few surprises (like burning tiles, and golden bonus blocks) to add a little spice to an already fun time.

Yahoo Card Games

If you're into card games, Yahoo offers a plethora of options that will keep you busy forever! Addiction Solitaire is by far one of the best card games out there. Ten solitaire games in one create a challenge that is truly unmatched. If you enjoy a regular game of solitaire, this one is sure to be true to its name, and become an addiction for you!

Pyramid: This is one of Yahoo's many chat room/game combos. A fun classic as always, though I'm not one for the chat room setup. (When I play solo, I want it to be solo!) Also, chat rooms are not filtered, so you may want to think twice before sending your kids into one of these rooms.

Yahoo Arcade-Style Games

If you're looking for fast pace, Yahoo has several arcade style games to choose from.

Diner Dash one and two are top picks. Race around trying to seat, serve, and clear up after the crowd of impatient customers at your diner. Earn stars to work your way up to being a five-star restaurant. But hurry, if you take too long, you'll lose your customers, and your stars!

Chicken Invader: great for fighter game lovers who are a little quirky. You're blasting through space shooting at flying chickens, and being sure to avoid falling eggs. Good luck! (If you're children enjoy this one, there is also Chicken Invader Christmas Edition.)

Other Games

Even Yahoo's Other category is filled with exciting and challenging entertainment.

Bounce Out: The pace of this game is also deceiving. It seems to be a slow-going Tetris-style game. In reality, though, the clock is ticking, as you slowly maneuver colorful balls into a row. The difficulty level on this game doesn't match the pace appropriately, and the randomness of the cascading balls leaves little room for logic or planning. If you're looking for a puzzler, maybe try Jewel Quest, Glinx or Gem Drop instead.

Jewel Quest

I saved my favorite game for last. Jewel Quest is by far one of the most addicting, entertaining, and challenging puzzle games on the market. Your brain will be doing somersaults until the very last moment. And when time runs out, often you see the painful reality that all that stood in the way of you and the next level was a single unturned tile. The pressure is enough to drive a man insane. This game is definitely worth getting hooked! (For more information and great codes, check out my favorite Yahoo games.

What are you waiting for? Visit Yahoo Games and let the summer vacation start for you too!