Playing Ratatouille

I have been playing Ratatouille on my XBOX with my son. Initially I was trying to build up the game for him until I realized I was frustrating him by making him play at a level he had not developed to. So I created a new profile for him an started him from scratch. It was a lot more fun for him initially but soon he got to a level he had trouble dealing with. This time I showed him what the next step needed to be but I reverted my actions so he had to pass the challenge.

It has not been easy for me since my patience has been tested. However every so often he overcomes a challenge and it is a very good feeling. If we get to the point he is frustrated we stop the game and come back to it at a later time. Not only is he learning the game and having more fun but I am also learning to be more patient with him. I have to learn to be more positive now and tell him what to do instead of what not to do and give him positive instead of negative reinforcement. These are great opportunities for me to play with him. Now I have to find the same opportunities with my daughter.

Controller and Games Kids Feedback

So as promissed here is the feed back on the controllers and the games recently purchased for my 3 year old kids.

The Gamestop/MadCatz controllers were definitely small enough for their small hands. Neither the boy or the girl had problems handling the controls.

The Cars game was a hit with the boy but had a lukewarm reception from the girl. She played it but was not taken in by the game. He is completely enamored with it. The Tiger Woods 2007 was a mild hit with both. They don't ask for it but if it's on they curiously play it and try to figure it out. I could not get them to play the Ratatouille game and it has been disappeared by my AR&D crew.

Overall the controllers were great and the games were reasonable although they do not provide as much opportunity for cooperation as I had hoped for. Stay tuned for further updates on the time limits for play I am instituting for my kids.

Games and Controllers for Kids Under 6

I bought 2 wireless GameStop label controllers for my kids. These are essentially MadCatz controllers. They are smaller than the smallest Microsoft controller which is great for small hands. I hope my Advanced R&D crew appreciates the size and the lack of cables.

Along with these I picked up the Cars game and the Tiger Woods 2007 (for myself) along with a 3rd game of Ratatouille. These 3 games are rated E and have no or mild violence. They can also be played by at least 2 players, which helps me with my objective of getting my kids playing together and cooperating. I will let you know how they like both games and controllers in a future post.

5 Tips for Choosing Electronic Games

Is there any guidance out there for parents in selecting video games for kids? Not as much as you would expect. However, I found some good tips for selecting games for kids from the PBS parenting site. When choosing games for your kids keep these in mind:

1. Use software and computer time to develop social skills.
2. Identify Web sites and software that encourage your child to explore.
3. Find activities that allow your child to make original art.
4. Look for games that permit your child to experiment with music.
5. Look for activities that let your child feel he is doing something "real."

So in looking for games for my kids I will look for a game they can both play together and allows them to explore the game in cooperation. In addition if I can make it so they produce something together while doing this it would be great. I have to pay special notice that it helps them build skills rather than beating an opponent and helps them learn fair play. I will be with them through this process and play together with them.

What my Kids Currently Play...Or Not!

What do 3-year-old twins play as far as video games? The categorical, unequivocal answer is, it depends! It depends on which one you are asking about and how you define playing. My boy loves the Spider Man and Sponge Bob joystick games that he has been given or we purchased for them (or him if you ask his mom). The girl loves the Sponge Bob jellyfish joystick and the colors and might be persuaded to sit all of 2 minutes playing the game. However she can spend hours looking at the control, much to the exasperation of her brother.

My focus then is how do I guide my boys’ attention to less violent more educational games and how do I motivate the girls’ attention to some educational games. An important note is that I play all the games my kids play with them and I limit their use of them to certain periods and number of hours during the day. However, I really do not know what the right number of periods and times should be and what the best games are hence the journey being documented in this blog.

I suspect he plays too much and that she could benefit more from interesting educational games. I can tell you every time I spend time with my boy I can see how he developed skill and understands different concepts intuitively even if he can’t understand what I try to teach him. In other words he is learning to play and learning concepts at the same time. Currently I have not found an interesting game for my girl and she quickly grows tired of them and shows little progress but that too will change!

Video Games for Kids Under 6

Finding video games for kids under 6 is almost impossible. Add to that the fact mine are 3-year-old twins and a boy and a girl. Now that is downright impossible. However, I thought, in this day and age with Google and all other online resources it’s a doable task. What I quickly realized was that there is very little help out there. So this blog is my contribution to other parents in the same predicament that want entertaining yet positive games for their kids less than 6 years old.

Why 6 because the focus in the industry seems to be for kids 7 and above and specially kids 18+ or maybe 35+. That however is the discussion for another blog. Welcome to all and I hope you find this resource helpful.