Video Games for the younger set
Kirstin Eventyr
My daughters are 5 and 6 and have recently discovered video games
after finding a game in the extras on a DVD we have. My husband and I
are not gamers and don't know where to start to support this interest.
Can anyone here suggest some favorites. Preferably non-violent and
fairly gentle. My girls do Love Pokemon so anything on par with that
would be fine.
Kirstin
after finding a game in the extras on a DVD we have. My husband and I
are not gamers and don't know where to start to support this interest.
Can anyone here suggest some favorites. Preferably non-violent and
fairly gentle. My girls do Love Pokemon so anything on par with that
would be fine.
Kirstin
wtexans
===My daughters are 5 and 6 and have recently discovered video games after finding a game in the extras on a DVD we have. My husband and I are not gamers and don't know where to start to support this interest. Can anyone here suggest some favorites. Preferably non-violent and fairly gentle. My girls do Love Pokemon so anything on par with that would be fine.===
In my opinion, the Wii is the most younger-kid friendly and family friendly of the three main gaming consoles (Wii, Xbox, Playstation 3). There are games (including Pokemon games) that would likely appeal to your kids *and* you. I wasn't a gamer until my son became interested in gaming at age 3!! His interest in gaming opened up a whole new world of fun for me.
If your budget allows for you to purchase Nintendo DSi's (or the upcoming Nintendo 3DS, which will support 3-D games), there are a multitude of Pokemon games for that system. With the 3DS coming out, some folks will trade in their DSi's and use that store credit to apply to the preorder of a 3DS -- which means you can probably get your mitts on preowned DSi's. Alternatively, you can also find preowned DS Lites (the precursor to the DSi) for a fantastic price. I know that GameStop sells preowned games & game systems; I'm sure other gaming stores do as well. But if you can afford the DSi's, that has a whole slew of other cool features that the DS Lites don't (but the price reflects that!).
Glenda
In my opinion, the Wii is the most younger-kid friendly and family friendly of the three main gaming consoles (Wii, Xbox, Playstation 3). There are games (including Pokemon games) that would likely appeal to your kids *and* you. I wasn't a gamer until my son became interested in gaming at age 3!! His interest in gaming opened up a whole new world of fun for me.
If your budget allows for you to purchase Nintendo DSi's (or the upcoming Nintendo 3DS, which will support 3-D games), there are a multitude of Pokemon games for that system. With the 3DS coming out, some folks will trade in their DSi's and use that store credit to apply to the preorder of a 3DS -- which means you can probably get your mitts on preowned DSi's. Alternatively, you can also find preowned DS Lites (the precursor to the DSi) for a fantastic price. I know that GameStop sells preowned games & game systems; I'm sure other gaming stores do as well. But if you can afford the DSi's, that has a whole slew of other cool features that the DS Lites don't (but the price reflects that!).
Glenda
wtexans
===I know that GameStop sells preowned games & game systems; I'm sure other gaming stores do as well.===
I wanted to add that my son opts for preowned games whenever he can find them, because of the cost savings. We've only had a few instances of the preowned games not working, and in those instances the gaming store swapped us another copy of the same game or, if they didn't have another copy, refunded our money. The gaming store we frequent often has "buy 2, get 1 free" preowned game specials, which is pretty cool.
Pawn shops often have game systems and games, too. Just be sure to double-check their refund policy in case what you buy doesn't work or have all the parts (for game systems, there's usually the system itself + at least one controller + the power cord + the cord that goes from the system to the tv).
Glenda
I wanted to add that my son opts for preowned games whenever he can find them, because of the cost savings. We've only had a few instances of the preowned games not working, and in those instances the gaming store swapped us another copy of the same game or, if they didn't have another copy, refunded our money. The gaming store we frequent often has "buy 2, get 1 free" preowned game specials, which is pretty cool.
Pawn shops often have game systems and games, too. Just be sure to double-check their refund policy in case what you buy doesn't work or have all the parts (for game systems, there's usually the system itself + at least one controller + the power cord + the cord that goes from the system to the tv).
Glenda
wtexans
===Preferably non-violent and fairly gentle.===
I encourage you to be open-minded about the above.
What I've seen is that my son and his friends who game with him will play violent video games but that does NOT carry over into how they interact with real people.
They are very aware that games are just that -- games!!
Non-violent games don't necessarily mean the kids who play them will not be violent.
Violent games don't necessarily mean the kids who play them will be violent.
If you attempt to steer them away from what you deem inappropriately violent, that's going to pique their curiousity. Whereas if you let them try games in which they're interested (renting games before buying is a good option), they will often tell you when a game's too violent for them.
