Computer & Internet Games

• Basic computer knowledge is all that is needed to play educational games on the computer.Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images
  
  For the computer savvy family that is looking for Internet games or DVD computer games that promote ABC and 1,2,3 learning, sites like ABC Learning offer a variety of interactive games kids can click on and enjoy. While some sites like ABC Learning (abclearningtime.com) offer free games, there are sites with more elaborate games that also require a subscription fee. Sites like Knowledge Adventure (knowledgeadventure.com) feature a variety of number and letter games, all arranged by age or grade level that you can purchase to play on your home computer.
  
  

Conventional Games

• Conventional board games like bingo also provide an opportunity for numeric recognition.Creatas/Creatas/Getty Images
  
  High-tech tools are not the only option for teaching letter and number proficiency. Traditional card and board games can also be effective, fun sources of education. Number games like "Shoots and Ladders" or "Junior Monopoly" can be beginning tools for helping young learners recognize numbers and learn to count. Using simple card games like "Go Fish" or "Concentration" are great for number recognition. University Games' "Dr. Seuss's ABC Game" or "Super Why Alphabet Game" and Random Line's "Alphabet Squiggle" are all sources for teaching letters.
  
  

Hand-held Education Games

• Companies like VTech and LeapFrog have built an entire market of hand-held educational gaming systems for kids. With a variety of traditional characters as well as originally designed adventure figures, the gaming systems use interactive games to teach number recognition, letter recognition, letter sounds and counting. The game cartridges can be purchased separately and feature age- or grade-level recommendations. As the child ages, the same gaming system can be used with cartridges for more advanced educational games.
  
  

Conventional Activity Games

• Substitute letters for numbers in hopscotch to build alphabet recognition.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Conventional activity games such as hopscotch and jacks can be fun, educational tools that can also help children learn their ABCs and numbers. Make a hopscotch pattern with letters or numbers and have the kids call them out as they hop over them. Jacks can be a fun way to learn counting as the kids try to scoop a single jack on the first bounce, two jacks with the second turn and on up to the maximum number of jacks. Play "Red Light, Green Light" and hold up numbers for how many steps children can take forward or backward.