Sign up today and get a FREE one month trial!
Often, the thought of kids playing video games stirs up images of them lost to a screen, disconnected from the world around them. As parents or caregivers, it's easy to worry about the potential negatives this hobby may bring with it. This isn’t the whole story, though.
In reality, gaming has some unexpected and significant benefits for kids. Playing video games can advance cognitive abilities, helping kids process complex sensory inputs and boosting kids’ ability to manage emotions. More and more, games can encourage teamwork and social play.
We’ll cover these benefits and more below.
Surprising as it may sound, kids are not attracted to video games just for entertainment. Several underlying reasons make gaming appealing.
Video games offer kids an immersive universe that blends imagination, excitement, and a sense of achievement, making them extraordinarily fun and engaging. They provide youngsters with thrilling adventures, intriguing challenges, and a myriad of characters that would be impossible to encounter in the real world.
Games like Super Mario, Minecraft, and Fortnite not only bring the elements of exploration and creativity to life but also offer compelling narratives that pique children's curiosity and keep them hooked.
What’s more, video games enable kids to enjoy a sense of control that is often inaccessible in their daily lives. Through games, they can be heroes, designers, explorers, and problem-solvers. This autonomy, combined with the constant feedback and rewards of in-game progress, contributes to positive emotional experiences.
The interactive nature of age-appropriate video games also offers kids an opportunity to test their abilities, strategize, and rise to challenges, empowering them with a sense of accomplishment. Thus, the fusion of immersive experiences, fierce challenges, and the taste of autonomy makes video games an exhilarating pastime for kids and adolescents.
Video games also provide a realm where your kids can be in charge, something they might not experience frequently in their daily routines dominated by school and parental control. Games, especially those with open-world formats, grant a degree of freedom to make decisions and impact the game world that they inhabit. Becoming comfortable with our autonomy is not only rewarding, but is an essential life skill.
Kids enjoy challenges that stretch their abilities in a non-threatening way. The unique aspect of video games is that they can often provide the ideal level of challenge for kids.
Many modern games have adjustable difficulty levels, enabling a child to face challenges that are difficult enough to keep them engaged, yet not so hard as to cause frustration. Overcoming these challenges can have long-lasting effects on a child's confidence.
In today’s digital age, video games offer a novel avenue for social interaction. With the advent of multiplayer games, kids can play simultaneously with their friends, either sitting beside each other or from different parts of the world.
Games like Minecraft have become popular digital playgrounds where kids can team up with their friends to accomplish joint goals. Through games, kids can strengthen bonds with their peers, forge new friendships, and improve their teamwork abilities.
Video games can definitely benefit your kids, but only if they are part of a balanced lifestyle that includes physical activity, social interaction, and academic growth. Rules around appropriate content and screen time limits are a must for a healthy gaming experience.
When appropriately managed, video gaming can serve as a wonderful platform for augmenting various skills. Here, we detail 10 potential positive effects of kids playing video games.
Many video games are built around puzzles, strategic planning, and critical decisions. Games like Tetris or Portal frequently push players towards creative problem-solving, enhancing a child's ability to think on their feet and find inventive solutions.
With the rise of multiplayer games, kids aren't just playing alone. They're interacting with peers around the world, working collaboratively towards shared goals. This can help them develop essential social skills like effective communication, empathy, and teamwork.
Fast-paced action games can require quick responses and precision. This, in turn, can help improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as kids manipulate a controller while tracking visual information on the screen.
Certain games, like Minecraft or Roblox, encourage players to design worlds, characters, or even game mods. This can stimulate a child's creative abilities, fostering innovative thinking and self-expression.
In multiplayer scenarios, a child often gets the opportunity to take up leadership roles. Whether it's leading a building project in Minecraft or coordinating strategies in Overwatch, these experiences can foster leadership skills.
Remembering instructions, questlines, and complex controls in games can challenge and improve a child’s working memory. Games like The Legend of Zelda require players to remember significant narrative elements and clues to progress.
Video games can instill a sense of healthy competition in children. Aimed at achieving high scores or finishing before friends, kids learn the value of striving for improvement, setting goals, and resilience in the face of setbacks.
Video games can also function as stress relief tools. Immersing themselves in a game can help children relax and unwind, similar to how adults might use reading or gardening to de-stress.
Video games can spark curiosity and lead to new hobbies. A child playing FIFA might develop a passion for soccer, for example, and Minecraft can get kids interested in DIY building projects.
Gaming isn't just for kids! Family game nights with Mario Kart or Just Dance can bring everyone together for shared fun, fostering stronger family bonds.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), parents should limit screen use for children to just one to two hours per day of high-quality content. This includes not only games but also TV, social media, and other screen-based activities.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization recommends no more than one hour per day of sedentary screen time for children aged two to five and suggests consistently less than two hours for those aged six and over. You can use these recommendations as guidelines for the right amount of time for your kids to spend gaming.
Here are some crucial factors that parents should consider to promote healthy gaming habits for their kids.
Not all games are created equal. Parents should take interest in the kind of games their kids play as they can significantly impact the child's experience. Some games boost creativity, others enhance problem-solving skills, and some might expose kids to inappropriate content.
Keeping a check on when and how long your child plays games can be beneficial. Establishing routines around play, such as setting aside specific 'game time' hours, can help prevent gaming from infringing on family time, sleep, and other necessary daily activities.
While video gaming can enhance mental agility, it’s mostly a sedentary activity. Encourage kids to continue outdoor play and physical exercise to maintain their overall health. A mix of screen time and green time creates a balanced lifestyle.
Despite the educational potential of many games, commitment to traditional schoolwork should never take second place to entertainment. Parents should ensure that gaming doesn't overshadow homework, reading, and studying.
Often, gaming and social media use go hand-in-hand, especially with older kids. Make sure to educate them about online safety, including the risks of sharing personal information, cyberbullying, and digital footprints. Open communication about online behavior is a must in today's tech-driven world.
While online games can provide social connection, they shouldn't replace face-to-face interactions. Encourage your child to balance their online social activity with in-person interactions, including family time, playdates, and extracurricular activities.
Hero Journey Club is an innovative new platform for children to develop essential life skills within the virtual worlds of games like Minecraft, Animal Crossing, and more.
HJC is a therapist-led support group that leverages the power of video games as a medium for personal growth and development. The idea is to create a comfortable, engaging space where kids can learn, interact, and have fun, all while improving their social skills, problem-solving abilities, and emotional understanding.
The games we use for our groups provide kids with immersive, open-ended worlds where they can learn and grow. They can practice skills like planning, organization, creativity, and collaboration in a relaxed environment. Plus, these games are noncompetitive, fostering a sense of community and shared effort rather than rivalry.
Sign your child up for their first session today.
Sources:
Exploring video games that invoke curiosity | ScienceDirect
Beyond Edutainment Exploring the Educational Potential of Computer Games | ResearchGate
Internet Safety for Kids: Teaching Kids About Internet Safety | GCF Global
December 13, 2024
Explore the teen mental health crisis, its causes, and solutions, including how Hero Journey Club supports emotional gro
December 9, 2024
Learn how to stay motivated with help from 10 therapist-approved tips that focus on positivity and self-compassion rathe
December 6, 2024
Help kids and teens develop emotional intelligence with 15 fun Social Emotional Learning activities for growth and conne