Image via Wikipedia

I am totally addicted to Hidden Object Games. I mostly play them at night, after the kids go to bed, while my husband is flipping through the channels. I find that as I concentrate on searching the screen for the hidden items, everything else just kind of melts away. It’s like having fun and relieving stress at the same time!

I was contacted by a representative of PopCap Games, the leading developer /publisher of G-rated, family-friendly word, puzzle and action games, with some surprising information about Hidden Object Games. It turns out that playing them can also help kids improve their observation skills and their ability to pay close attention to details. This quote comes from Dr. Carl Arinoldo, New York based child psychologist and author of Essentials of Smart Parenting: Learning the Fine Art of Managing Your Children:

Games such as Mystery P.I. and Amazing Adventures Around the World could certainly help improve concentration and focus. But perhaps the most significant benefit would be the potential to develop or strengthen a child’s observation skills. By searching for specific objects on a screen filled with hundreds of images, the mind is forced to pay close attention to detail. This skill is too often lacking in the classroom and may frequently make the difference between success and failure in pretty much all school subjects.

PopCap sent me two games to review, Amazing Adventures The Lost Tomb, and Mystery P.I. The Lottery Ticket. I’m almost finished with The Lost Tomb, and I’m really enjoying it. I’m searching tents and stables and other desert locations for hidden items that are getting harder and harder to find with each level. For example, here’s a screenshot. See all the easy to spot and not so easy to spot items “hidden” in the picture?

Head over to PopCap to download a free trial or purchase the full game of Amazing Adventures The Lost Tomb, fun for you, educational for your kids! Totally worth the price.