My 12 yr old son plays some games that are violent, but, for the 9 years he's been gaming, he's been honest about games he's tried that are too violent for him or that don't otherwise interest him.
He now plays games that sometimes have me turning my head away from the screen. If I'd judged a game's violence acceptability by *my* standards, there'd be games he'd be missing out on, games that he would enjoy because they don't gross *him* out. (On the flip side, my tolerance for violence in sci-fi and action movies is higher than his. So one person's tolerance for violence may not be the same from genre to genre.)
Glenda
I encourage you to be open-minded about the above.
What I've seen is that my son and his friends who game with him will play violent video games but that does NOT carry over into how they interact with real people.
They are very aware that games are just that -- games!!
Non-violent games don't necessarily mean the kids who play them will not be violent.
Violent games don't necessarily mean the kids who play them will be violent.
If you attempt to steer them away from what you deem inappropriately violent, that's going to pique their curiousity. Whereas if you let them try games in which they're interested (renting games before buying is a good option), they will often tell you when a game's too violent for them.
My 12 yr old son plays some games that are violent, but, for the 9 years he's been gaming, he's been honest about games he's tried that are too violent for him or that don't otherwise interest him.
He now plays games that sometimes have me turning my head away from the screen. If I'd judged a game's violence acceptability by *my* standards, there'd be games he'd be missing out on, games that he would enjoy because they don't gross *him* out. (On the flip side, my tolerance for violence in sci-fi and action movies is higher than his. So one person's tolerance for violence may not be the same from genre to genre.)
Glenda
Natalie Bullock
I'd second the recommendation for a Wii for younger children. My 6yo
daughter's favorite Wii games include Pokemon Battle Revolution and Kirby's
Epic Yarn (she needs a bit of help with this sometimes). As a bonus, my 9yo
daughter and 12yo son enjoy the latter - it seems to be a good all-around
fun-for-the-family game. She used to play the Go, Diego, Go! game, Safari
Rescue - it was a favorite for quite awhile. All three of my children enjoy
Mario Kart for the Wii, too - mom and dad like this one as well.
She received a DSi for Christmas, which replaced a failing older DSLite; her
current favorite on that platform is another Pokemon game (Soul Silver, if I
recall correctly). She has a few others and plays them occasionally, but
the Pokemon game gets the most game play. She's very good at Peggle, but
prefers the iPhone version to the DS version. I'll add that the DSi has the
very, very exciting benefit of an onboard camera. The quality of the
pictures is pretty low, but oh! she has so much fun with it! I have a
picture of my daughter using her DSi to take a picture of a posed Riolu
(Pokemon character plush toy) on a hike we took. The photos on the DSi can
be edited in a variety of ways, which adds to its appeal.
Also, even though they're very easy by now, she still enjoys going to the
Nick Jr. website online, where you'll find many games there, too. Other
websites my girls visit include Webkinz and Bella Sara.
Natalie
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
daughter's favorite Wii games include Pokemon Battle Revolution and Kirby's
Epic Yarn (she needs a bit of help with this sometimes). As a bonus, my 9yo
daughter and 12yo son enjoy the latter - it seems to be a good all-around
fun-for-the-family game. She used to play the Go, Diego, Go! game, Safari
Rescue - it was a favorite for quite awhile. All three of my children enjoy
Mario Kart for the Wii, too - mom and dad like this one as well.
She received a DSi for Christmas, which replaced a failing older DSLite; her
current favorite on that platform is another Pokemon game (Soul Silver, if I
recall correctly). She has a few others and plays them occasionally, but
the Pokemon game gets the most game play. She's very good at Peggle, but
prefers the iPhone version to the DS version. I'll add that the DSi has the
very, very exciting benefit of an onboard camera. The quality of the
pictures is pretty low, but oh! she has so much fun with it! I have a
picture of my daughter using her DSi to take a picture of a posed Riolu
(Pokemon character plush toy) on a hike we took. The photos on the DSi can
be edited in a variety of ways, which adds to its appeal.
Also, even though they're very easy by now, she still enjoys going to the
Nick Jr. website online, where you'll find many games there, too. Other
websites my girls visit include Webkinz and Bella Sara.
Natalie
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Tina Tarbutton
I second the opinion about the Wii and DS/DSi. You can get quite a few
non-violent games on those systems.
The Lego series of games (Batman, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones 1
and 2, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some) aren't completely non-violent,
however the characters and enemies are made of lego blocks, and when you hit
and or shoot them, the legos simply fall apart and rebuild. You have
infinite lives so there's no worry about dying too many times. There are
also plenty of different goals in each level so it can be played and
replayed for a long time before you truly "beat" the game.
I think the Mario games are less violent then most games. My partner and I
love both the one on the Wii and the one on the DSi.
