Children and Video Games Part Two

So the first bit of advice is going to be this.

1) Make sure your child is ABLE to learn computer games. Younger then 2 will probably just end up with you needing to buy a new computer.

2) Find something that fits your child's interests instead of trying to GET them interested. I picked a silly little cartoon game called Fate for my little guy. He was already into monster slaying, swords, and grand armor, so the game fit him perfectly.

Children love to learn new things, especially if they see their parents doing it. My little man has seen me on the computer a lot. I write, read articles, and yes play video games. So he was all for it when it became his turn to give it go.

At first it was tedious. I had to sit with him the whole time, fixing computer issues caused by roaming fingers, closing programs he had accidentally opened. There were quite a few restarts needed, quite a few times.

But the benefits are astounding for someone his age.

what started out as clumsily trying to figure out what the mouse does has become proficient game usage, in a matter of 2 weeks.

He can do the in game fishing. Which requires patience and good timing as you wait for a fish to hit your line, then quickly click the mouse timing it just right to actually get one.

He can then sell those fish to town vendors. This requires map reading skills to get there. Hand eye coordination to remove fish from your pack and drop into vendors pack.

He can use the potions. All the potions are color coded. Health is red, Antidote is purple, Stamina is yellow. This has been immensely helpful with him learning colors, and quickly. My boy is a hands on learner, meaning he learns faster if he is engaged in something. Flashcards don't cut it with him.

He can equip his character with armor, all on his own. This amazes me. In order to place equipment on a character you have to match complex shapes and ideas to place them in the right slot on your character. So instead of learning just basic shapes like his peers, he is learning to identify more complex shapes and patterns.

He can run the dungeon by himself. This is not perfect yet, but he is getting dramatically better every time he plays. Running the dungeon requires really quick reflexes to avoid and bonk monsters. Map reading skills, and the ability to know left from right.

Everything he learns from just playing a simple game also translates to the rest of the computer.

At age 3 he can pull up his favorite netflix video, turn on my favorite radio station, play his game, work a mouse with adult dexterity, and recognize letters, shapes, and numbers on a keyboard. Before you know it he will be using a computer like a pro.

He now wants me to teach him to read and write so he can e-mails his daddy at work or read ME stories at bedtime, and that's exactly what I'm going to do.

He spends an hour a day right before bedtime playing his game, and there have been no adverse effects.

He still loves to go outside and play.
He still loves to play with his friends.

So while the rest of his little friends are hearing *no no* to playing video games, or touching the computer, he is jumping light years past their learning level.

The skills he is learning by engaging him in a simple video game are translating to the computer, and into real life in a very energetic and powerful way. It has turned learning into a game for him, a game he is determined to win. It will not surprise me a bit when he has his own business, and employees at the age of 20.

I am and always will be a huge advocate of computer games for kids.