Mayan Mysteries {TOS Crew Review}

I don’t often let my children play games on the computer.  They never do so on my phone.  But recently we were allowed to review Mayan Mysteries from Dig-It! Games with the TOS Crew.  This is definitely an exception for me and a learning game which puts it more in the school category!

Dig-It! Games has created online games and apps to help your children learn.  Their main course is history with a side of puzzle solving, math, geography, and adventure!!  These games will keep your children entertained while also working their minds and broadening their horizon of learning.  Right now they have several free apps that you can download!

The online version of the games can be purchased for a single user or an entire classroom.  We were given the single user version of Mayan Mysteries to review.  My son who is 8 has enjoyed doing the game himself as well as with his daddy.  I’ve never been big on computer games myself but loved watching him learn!  In fact, we have had to have the whole family research and learn more about some of the artifacts and sites of the Mayan people he has learned as well as more about the Mayans themselves. 

Mayan Mysteries will introduce you to seven different unique Mayan sites.  While looking at these places you’ll face 25+ challenging puzzles that will stretch your mind and improve your problem solving skills.  With this online game you get 9+ hours of unique game play.  Depending on the age of your child they may have more play time as well as it takes them longer to solve the puzzles.  The game has wonderful graphics as well as great music that does not detract from the game.

This particular game is designed for grades 5-9.  My son who is 8 is doing fourth grade work.  He required minimal assistance with this game.  Mainly, he worked on the game himself but often called his daddy over to work with him so he could show him how the game worked and what he was working.

A quick overview of the game simply put is that you are to discover who is looting artifacts from the ancient Mayan culture and put a stop to them.  You work alongside a team of others known as Team Q.  It’s a great educational game!

You can also download and print off lesson plans to go with the game.  Because I wanted to use this with all of my children in a way(not actually doing the game but learning none the less) I did create my own set of lesson plans to incorporate the knowledge from the game.  However, my son using the game used the lesson plans.  They are well written and do help cement the learning as well as allow your child to dig deeper and explore more.

To make more of the game and to improve the minds of all of my children, we began small unit studies on each of the artifacts and Mayan sites that were visited in the game.  We also researched the Mayan people and how we came to find them in the new world to correlate them into our history time table.  

To help build excitement and a sense of accomplishment before mastering the entire game, achievements are awarded along the way.  It’s always fun to see how you’ve progressed and what you have left to win over!  

I love that in their description of this game they tell you that it is for history, geography, social studies, math, language arts, and critical thinking!  Oh and to help enrich their reading and vocabulary!  So many things being done with just a game!  Great reminder that nothing is just a game or just a book when you homeschool!

Within the game is an encyclopedia with a score of knowledge that your child can call on to help them solve the mysteries.  If your child is anything like my son, they’ll love the independence that being able to use and look things up in their own little encyclopedia can create.

If you’d like to learn more about Mayan Mysteries or Dig-It! Games please read the other reviews of Crew members over on the TOS Blog Main Page.  Also feel free to check them out on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube!  Members of the TOS Crew were allowed to choose between reviewing Mayan Mysteries and Roman Town!  My son now wants to play all the other games that Dig-It! Games has to offer.  They really are a great learning resource.  I hope you’ll check them out.