Friv in the Classroom

[catbob]

Anyone else's 9 year old playing Friv games at school? My son came home today saying they are allowed to play on Friv (playing shooting games amongst other things) when they've finished their work and having read a bit about it am not sure this is something they should be doing in school. It doesn't seem to be particularly educational and I just feel kids aren't in school to play computer games. He also seems to spend time at school looking at all sorts on YouTube and similar sites, supposedly in the name of learning Interested to know others' thoughts on this.

Welcome to the UK primary school system.

It's very different to 'when we were at school'

I'd rather they were taught the three Rs.

I don't like it because it has a 'girls' games category (look at index, all pink and doe-eyed) and I really don't like to see girls branded as 'other' quite so blatantly.

But, I doubt the pupils will have unfettered access to any game available on the site. What exactly have they been permitted to choose from?

I think properly selected on-screen activities, which could include games, are OK in the classroom, (and that does mean teachers need to be aware of content of everything a child could reach on the sites they permit them to use). Yes, I suppose I'd sneakily like to see them reading if they have time left over (because of how I value reading) but I don't have a problem if such time was used in drawing or other independent (quiet) activities and that does include screen-based ones.

Banned by the filters in our county.

I use it sometimes, there is a good problem solving game on there, where you have to push stuff around to solve a problem to finish the level. Not free choice though.

Yep they play friv at my kids school when DS1 came home aged 5 telling me he had played 'frig' at school it did make me

DC uses Friv4Schools both at school and at home. I've not spotted any "girls games" section, there are no adverts and it doesn't appear to link to other sites. DC likes puzzle games and logic based platform games, fri4schools seems to have plenty of both.

School seem to use friv games as a wet lunch activity or a reward activity.

Play it here to. Dc's play on it at home to, agree some games are quite educational.

The DCs play it at school I think it's a restricted version. At home they asked to go online I allowed it once but since then I've steered them towards other sites. Friv had lots of 'girls' games that were about putting on make up, using a face mask to remove spots etc and I just didn't want dd thinking that was her lot.

Had a look at Friv4Schools and it looks fairly harmless though a bit mindless. I suppose that's maybe a sign of me being old fashioned! I'm with scaevola and would rather see them reading or doing anything that doesn't involve computer technology and screens. They get enough of that outside school.

Yes here my son has friv