Four Reasons Why Video Games Are Good for Kids

Most parents understand that kids benefit greatly from playing outside-the physical exercise is helpful for their growing bodies. Parents also know that it is important for kids to read often. Arts and crafts activities are also generally thought of as good for kids because they give kids an outlet for being creative. But, many parents do not hold the same type of opinion about video games and kids-they believe that video games are just a form of entertainment, nothing more. It is not widely accepted that video games can be beneficial for kids in any meaningful way.

In many parents' minds, video games are often put in the same category as videos or movies. Perhaps this is because they are both viewed on a screen of some sort, or because they are both electronic in nature. Whatever the reason, parents usually limit their children to watching videos or movies at certain times in much the same way that parents limit the time that their children can play their video games. Now, I am not suggesting that parents should not limit the time their kids spend with certain activities-but, I do want to point out that video games and movies are completely different. Watching movies is a passive activity, one that does not involve the child doing anything other than looking at the screen. Playing a video game does involve looking at the screen, but that is the only similarity because the video game requires the child's interaction.

Video games are, of course, a form of entertainment. But, isn't playing outside, reading, or doing a craft activity a form of entertainment as well? Anyone would agree that those types of play are good for kids, as I described earlier. But, since many parents do not recognize that video games can actually be good for kids (aside from being entertaining), I am going to explain several ways in which kids can benefit by playing video games.

Hand-Eye Coordination

It takes a lot of skill to manipulate analog sticks and buttons on the video game controllers! Most controllers have one or two analog sticks and a directional pad that are meant to be controlled by the thumbs. There are also at least six buttons on various places on the controller which need to be used in different ways for each different game. Sometimes the controller even needs to be held differently to play a certain game. And, children cannot keep their eyes on the controller while they are using it-they need to focus on the screen. So, working with a video game controller and using it to work the action on the screen definitely helps kids to develop great hand-eye coordination skills.

Reading

Pretty much any video game has some kind of reading involved. There are instruction manuals (younger children may need help reading these). Aside from those, though, there is reading throughout most games. Some games have smaller amounts of reading-such as screens with options for saving, loading, and more. Other games have an abundance of reading, with passages of words that are being 'spoken' by the characters in the game, for example. Of course, I am not suggesting that letting your child play a video game should replace encouraging your child to read a book-I am merely explaining that games offer a source of extra reading practice for kids.

Problem-solving

A common feature of many video games is that there are problems that need to be solved in order to progress in the game. There may be puzzles to do, or a maze through which the character must travel, or secret items to find, for instance. Children playing these games must figure out what needs to be done in order to solve the problem. This involves a good understanding of the game as well as deep thinking skills. Obviously, by playing these games, kids are using their heads-they are not just being entertained.

Perseverance

Sure, the first parts or first few levels of a video game are likely to be pretty easy-after all, it is through those levels that the game is explained and learned. But after that, games can become more difficult-or, at least, much more challenging. It takes a lot of trying to finish some games-kids have to keep going and not give up in order to get through some levels. But, because they want to get to the next level on their game or they want to find a certain secret item, kids keep on trying. So, you can see, video games can help teach kids perseverance.

Of course, some parents would try to argue that children can get all of these benefits from sources other than video games-and I would actually agree with them. Playing sports is great for learning coordination and perseverance, for example. But, kids cannot always be outside playing because the weather does not always allow for that. And while arts and crafts can be fun activities, they are not always practical. I do think parents should encourage reading as much as possible, but kids can't read all of the time. Sometimes children need something fun to do in the house, and video games are great for that-while at the same time providing benefits to kids.

Parents should look for learning opportunities for their children wherever they can-and many parents overlook video games as an opportunity. They aren't just a form of entertainment, and parents need to stop thinking of them as such. Perhaps if parents tried to sit down and play the video games themselves, they would understand more about them?