We wrote a couple of weeks ago about how video games can threaten your child’s educational progress and how much is too much. And while that truth is still evident, there are some ways to bring video games into your house and actually improve your child’s education. Here are a few of those games.
Kinect
The Kinect is Microsoft’s motion capture device for the Xbox system or a Windows computer. Its typical use is with sports games and games where a character needs to move around an environment, but because Microsoft released the source code to the device, anyone can make games for it—including teachers.
KinectEDucation is a huge repository of lesson ideas and actual games that can be used with the Kinect for all sorts of subject areas and content topics. Microsoft also keeps its own repository of lesson ideas. If you happen to have a disabled child who needs work on their motor skills, the Kinect is obviously tailor-made to help provide practice.
Minecraft
Minecraft is a 3D building game that utilizes crude building blocks instead of fancy graphics. It resembles an interactive LEGO environment. People set up their own environments and then invite other players to help build structures or perform gaming tasks.
Obviously, the first benefit is how creative kids can be when playing the game. The possibilities are literally endless! It also helps them develop spatial awareness and even number skills. Finally, in certain modes, resource management and problem solving come into play.
LittleBIGPlanet series
LittleBIGPlanet is one of those games that’s easy to learn but hard to master. Children as young as kindergarten can get started on this game for Sony’s PlayStation. Little avatars simply move around an environment, picking up objects that help them perform a grander task. It’s like a digital version of those old logic puzzles where people were stranded in a remote area and needed to figure out a way to survive (but not nearly as scary).
The benefits come in problem solving and collaboration. Even if your child doesn’t have friends over, they can play online with kids around the world (broadening their cultural awareness). The avatars need to work together in order to accomplish their tasks. If you use PlayStation’s Move controller, you can even get the kids to burn some calories.