Familiarize yourself with game ratings

Wherever our downloadable games or flash games have available ratings, review them and familiarize yourself with what the ratings mean. Even with ratings, though, each parent has his or her own sensibilities and opinions about what they feel is appropriate for their child. So, before downloading free Internet games for home use, play each one first to determine if it's right for your child.

Gaming, like any other hobby, is a terrific pastime in small doses. Don't be afraid to set time limits, and put your foot down when it comes to enforcing those limits. "Just 5 more minutes" can easily turn into several additional hours of gaming each week.

Consider other limitations, such as only playing with real-life friends at home and restrictions on online friends. If virtual friends are allowed, closely monitor the chat and make sure your child know to alert you in the event that the chat becomes uncomfortable.

We don't mind tooting our own horn. Hotadventuregames.com is proud to say we carry one of the largest, if not the largest, list of free Internet games available. So many, in fact, that we won't list all the categories here. The best way to experience the variety is just to dive right in and start picking your favs. You'll ID your "type" soon enough.

Got game? Well, share it with a friend! Download any number of free online games that remind you of that special someone; the two of you can play together, or you can send a few perfectly selected titles right from our Web site. It's a no-cost way of letting a friend or loved one know you're thinking about them.