All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy - used to be a saying once upon a time.
Nowadays, the word FUN is taboo.
Today there is constant pressure on academic excellence and the need to outshine everyone.
There is hardly any attention given to outdoor activities and relaxation.
There were times when parks were swarming with children swinging in joy, playing innovative games, walking their pets, breathing the fresh air, inhaling the whiff of wet sand and dew, rolling on lush green grass under the bright blue sky.
But now, the only sight we get to see at parks is that of senior citizens with walking sticks, trying to wobble their way through the cobbled stones.
Today's kids are jailed within the four walls of their dwelling, with fluorescent bulbs replacing sunlight, and air-conditioning overpowering pure oxygen.
The only form of exercise a few privileged children get is to walk from home to school, and back again, the rest of the children have chauffeur driven cars to take them to their destination.
This is where online games come in as a breather.
Such games can help to relax the mind of children and deal with pressure.
Children are so boggled by the pressure to excel that they limit their thinking and imagination to anything that is beyond what is portrayed.
Online games help to broaden the perspective in children.
It helps them to look at things more creatively and in a much more colorful manner.
Since there are games which appeal to any gender, any age, any area of interest, they attract a pool of players worldwide.
There are games that cater to sports, cooking, beauty, fashion, art and craft, academics, brainteasers, word building, adventure, etc.
These games help children to develop their problem-solving ability, face real life situations with more experience, boost their confidence and develop speed and accuracy.
These games also help parents to understand which the interest areas of their children are, and how they can provide encouragement to better these talents in them.
These games are a breather because, not only do they contribute in developing skills and polishing talents, they also make learning fun.
It is found that enjoying something you do adds more value to it, rather than when it is done out of compulsion and without any inner satisfaction.
The best thing about these is that there are millions of websites, all offering free games that can be downloaded and played at anytime, thus ensuring that there is a constant source of fun learning and entertainment to kids.
It is true that children are not getting much time to spend outdoors, and the very mention of children and online games in one sentence, gives the jitters to parents, but the fact is that, this source of entertainment and learning, when taken positively, and encouraged in the right way, can make a great difference in shaping a child's personality and grooming their career.