We’re probably all in agreement that technology has bombarded our lives, creating a new way of life for all of us. But, none of us really expected that our children would also be victims of this new tech world, changing almost the entire way they use their playtime, as many spend countless hours playing video games. But, thank goodness, for most things there is an up-side.
This past weekend I spent a wonderful time with one of my grandchildren. He is 4 and quite adorable. Needless to say he is a product of the tech world and can do things on the computer I can’t imagine myself doing at the same age. Most of it is still foreign to me, I’m embarrassed to say. But, he demonstrated a knowledge of the computer that put me in awe. So, I thought I’d use his knowledge and enthusiasm in a way that would encourage him to use his selective skills. I went to the App Store to find some ‘free’ online educational games. It really was a lot of fun looking around. It brought back some memories.
My own sons were introduced to Mario Brothers when it was a miniature monitor you could put on your lap. And then Atari when you had to hook it up to your TV. Computerized educational games were not known to me at that time, so these games became captivating. They were colorful, fast and furious, and most of all, they were innocent. We didn’t have to worry about a subliminal message, – (To me , if you watch a negative video play in front of you everyday, for an undisclosed amount of times, there will be some kind of negative consequence.) – so in this case it felt safe enough to let my kids play.
But now, as grand-mom (or Gigi as I’d like to have it) I realized the importance of choosing fun and captivating games which prioritized interactive learning. The games offered by App Store were amazing. So, we had a lot to choose from. But, the operative word during our game search was ‘free’. So I had to teach the letters f-r-e-e, as the word free, for my grandson to make his selection. When the selections hit the screen his eyes quickly scanned it. He looked, pointed, and picked a game app that became the perfect choice. It offered multiple games with different levels of learning.
It was invigorating. I got to watch as this little 4 year old brain transacted the search. When he finally got to the site he was delighted. So many learning games, so many choices. He began to display his power of choice that also demonstrated just how smart he is.
So when I think back and remember how negative I used to be about computerized games (namely negative video games), I give myself an imaginary head knock. The great learning games are out there! It’s just a matter of searching to find and choose the right ones.