We just recently got Family Game Night 3 for the PS3 (they also have it for
Wii) and that's not violent at all, just board games, with some neat twists
on traditional games.
Moving into slightly more violent, but in a "kid-friendly" way there is also
the crash bandicoot series and ratchet and clank (both on Playstation
systems only I believe).
We like Game Stop for used games and systems, however, depending on where
you live you may be able to find an independently owned store that sells
older systems and games. The Nintendo series of game systems (N64, Game
Cube) have more non-violent games then the others, but you can find quite a
few for PSOne and PS2 as well. Game Stop doesn't carry older systems or
games for them, only the newer ones. I think they've completely ended XBox
games, and they have a small selection of PS2 games, but that is supposed to
be phased out I believe.
I second the idea of used games. We very rarely buy new. Draven (my 10
y/o) beats games rather quickly and doesn't like to re-play them, so he
loves that he can trade games in towards new-to-him used games. Especially
while your kids are young I highly recommend looking for games that have
been out for 6 months to a year, and then buying them. Games that cost $60
new, tend to go down to $30 used 6 months or so after they come out.
However, there have been times that we've bought a used version a week or
so after the game came out, which is more expensive then waiting, but
sometimes he doesn't want to wait.
Oh, another good one is Little Big Planet 1 and 2, for the PS3 if you go
with that system.
If they eventually develop an interest in the violent games then I agree
with the other post about being open to them. My 10 y/o
almost exclusively plays 1st person shooters now. I can't watch most of
them because of the violence, however he has developed a huge interest in
various periods in history and in the history of weapons in general, just
from playing those games.
Have fun!
Tina
non-violent games on those systems.
The Lego series of games (Batman, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones 1
and 2, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some) aren't completely non-violent,
however the characters and enemies are made of lego blocks, and when you hit
and or shoot them, the legos simply fall apart and rebuild. You have
infinite lives so there's no worry about dying too many times. There are
also plenty of different goals in each level so it can be played and
replayed for a long time before you truly "beat" the game.
I think the Mario games are less violent then most games. My partner and I
love both the one on the Wii and the one on the DSi.
We just recently got Family Game Night 3 for the PS3 (they also have it for
Wii) and that's not violent at all, just board games, with some neat twists
on traditional games.
Moving into slightly more violent, but in a "kid-friendly" way there is also
the crash bandicoot series and ratchet and clank (both on Playstation
systems only I believe).
We like Game Stop for used games and systems, however, depending on where
you live you may be able to find an independently owned store that sells
older systems and games. The Nintendo series of game systems (N64, Game
Cube) have more non-violent games then the others, but you can find quite a
few for PSOne and PS2 as well. Game Stop doesn't carry older systems or
games for them, only the newer ones. I think they've completely ended XBox
games, and they have a small selection of PS2 games, but that is supposed to
be phased out I believe.
I second the idea of used games. We very rarely buy new. Draven (my 10
y/o) beats games rather quickly and doesn't like to re-play them, so he
loves that he can trade games in towards new-to-him used games. Especially
while your kids are young I highly recommend looking for games that have
been out for 6 months to a year, and then buying them. Games that cost $60
new, tend to go down to $30 used 6 months or so after they come out.
However, there have been times that we've bought a used version a week or
so after the game came out, which is more expensive then waiting, but
sometimes he doesn't want to wait.
Oh, another good one is Little Big Planet 1 and 2, for the PS3 if you go
with that system.
If they eventually develop an interest in the violent games then I agree
with the other post about being open to them. My 10 y/o
almost exclusively plays 1st person shooters now. I can't watch most of
them because of the violence, however he has developed a huge interest in
various periods in history and in the history of weapons in general, just
from playing those games.
Have fun!
Tina
On Tue, Feb 8, 2011 at 2:04 AM, Kirstin Eventyr <kiventyr@...> wrote:
>
>
> My daughters are 5 and 6 and have recently discovered video games
> after finding a game in the extras on a DVD we have. My husband and I
> are not gamers and don't know where to start to support this interest.
> Can anyone here suggest some favorites. Preferably non-violent and
> fairly gentle. My girls do Love Pokemon so anything on par with that
> would be fine.
> Kirstin
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
lalow
My kids have also really really enjoyed Gamecube. You can get them for about 40 dollars and pick up games for very cheap. They love monkeyball, anything with Mario, Zelda, and any of the lego games. For Wii those same games apply, as well as Raymon Raving Rabbids. Mario Party games are great game for little kids and you can play with them. Most of the games I listed except Zelda are multiplayer and even people who dont play video games much can play them. The Zelda games are fun to play with kids but it is just one player. We would just all sit together and take turns with the controller. One of us would read the text and we would all give input as to where to go. When my oldest was 4 and 5 we played it alot and he would control untill something scary or stressful to him would happen and he would give the controler to us until it was past. We also played a Shrek 2 game back then cause it was a mulitplayer 4 person game. So we would all play together. Lots of fun. We had an old Nintendo 64 that was great cause I swear the thing is indistructable. We still have it. The kids still play it even with a Wii, Gamecube, and Xbox 360 and DS lites in the house.
