Most parents view the time their kids spend playing video games as a failure on their part. And honestly, if you don't follow my simple rule, you are right, but it's probably not worth beating yourself up about.
Here is my simple rule: I don't let my kids play games that I don't play myself.
There's a huge difference between the kinds of games that stimulate your kids and the kinds that are basically poison. South Park summed it up perfectly in that most mobile games (especially the free ones) have as their main goal to be just barely fun, so that you're forced into buying "coins" or "gems". Good examples of this horrible genre are all the running games.
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| I've played through basically this entire game and can't tell you why since every moment of it is the same. It reminds me of high school. |
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| This is possibly the least entertaining game of all time. I always root for the monster, which makes for short games. |
Even Minecraft has two modes: super boring mode ("Creative") and a mode that is basically too hard for children ("Survival"). If you've never PLAYED Minecraft yourself (which is weird) let me describe it for you briefly.
You start out with nothing but your hands, and have to punch down some trees to get wood, which you can make a crafting table with, and then a wooden pickaxe. Using your wooden pickaxe you can harvest rocks from the ground, which you can then use to make stone pickaxes and swords and such.
After deforesting the local area like an Aztec you can make torches and go deeper into the ground (all the while being hunted by skeletons and zombies and spiders) to collect iron, which is pretty rare so you'll spend hours digging to find it, while killing pigs and cows for food like the anti-vegan god you are, which you then have to cook using wood you cut from even more trees, if there are any left.
This is a SUPER hard game. It is FAR too frustrating for kids even in easy mode because the conceptual tree of actions is so open ended. Take an hour and try to play it yourself and see what I mean. Then uninstall it forever and move your kids to better games.
Here are some games that are pretty good for all ages and do not have, at their root, the core goal of getting your kids mindlessly addicted to them.
First of all: If you are reading this blog, you've probably not heard of "Steam". Steam is an online marketplace for video games that will install on your Windows, Mac, or a special box you can attach to your TV like a console. You are going to want to install it. Think of it as the "Whole Foods" of video games. Are you going to go shop at Publix for your kids' brain-food?
There are very few games worth playing on mobile devices. It is a sad fact of life. There are a few, but they are not going to be free, so you'll have to invest in the good ones.
The Cave
Hilarious puzzle game with great voice acting. For kids 7 and up.
Reading skills not required for this game.
Stay Alight
A worthy puzzle game. No reading required.
Don't Starve
This is the game that Minecraft is under the covers. But it is EASIER for kids to understand without the block mechanics. Also it is FUNNY. Basically this game is better than Minecraft in every way.
Reading skills may be required for this game.
Team Fortress 2
Stores: Steam
This game has cartoonish violence, fast paced play, and is for kids 5 and up. It will play even on older, underpowered machines, and is free.
The secret behind this game is that unlike some of the console shooters that it LOOKS like (CounterStrike, etc.) it is really a strategy and math game. This is the game I am addicted to, as the following for this game is vast.
There's a online mode (which my kids play as I don't care if they hear bad words or ruin my online reputation by actually being good), or you can have them play against bots. You don't need to read to play this game, but it helps.
There's a online mode (which my kids play as I don't care if they hear bad words or ruin my online reputation by actually being good), or you can have them play against bots. You don't need to read to play this game, but it helps.
Keep in mind after a while your kid will be connected to all his friends at school via Steam. With one click he can play with them online, which is a huge motivator to get his homework done on time.
This game is great fun for about age 6 and up. You have to be able to read to really enjoy this funny and involved RPC+Space Shooter from my childhood.
Old games are super great for kids. I personally learned how to spell from playing Zork, which is online here. Some of these games are hilarious, but some of them are also a bit hard for kids. You might have to help. But you don't have to beat the games to get value out of playing them (aka, free reading and typing exercise for your kids).
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| I always attempt to eat everything in Infocom games. I am an Infocom glutton. |
GWOP
This game is famous for being...nearly impossible. But still super fun.
Store: Browsers with Flash
Nico Suggested DragonBox, which theoretically teaches your kids to do Algebra:
This similar game is by SeanBaby, one of the funniest people on the Internet:
Ok, so now your kids are addicted to better games. Now what?
... Khan Academy.
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