Game Child Play
I have recently learnt a very important thing about myself - I am very task orientated. I love interacting with my children, but I am not too good on free play and just hanging out. I benefit from a little structure and play with a focus. I don't mind if the game goes off on a tangent, but I do need that little bit of structure to feel really relaxed with my children.
We all need to spend quality time with our children, focussing on them and their thoughts and ideas. It is during these times that our children share with us on a deeper level and real relationship develops.
Finding time to have fun with my kids is a challenge. With work, school and daily chores, it can be hard to find good times to relax and relate with your children. I have found that the in-between times are best for play.
We seem to spend a lot of time waiting around for things as a family. Doctor's rooms, supermarket lines, traffic jams, and airport terminals are all places where tempers can easily get frayed. Keeping minds occupied helps everyone.
If you want to prevent boredom meltdowns, try some of the following ideas:
>> Playing opposites. Say a word and your child has to come up with a word that means the opposite. For young players, try obvious ones like hot and cold. For older players, you could try to find the opposite of whale, or butter, or spacious.
>> Choose an object, stare at it for 20 seconds and then take your eyes from it. Describe it in as much detail as you can, from the colour, to shape and texture. This game is great for developing memory and descriptive language skills.
>> Teach your child how to count, say hello or think in another language. We have used Chinese, French, German and Maori with our children. They love to learn words in other languages - and if they know some, then get them to teach you.
>> Take turns humming a wellknown tune and see if the other person can guess it.
>> Turn your hands into puppets and talk to each other in funny voices. (works for younger children.)
>> Play the "what if" game. Take an imaginary scenario and brainstorm what it would be like if it happened.
>> A pen and paper can turn any waiting time into a great time for games. Lists, letters and dot-to-dot are all fun activities for you to compose together.
Also, you can attempt any of these:
>> Making a "why not?" list of things to do during your next family holiday. Your list may include ideas such as "Why not have a topsy turvy day?" or "Why not watch a sunset together?"
>> Get them to write a report card on how they think you are doing as a parent - are you spending enough time with them, laughing with them enough or reading enough books?
>> Write a letter together to a distant relative, a famous person or a favourite book character.
>> Make a wish list of all the things you would love to get for your birthday. Start with the obvious such as a new toy and book and move to outlandish ones with hopes, dreams and world peace.
>> Write a long word (such as imagination or enterprise) down on a piece of paper and find as many words as you can using the letters from the word.
>> Play a guessing game, drawing a picture bit by bit - can the other person guess what you are drawing?
If you're at home, there are still plenty of things you can do to interact with your child. Some of my favourite ideas include:
>> Get their help making dinner in the kitchen. They can help to measure, slice and dice.
>> Make a family set of place mats depicting favourite family activities on A4 sheets of paper and laminate to protect.
>> Teach them what a weed looks like and go weeding in the garden together.
>> Play a board game or a card game.
>> Go for a walk together for a purpose - collecting pine cones, or observing letterbox shapes and colours. Take every opportunity to help your children observe something new about their surroundings.
Rachel Goodchild is a presenter and writer specialising in relationships of every concoction from family to dating. Her book Eighty Eight Dates was released by Penguin in Feb 2009, and she is currently appearing on TV3 in New Zealand for "Rachel Goodchild's Good Advice"
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Dora The Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom for Wii is the latest of the highly regarded Dora video games.
The Best Wii Games for Preschoolers are Ideal First Video Games
The games for children aged 2 to 4, ideal first Wii games, which get consistent praise and few if any complaints are:
- Go Diego Go! Great Dinosaur Rescue (Wii)
- Go, Diego, Go! Safari Rescue
- Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Snow Princess
Instructions are spoken and the games make full use of the Wii's unique features; button pushing is unnecessary but jumping up and down with the characters is the way to play.
Disney Princess Enchanted Journey for Wii is ideal for girls aged 3 to 6. A 6-year-old may find it quite simple but could still enjoy playing it over again. The difficulty for some will be that the numchuck is also required, a skill that the players will master with practice. The Disney Princess is an excellent choice for parents with 2 children as it has a 2-player option which requires the players to cooperate.
Nintendo Wii Games for Young Children
Some further suggested games include the following:
Cosmic Family has spoken instructions and will generally appeal to kids aged 4, 5 or 6.
Emergency Heros is really simple to play and is about driving emergency vehicles really fast and will entertain some children.
Little Pet Shop is ideal for children of 4 or 5 years old but has extensive written instructions through the initial set up, so young children would require help in order to start playing the game. During play written guidance appears but is not essential.
Mario Kart is widely popular for all ages, up to 4 players can race their vehicles together.
Looking After the Preschool Video Gamers
A limited amount of game playing will not be harmful and could even be beneficial for young children, see the article "Video Games, Are They Good or Bad for Children?" Parents should bear in mind the guidance that preschoolers spend limited time with all forms of electronic media entertainment including computers, video games and watching TV. Parents should also watch out for correct use of controls, the use of the wrist strap and signs of aches and pains related to playing.
Popular Video Games for 6-Year- Olds Which are Unsuitable for Younger Children
For older children, age 6+, the Animal Crossing games for Nintendo DS and Wii are very popular and highly recommended by their fans. There is a lot of reading ability required which makes this unsuitable for younger children, although they may enjoy playing it with older siblings, friends or parents.
The Lego video games such as Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Batman, and the soon to be released Lego Harry Potter game, are also excellent for children age 5 or 6 and older and require little of no reading ability.
Nintendo Wii Games for Young Kids
The games which are designed for nursery age or preschool children are quite limited in number. As children mature quickly and master these games they are also likely to entertain for quite a limited time before the children outgrow them. Games based on popular characters or Disney characters seem to offer good play value.
An alternative option to looking for Wii games could be to buy the youngest children their own dedicated games console, for more information see the article entitled "Pre-School Children's Active Electronic Games".