Sandra Dodd
I know what is meant by "violent" here, but I object:
-=-Non-violent games don't necessarily mean the kids who play them will not be violent.
-=-Violent games don't necessarily mean the kids who play them will be violent.-=-
Does anyone talk about violent books?
Except in the 1970's when there was a book about how to blow up bridges, I can hard even remember a book being blamed for violence.
Or what about violent board games? In chess people only "take" knights and kings, but there are other games where other players are killed or conquered. Are those violent board games?
The two quotes above don't make sense to me because playing a game is not violent. Playing a game is sitting on a couch with a remote control.
Shaming a kid who wants to sit on the couch with a remote control, or somehow preventing him from playing, is closer to violence than a kid causing the character he's controlling to shoot an imaginary weapon at some pixels.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
-=-Non-violent games don't necessarily mean the kids who play them will not be violent.
-=-Violent games don't necessarily mean the kids who play them will be violent.-=-
Does anyone talk about violent books?
Except in the 1970's when there was a book about how to blow up bridges, I can hard even remember a book being blamed for violence.
Or what about violent board games? In chess people only "take" knights and kings, but there are other games where other players are killed or conquered. Are those violent board games?
The two quotes above don't make sense to me because playing a game is not violent. Playing a game is sitting on a couch with a remote control.
Shaming a kid who wants to sit on the couch with a remote control, or somehow preventing him from playing, is closer to violence than a kid causing the character he's controlling to shoot an imaginary weapon at some pixels.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
aldq75
Our interest in video games started with the DVD extras, too!
Depending on what technology you already have available to you, the girls might get their video game fix through online computer games if a gaming system isn't feasible. Our computers came with chess and a marble game, plus solitaire. We found games on Neopets.com, PBSkids.org, Nick Jr, etc and there's a Star Wars lego game online. They played Wizard101 all summer and fall. They also love playing Angry Birds, Pocket Frogs and some freebies on our ipods (touch). There is a ton of stuff out there for free if you're not ready to buy a system.
We had planned to purchase a Wii, mostly because there are so many titles available at reasonable prices, but we were given an XBox Kinect for Christmas, which was huge surprise. It is similar idea to the Wii, but your body is the controller. The Kinect games are $50 each and there are not many titles available. The system also works with regular XBox 360 games, so we have a couple of the Lego ones and a couple that we downloaded (the system has wifi). By far, the family favorite is Plants vs. Zombies*, which is $20. Their favorite Kinect games is Kinectimals, but it doesn't get played as much as the controller-based games.
Andrea Q
*this is also available for the iPod and iPad, plus PC and Mac. Sandra recommended it one day in chat and now we're addicted!
Depending on what technology you already have available to you, the girls might get their video game fix through online computer games if a gaming system isn't feasible. Our computers came with chess and a marble game, plus solitaire. We found games on Neopets.com, PBSkids.org, Nick Jr, etc and there's a Star Wars lego game online. They played Wizard101 all summer and fall. They also love playing Angry Birds, Pocket Frogs and some freebies on our ipods (touch). There is a ton of stuff out there for free if you're not ready to buy a system.
We had planned to purchase a Wii, mostly because there are so many titles available at reasonable prices, but we were given an XBox Kinect for Christmas, which was huge surprise. It is similar idea to the Wii, but your body is the controller. The Kinect games are $50 each and there are not many titles available. The system also works with regular XBox 360 games, so we have a couple of the Lego ones and a couple that we downloaded (the system has wifi). By far, the family favorite is Plants vs. Zombies*, which is $20. Their favorite Kinect games is Kinectimals, but it doesn't get played as much as the controller-based games.
Andrea Q
*this is also available for the iPod and iPad, plus PC and Mac. Sandra recommended it one day in chat and now we're addicted!
--- In [email protected], Kirstin Eventyr <kiventyr@...> wrote:
>
> My daughters are 5 and 6 and have recently discovered video games
> after finding a game in the extras on a DVD we have. My husband and I
> are not gamers and don't know where to start to support this interest.
> Can anyone here suggest some favorites. Preferably non-violent and
> fairly gentle. My girls do Love Pokemon so anything on par with that
> would be fine.
