I've been playing through Light Bot with our 7 year old. I always like when he gets to the levels where he needs to use functions, because he's learning about programming without even knowing it. He doesn't try to discern deeper meaning, he just enjoys playing the game and making the tiles light up. [1]
If you can make learning enjoyable, then the cognitive burden can be quite high, so long as the kid has fun with it.
It's the same with Settlers of Catan, supposedly a game for 10 years up. Our 7 and 9 year olds are doing just fine with it, picking up the strategy about as fast as I am, because it's fun!
The thing I'd not be sure of with the alligator game is whether kids actually find something like that fun... that's the real question in my mind. :)
If you can make learning enjoyable, then the cognitive burden can be quite high, so long as the kid has fun with it.
It's the same with Settlers of Catan, supposedly a game for 10 years up. Our 7 and 9 year olds are doing just fine with it, picking up the strategy about as fast as I am, because it's fun!
The thing I'd not be sure of with the alligator game is whether kids actually find something like that fun... that's the real question in my mind. :)
[1] http://armorgames.com/play/2205/light-bot