I know as a mom, I tend to always dwell on the bad of a ton of screen time – especially video games. Everything in moderation, right? But there’s some good news.
Maybe those video games your kids play for hours on end, actually aren’t all that bad. We did some research and found several benefits and things kids can learn from playing video games.
What Kids Can Learn From Playing Video Games
Parents, video games aren’t entirely bad! Rather than dwelling on the negative, let’s look at the positive. Here are 5 things your kids can learn from playing video games.
Problem-Solving Skills and Creativity
Each of our 4 kids loves playing Minecraft. Minecraft helps build problem-solving skills and creativity. As they build worlds, creativity is a must. As they overcome various obstacles thru-out the game, their developing brains are learning how to problem solve.
Socialization
Video games and socialization can be a tricky subject so want to start this out with that it is always important to know who your child is playing video games online with.
That said, our older kids regularly play video games online with friends from school. When the kids have sleepovers, most of the time the kids are spending time socializing around the television.
Critical Thinking
The Portal video game is a family favorite. It encourages critical thinking as game players are required to put objects in the right place and get through multiple portals in a short amount of time.
Reading Comprehension
Videos games encourage reading and reading comprehension. We have seen this first hand with our 6-year-old. He is a hard-core Zelda fan and I credit the game for his interest in learning to read. Initially, we could not get him interested in learning to read.
He started playing Zelda and suddenly he needed to know how to read in order to play certain parts of the game. While we helped him, over the last year – he has taken on trying to read and understand the words himself.
With our 7-year-old, we use Minecraft books for his 20-minutes of nightly reading, required by his school. Not directly a video game, but definitely inspired by one!
Sports and Music
I credit the Nintendo WII for teaching my kids about sports. My husband and I aren’t sports people, but several years ago when we purchased a WII – you would think we had a family of athletes. It was WII Tennis every single night.
Rock Band introduced our kids to various instruments. It also taught us that not all of our kids should sing. Hey, just being honest.
Our third child discovered a love for the drums while playing Rock Band. He has taken that passion offline and now plays real drums.
Best Gaming Batteries – Energizer® Ultimate Lithium™
When getting your game on, make sure your controllers are loaded with Energizer® Ultimate Lithium™ batteries. Here is why these are the ultimate gaming batteries.
Play Longer
As the #1 longest-lasting AA batteries, Energizer® Ultimate Lithium™ batteries extend your video game playing time.
Lighter Gaming Controller
The Energizer® Ultimate Lithium™ batteries are 33% lighter than alkaline batteries. Lighter batteries mean a lighter gaming controller!
Extended Storage
Have you ever grabbed batteries from the battery box to only find them dead or nearly dead? No worries with the Energizer® Ultimate Lithium. They hold power in storage for up to 20 years (AA/AAA).
Leak-Resistant
The Energizer® Ultimate Lithium™ batteries are constructed to be leak-resistant, which means prevents your gaming devices from leak damage.
Reviewing Video Games Before Kids Play
It’s always important to know what your kids are playing. Make sure that the games are age appropriate. I strongly recommend playing the game before your child does to make sure the content is appropriate for your child.
Thankfully my husband is a gamer (never thought I would say that!) He reviews all games before the kids are given the okay to play.
Additional Video Game Benefit – Stress Relief
An additional benefit that we found for kids playing video games is stress-relief. We have experienced this first hand with our 7th grader. It’s been a very stressful year.
Middle school is hard. New processes, lots of homework and pressure to do good has our kid stressed. Video games help take his mind off of having to perform in athletics and academically. Again, all things in moderation – but stress relief is definitely a benefit for our kid.
Don’t Forget The Batteries!
Don’t forget your Energizer batteries this holiday season!
Do you use Energizer® Ultimate Lithium™ batteries? Let us know! Follow Energizer and use #StillGoing