> Kirstin
>
kristi_beguin
If you have internet access my girls (5 and 8) love Zoodles, which has it's own browser and thousands of games to choose from:
http://www.zoodles.com/home/marketing
Zoodles is set up very schooley in that they have parental blocking, parental controls, and parents can opt-in to get a weekly breakdown of the subjects being explored via the games, but the nice thing is that depending on whether you subscribe or not, ads can be blocked, and it stores favorite games in their own folder. However, people that need to track individual subjects as part of state or district homeschool requirements, might find the weekly breakdown useful.
I've got a Zoodles app on my Droid, and my daughter has the Zoodles app on her iPod.
They also love Friv: http://www.friv.com/
Another favorite is the Funbrain parents and kids playground:
http://www.funbrain.com/brain/SweepsBrain/sweepsbrain.html
We also have a Leapster Explorer, an older Playstation, and my 8-year old DD has an iPod touch that she uses extensively for gaming as well as for creating videos, taking pictures, and watching movies and shows, and listening to music.
http://www.zoodles.com/home/marketing
Zoodles is set up very schooley in that they have parental blocking, parental controls, and parents can opt-in to get a weekly breakdown of the subjects being explored via the games, but the nice thing is that depending on whether you subscribe or not, ads can be blocked, and it stores favorite games in their own folder. However, people that need to track individual subjects as part of state or district homeschool requirements, might find the weekly breakdown useful.
I've got a Zoodles app on my Droid, and my daughter has the Zoodles app on her iPod.
They also love Friv: http://www.friv.com/
Another favorite is the Funbrain parents and kids playground:
http://www.funbrain.com/brain/SweepsBrain/sweepsbrain.html
We also have a Leapster Explorer, an older Playstation, and my 8-year old DD has an iPod touch that she uses extensively for gaming as well as for creating videos, taking pictures, and watching movies and shows, and listening to music.
BRIAN POLIKOWSKY
Like other said:
the Wii and NIntendo DS systems are great and chuck full of games for girls and
young kids.
I have a 5 year old girl and she loves:
Disney Princesses
KIrby's Epic Yarn ( this is a fabulous game I highly recomend!!!)
OTher Kirby games
Super Mario Games ( there is one for the DS that is a Princess Peach game!)
My Little Pony for DS ( a very easy game my daughter started playing the DS a
couple years ago with this game)
If they like drawing the Wii has the UDraw now ( I got one for Christmas from my
husband ) and it is cool.
Online there are all the NickJr games
ICanBe Barbie games
( those are free for the most part)
Alex Polikowsky
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
the Wii and NIntendo DS systems are great and chuck full of games for girls and
young kids.
I have a 5 year old girl and she loves:
Disney Princesses
KIrby's Epic Yarn ( this is a fabulous game I highly recomend!!!)
OTher Kirby games
Super Mario Games ( there is one for the DS that is a Princess Peach game!)
My Little Pony for DS ( a very easy game my daughter started playing the DS a
couple years ago with this game)
If they like drawing the Wii has the UDraw now ( I got one for Christmas from my
husband ) and it is cool.
Online there are all the NickJr games
ICanBe Barbie games
( those are free for the most part)
Alex Polikowsky
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
-----Original Message-----
Other games they've liked are:
Pac Man World 2
Kirby Epic Yarn
Donkey Kong Kountry
Mario Super Strikers
: )
Michelle
Wife to Bob
Momma to George (12), Theo (9), Eli (6), and Oliver (18 mo)
If my life wasn't funny, it would just be true, and that's unacceptable.
-- Carrie Fisher
>From: BRIAN POLIKOWSKY <polykowholsteins@...>My boys have LOVED the Super Mario games. In fact, one of the best memories I have is when George, at 7, finished Super Mario Sunshine. He was at the very last huge battle, with things coming at him from every side, and we were all there watching and hoping and BAM! He won and we all cheered!! It was so wonderful.
>Super Mario Games ( there is one for the DS that is a Princess Peach game!)
Other games they've liked are:
Pac Man World 2
Kirby Epic Yarn
Donkey Kong Kountry
Mario Super Strikers
: )
Michelle
Wife to Bob
Momma to George (12), Theo (9), Eli (6), and Oliver (18 mo)
If my life wasn't funny, it would just be true, and that's unacceptable.
-- Carrie Fisher
Robin Bentley
There's a new game for the Wii - Pokepark: Pikachu's Adventure. My
daughter recommends that one for younger kids. (She likes to play it,
too, at 15 and she's a dedicated World of Warcraft player).
If they like computer games *and* animals, Senna really really liked
Zoo Tycoon and all of its variations. It tends to be text-heavy, but
Senna credits her learning to read (to her satisfaction) to playing
Zoo Tycoon.
