A Grandparent's Guide to Buying Video Games for Grandchildren

Grandma and Grandpa, we're all well aware that you want to score points with the kids at birthdays or Christmas, especially when it comes to buying the hottest new video game of the season. But do you stop to think how those video games might make your grandchildren react at home when the holidays are long gone? You might not be considering the difficulty your own kids are going to have controlling the little munchkins, but you should.

Use these tips to help you decide which video games you should buy for your grandkids.

1. Grandchildren Ages 9 and Under: Video game manufacturers design "eC" and "E" rated games for a reason. "EC" games are rated as such because they're okay for all eyes but are designed just for early childhood. This is great for a 3-5 year old grandchild because there won't be any bad language, suggestive content or violence present.

Ratings like "E" and "E10" are appropriate for everyone. In most cases, kids between 6 and 10 play these games, but if it's a singalong, it might really be for all ages. Other times, they're probably based around a cartoon that only younger kids watch.

Some great examples of these games are:

Singstar Guitar

Yoostar

Nintendo Wii Sports Resort

Little Big Planet

2. Grandchildren Ages 10-13: This is a tough age to buy for. These age groups want to play teen or adult games, but they don't realize they can't handle the repercussions of intense violence and certainly don't need to be watching suggestive or explicit scenes. You can straddle the road here by purchasing games with a "T" rating.

"T," not surprisingly, is for teens. However, teens over age 15 often don't want to play these for some reason because they're not "grown up" enough (even though grown-ups like myself play "T" games all the time without fussing). But 10-13 year olds are typically pretty happy with them.

May I recommend:

SingStar Volumes 1 and 2

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

3. Grandchildren Ages 14 and Up: Depending on what games they've played in the past, you can get some games with an "M" rating if their parents allow heavy language and violence in the house. (Some parents don't care, but others do). Always check with the parent when in doubt - remember, they have to hear the game being played, not you.

A lot of boys this age want the Halo, Call of Duty, Heavy Rain, Red Dead Redemption style games. The first two might be fine, scene-wise, but the last two certainly contain some explicit opportunities. Don't buy these for teens under 16.

May I recommend:

SingStar Volumes 1 and 2

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Medal of Honor

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Halo: Reach

Resist the urge to be the hero and take responsibility for what you give your grandkids. If it's not something you would've given your own child at their age, reconsider giving it to next generation offspring. They'll be upset for a while if they don't get the game they want for Christmas, but they'll look back later and thank you for using your discretion.