Educational Wii Games

So! Your kid(s) caught the video game bug. Whether from their friends, television, or some random airborne strain of it – they want a video game. Probably: they’re willing to pull out all their wily, manipulative tactics to get your approval. Before you throw up your hands and give them carte blanche, or, on the other hand, threaten to ground them until college if you hear one more mention of “Nintendo” or “Mario,” take a deep breath. Patience.

There is way through. With a little effort and a little trust, raising your child with a video game system in the home can be a cinch.

It’s difficult to imagine the distraction and allure this generation of video games must cause in today’s elementary schoolers. I grew up around NES and Sega Genesis, where even the most thrilling game couldn’t really hold attention for more than an afternoon. Our ADD-ness had us out running around in the streets, throwing pine cones at each other or kicking around a beat up football, random video game carts a distant memory.

The power and capacity of this generation’s games, however, the expansive worlds that the games conjure, the immersion and multitude of activities and all the games-within-the-game, I’m sometimes surprised that our kids aren’t slothful vampires, scared of the light and fearful of sweat. I contend that the reason behind this is two things: one – we’re better parents than we give ourselves credit for. Two – kids learn lessons about moderation from our example.

There’s no better way to teach moderation with games than playing along side your child. Especially: playing educational video games together.

Teaching our children that “cookies are a sometimes food” and “video games are an occasional activity” is an important lesson given today’s gaming. Tempering their lust for electronic distraction teaches them important lessons about setting limits and prioritizing; however, when we’re “Player 2″, either competing or assisting in both traditional and educational video games, they’re learning first-hand from their parents the value and fun in moderation.

And really, the best way to regulate both playing time and questionable content is to join in the game. If they prefer playing solo, or if they’ve reached the age where dad’s gaming is no longer cool, no problem – a good book or a crossword in an easy chair is an easy way to be nearby.

You can also let them “cheat” every now and again with an educational video game. Load up something that teaches mathematics or language skills in a fun and stimulating way, and I’ll look the other way when the 1-hour limit comes and goes. Generally speaking, I have little trouble letting my 5-year-old go into overtime with one of the “Brain” games on the Wii.

Setting limits and rules, and then demonstrating the consequences of breaking those rules is one of the basic, everyday tenets of being a parent. When a child sees the object of its desire – in my family’s case, the Nintendo Wii – disassembled and put away in a closet for breaking those rules, the lesson is sharp and memorable. I was surprised that the Wii with its limited selection of kids’ educational games could elicit such a reaction.

Since then, we’ve had only the occasional minor skirmishes over the Wii. I don’t doubt that when the next generation of games comes out, holiday and birthday time will again turn into a cavalcade of requests for new consoles and educational video games. But for now, our family’s enjoying a peaceful life with a console in the house, and I’m enjoying the idea that my kid’s learning while playing.

Plus, I get to occasionally sneak down and scratch that old video game itch. Zelda? Mario? C’mon, that’s my childhood. Plus, I’m getting a little better with math thanks to my late-night forays to the Wii. Who said educational video games were just for kids?

William is a father of a boisterous kid, the owner of a Nintendo Wii, and secretly enjoys playing Mario Kart and/or an educational video game or two (now and again). He lives in New York, loves Shakespeare in the Park, and tries his best to raise a kid without a backyard.