Robin B.
daughter recommends that one for younger kids. (She likes to play it,
too, at 15 and she's a dedicated World of Warcraft player).
If they like computer games *and* animals, Senna really really liked
Zoo Tycoon and all of its variations. It tends to be text-heavy, but
Senna credits her learning to read (to her satisfaction) to playing
Zoo Tycoon.
Robin B.
> I'd second the recommendation for a Wii for younger children. My 6yo
> daughter's favorite Wii games include Pokemon Battle Revolution and
> Kirby's
> Epic Yarn (she needs a bit of help with this sometimes).
CherylSP
For the computer, my boys (8, 6, and 3) really enjoy the online and downloadable games from popcap.com (including plants vs. zombies). The online games are free, and the downloadble versions typically have free trials. I have also seen some older popcap games on CD, at a discount, at office supply stores.
The boys also have really enjoyed Roller Coaster Tycoon and Zoo Tycoon recently, as well as the Zoombini series of games. As someone else mentioned, the "tycoon" games tend to be text oriented, but my 6-year old who is not yet reading has figured them out with some help. Zoombinis doesn't require much reading, but does develop logical thinking skills as well as being a lot of fun. At various times, the boys have also enjoyed the "Jump Start" series of games for the computer. Along the lines of Zoo Tycoon, there are tons of simulation games. I just picked up one for the boys (but they haven't tried it yet) about being a vetrinarian.
For the Wii, the boys recently discovered Animal Crossing, and they also enjoy the Lego games, the Zelda games, and the sports games that come with the Wii. Animal Crossing is also text intensive, so the younger two boys tend to get more out of it if I sit with them and read what the characters are saying to eachother. There are also Jump Start games available for the Wii, but we haven't played them yet. There are a lot of movie-themed games for the Wii, which may interest your children, but our experience has been that they often don't play as well as games that stand on their own merit. (Either they are too easy, or too difficult, or not very interesting.)
Along the lines of the Pokemon games (I think - we're not into Pokemon) are Petz games for the DS, where you can "adopt" various animals and play with them.
Have fun!
Cheryl
The boys also have really enjoyed Roller Coaster Tycoon and Zoo Tycoon recently, as well as the Zoombini series of games. As someone else mentioned, the "tycoon" games tend to be text oriented, but my 6-year old who is not yet reading has figured them out with some help. Zoombinis doesn't require much reading, but does develop logical thinking skills as well as being a lot of fun. At various times, the boys have also enjoyed the "Jump Start" series of games for the computer. Along the lines of Zoo Tycoon, there are tons of simulation games. I just picked up one for the boys (but they haven't tried it yet) about being a vetrinarian.
For the Wii, the boys recently discovered Animal Crossing, and they also enjoy the Lego games, the Zelda games, and the sports games that come with the Wii. Animal Crossing is also text intensive, so the younger two boys tend to get more out of it if I sit with them and read what the characters are saying to eachother. There are also Jump Start games available for the Wii, but we haven't played them yet. There are a lot of movie-themed games for the Wii, which may interest your children, but our experience has been that they often don't play as well as games that stand on their own merit. (Either they are too easy, or too difficult, or not very interesting.)
Along the lines of the Pokemon games (I think - we're not into Pokemon) are Petz games for the DS, where you can "adopt" various animals and play with them.
Have fun!
Cheryl
--- In [email protected], BRIAN POLIKOWSKY <polykowholsteins@...> wrote:
>
>
> Like other said:
> the Wii and NIntendo DS systems are great and chuck full of games for girls and
> young kids.
> I have a 5 year old girl and she loves:
> Disney Princesses
> KIrby's Epic Yarn ( this is a fabulous game I highly recomend!!!)
> OTher Kirby games
> Super Mario Games ( there is one for the DS that is a Princess Peach game!)
> My Little Pony for DS ( a very easy game my daughter started playing the DS a
> couple years ago with this game)
> If they like drawing the Wii has the UDraw now ( I got one for Christmas from my
> husband ) and it is cool.
>
> Online there are all the NickJr games
> ICanBe Barbie games
> ( those are free for the most part)
>
> Alex Polikowsky
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
Vicki Dennis
That is an interesting concept!. I will think on it more. Also makes me
wonder about the differing tolerance levels between animated and live actor
movies. Or widescreen in enclosed dark theater vs. TV in daylit room with
plenty of exits.
I do know that I personally can stomach more violence in videogames
(although you must understand I am a dinosaur and would probably be
horrified at some of the newer systems. ) than in movies. Even movies on
my own TV screen.
I would like to hear more folks' experience about differing levels between
genres, especially comparing the variety between ages and/or gender.
vicki
wonder about the differing tolerance levels between animated and live actor
movies. Or widescreen in enclosed dark theater vs. TV in daylit room with
plenty of exits.
