| Computers are all the rage today for people of all ages including children. There are many different types of software that you can choose from when it comes to picking something for your children to enjoy on the computer. Depending on the age bracket of your children your child ll have to take some time to choose software that does what you want it to do……
Software For Your Kids:
For the younger child aged three to five there is software that features some of their favorite television characters such as Dora the Explorer or Bob the Builder. Your children will be both entertained and educated as they play games, learn the alphabet, and learn to count. Software for very young children is easy for them to play so that your child re not always coming to their assistance whenever they press a wrong key.
Software for older children aged five to ten has even more interactive features than software for the younger child. You can buy software that is exclusively for learning and software that will only provide entertainment. Most software comes with a rating to let you know that it does not contain any material that is inappropriate for children. Some types of software for this age group of children include puzzle games, software for learning a second language, math and science software, video game software, software for the artist, and software that allows your child to connect with the internet and play games with other children around the world.
Software For Teens:
There are software programs for your teen that are educational as well as fun and that they can use to enhance their schoolwork.
With so many different software choices out there how do you know that you are making the right choices? Check out some of the parental listings that can be found on the internet. Many parent websites will offer you advice and ratings for much of the new software that comes out each month. This way you can be assured that other parents are approving a certain piece of software before you make your purchase.
Keep in mind that you should always limit the amount of time that your children spend on the computer. Children should be encouraged to spend just as much time playing outdoors as they do playing and learning on the computer.
Different Categories of Computer Games:
Computer games can be categorized mainly into PC games that are played in your computer after installation using the CDs that contain the software, downloadable pc games, and the online games. Many websites provide you with the downloadable version of the PC games.
Category based on permission to use
The games can be categorized based on licenses. Some of the games are free and they can be downloaded on the internet free. Some pc games are free downloadable games but are shareware. Shareware games have limitations in the features. Some of the shareware can be used for only 30 days time and some are limited by the number of times that software is used. Trial versions of the software are also available which are time limited or feature limited.
Online games: Online games are those that are played online. The user who is playing the online games should have an internet connection in his PC. You should be aware that your internet bill is on the rise during the time you play the online games. Yahoo games are one among the popular online games. Many websites provide you online games. Some of the sites require you to become a member to play these online games. Some charge you on per game basis for playing.
Pc games: PC Games are those that require an installation through a CD to play the pc games. Some of the games even require the CD to be present in the CD drive to play the game. These software CDs are to be purchased by the user. There are many pc games available like Tomb Raider that requires you to purchase the CD. Most of the games that contain Car races and Motorbike races require the software to be installed through the CD bought by you.
Downloadable Pc games: These games can be downloaded from the internet and can be installed in your computer. Most of the free game downloads are small enough to be downloaded from the internet. There websites like www.download.com that can be searched for free game downloads. A good search engine would give you thousands of links to free downloadable games.
What you need in your PC to play these games?
Most of the games can be played without any additional hardware. If you are having the latest configuration of the PC, which has the software pre-installed in your computer, then you might not need any additional software to be installed. Some of the online games require you to install plug-ins to run the online games. Plug-in is additional software that is required to run an application in your computer. You will be provided appropriate links to download the plug-ins required by your browser or your computer. You need to check the system requirements for the computer games that is downloaded or installed in your system and install them before you start playing the game. | 