I do know that I personally can stomach more violence in videogames
(although you must understand I am a dinosaur and would probably be
horrified at some of the newer systems. ) than in movies. Even movies on
my own TV screen.
I would like to hear more folks' experience about differing levels between
genres, especially comparing the variety between ages and/or gender.
vicki
On Tue, Feb 8, 2011 at 2:58 AM, wtexans <wtexans@...> wrote:
>
>
> (On the flip side, my tolerance for violence in sci-fi and action movies is
> higher than his. So one person's tolerance for violence may not be the same
> from genre to genre.)
>
> Glenda
>
>
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Jenny Cyphers
Others have mentioned most of what I would. My youngest likes Pokemon, likes
her DS mostly. She also likes nintendogs. The most played video games we have
are Rock Band and Dance Dance Revolution, although someone loaned us Kingdom
Hearts and there has been an interest in that. The graphics really remind me of
Neopets The Darkest Faerie, another fun game that's been entertaining to both of
my girls over the years.
The last couple of years, my youngest, she's 9 right now, has been really into
Nancy Drew pc games. There are a few for the DS and at least one for the wii.
They are very text heavy, but it's been our thing we do together that we both
enjoy. There are some that are less text based called dossiers and they are
very geared to younger ages.
A friend of ours has the xbox kinex and THAT thing is REALLY cool! If I had to
pick a system, it would likely be the xbox 360 or ps3, but that's largely
because of the age span that I have in kids! The wii is really really fun and I
totally see how it works well for younger kids!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
her DS mostly. She also likes nintendogs. The most played video games we have
are Rock Band and Dance Dance Revolution, although someone loaned us Kingdom
Hearts and there has been an interest in that. The graphics really remind me of
Neopets The Darkest Faerie, another fun game that's been entertaining to both of
my girls over the years.
The last couple of years, my youngest, she's 9 right now, has been really into
Nancy Drew pc games. There are a few for the DS and at least one for the wii.
They are very text heavy, but it's been our thing we do together that we both
enjoy. There are some that are less text based called dossiers and they are
very geared to younger ages.
A friend of ours has the xbox kinex and THAT thing is REALLY cool! If I had to
pick a system, it would likely be the xbox 360 or ps3, but that's largely
because of the age span that I have in kids! The wii is really really fun and I
totally see how it works well for younger kids!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
k
===Preferably non-violent and fairly gentle.===
edition). He was appalled at the gratituitous killing and had never heard of
assassination, which I explained to him a bit. I was impressed with the
style of realism in the graphics. He came across a mention of it in a
Youtube walkthrough and clicked to investigate it. First person shooter
games are also way too intense for his tastes. He does *not* like Peter
Jackson Lord of the Ring movies because of all the killing. He may change
his mind later. At first when he played Lego Batman, he was saddened and a
bit down about the constant loss of lives and killing of criminals, when
many Batman/Superman cartoons he had seen simply lock criminals up and never
kill anyone. Then he realized that everyone has infinite lives on that game,
and felt better about it.
I was surprised at his reactions and at the same time I wasn't totally
surprised. Don't shortchange getting to know your child by preempting things
and coaching yourselves and other parents on which kinds of games are
appropriate. It turns out most of the time to be worrying a lot about
something that turns out to be nothing to worry about.
And I agree with Glenda that trying to steer children to non-violent games
is just going to raise curiosity. The little bit that Brian and I have
steered Karl has backfired on us by arousing unintended interest. Kids will
get interested in things that parents don't like or do worry about. I used
to say "treat it like an elbow or a nose" and that still works pretty well
most of the time. Take things in stride and focus on getting to know who
your kids really are instead assuming that tv/vidgames/internet and other
influences are going to blacken a child's heart.
~Katherine
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>>I encourage you to be open-minded about the above.<<<One of the few games Karl doesn't like is Assassin's Creed (I forget which
edition). He was appalled at the gratituitous killing and had never heard of
assassination, which I explained to him a bit. I was impressed with the
style of realism in the graphics. He came across a mention of it in a
Youtube walkthrough and clicked to investigate it. First person shooter
games are also way too intense for his tastes. He does *not* like Peter
Jackson Lord of the Ring movies because of all the killing. He may change
his mind later. At first when he played Lego Batman, he was saddened and a
bit down about the constant loss of lives and killing of criminals, when
many Batman/Superman cartoons he had seen simply lock criminals up and never
kill anyone. Then he realized that everyone has infinite lives on that game,
and felt better about it.
I was surprised at his reactions and at the same time I wasn't totally
surprised. Don't shortchange getting to know your child by preempting things
and coaching yourselves and other parents on which kinds of games are
appropriate. It turns out most of the time to be worrying a lot about
something that turns out to be nothing to worry about.
And I agree with Glenda that trying to steer children to non-violent games
is just going to raise curiosity. The little bit that Brian and I have
steered Karl has backfired on us by arousing unintended interest. Kids will
get interested in things that parents don't like or do worry about. I used
to say "treat it like an elbow or a nose" and that still works pretty well
most of the time. Take things in stride and focus on getting to know who
your kids really are instead assuming that tv/vidgames/internet and other
influences are going to blacken a child's heart.
~Katherine
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Gwen Montoya
There is a series called "Petz" for the DS and Wii consoles with many types
of animals to choose from. Some of the games are like Nintendogs (taking
care of dogs) and some are more puzzle based/unlocking areas kinds of games.
Kirby's Yarn looks amazing and is fun to play. It is easy enough for my four
year old, but engaging enough for my nine year old.
We're just getting into the Lego Indiana Jones, Lego Harry Potter & Lego
Star Wars games on Xbox (also available for other platforms too?). My four
year old is having a great time manipulating characters while the other
player moves the game forward.
Zoo Tycoon was a huge hit with my oldest when she was younger and even
before she could read. She's a huge animal lover and all of her games
revolved around taking care of animals. There are many games like this for
the PC and the DS, but she hasn't really liked the Wii or Xbox versions.
I highly recommend Gamefly. It is like Netflix, but for video games. I think
the cheapest subscription is about $15 and you get one game out at a time.
Gwen
of animals to choose from. Some of the games are like Nintendogs (taking
care of dogs) and some are more puzzle based/unlocking areas kinds of games.
Kirby's Yarn looks amazing and is fun to play. It is easy enough for my four
year old, but engaging enough for my nine year old.
We're just getting into the Lego Indiana Jones, Lego Harry Potter & Lego
Star Wars games on Xbox (also available for other platforms too?). My four
year old is having a great time manipulating characters while the other
player moves the game forward.
Zoo Tycoon was a huge hit with my oldest when she was younger and even
before she could read. She's a huge animal lover and all of her games
revolved around taking care of animals. There are many games like this for
the PC and the DS, but she hasn't really liked the Wii or Xbox versions.
I highly recommend Gamefly. It is like Netflix, but for video games. I think
the cheapest subscription is about $15 and you get one game out at a time.
Gwen
On Tue, Feb 8, 2011 at 9:12 AM, Robin Bentley <robin.bentley@...>wrote:
>
>
> There's a new game for the Wii - Pokepark: Pikachu's Adventure. My
> daughter recommends that one for younger kids. (She likes to play it,
> too, at 15 and she's a dedicated World of Warcraft player).
>
> If they like computer games *and* animals, Senna really really liked
> Zoo Tycoon and all of its variations. It tends to be text-heavy, but
> Senna credits her learning to read (to her satisfaction) to playing
> Zoo Tycoon.
>
> Robin B.
>
>
> > I'd second the recommendation for a Wii for younger children. My 6yo
> > daughter's favorite Wii games include Pokemon Battle Revolution and
> > Kirby's
> > Epic Yarn (she needs a bit of help with this sometimes).
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
blueskyfrontier
We just got a new Wii game on Monday called "Just Dance Kids", my 5 & 7 year olds are loving it and I love watching them play it. It really gets them moving and they are pulling off all sorts of new dance moves. I have played a bunch too, and it is FUN! Amazon has it for $19. It has different game play modes where you they can play against each other or you can play cooperatively as a team. This is nice for my daughter who is very sensitive about winning/losing and her older brother prefers to play with her "as a team".
Jennifer
Jennifer
Gwen Montoya
The dancing & exercise & sports games can be lots of fun!
I really recommend the Wii Sports & Wii Fit games. We just got the "Your
Fitness" for the Kinect. The Kinect system is very cool and the Kinect
Adventures disk (which, I think, comes with the Kinect) is hours of fun all
by itself.
Gwen
On Wed, Feb 9, 2011 at 11:36 AM, blueskyfrontier
<blueskyfrontier@...>wrote:
I really recommend the Wii Sports & Wii Fit games. We just got the "Your
Fitness" for the Kinect. The Kinect system is very cool and the Kinect
Adventures disk (which, I think, comes with the Kinect) is hours of fun all
by itself.
Gwen
On Wed, Feb 9, 2011 at 11:36 AM, blueskyfrontier
<blueskyfrontier@...>wrote:
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> We just got a new Wii game on Monday called "Just Dance Kids", my 5 & 7
> year olds are loving it and I love watching them play it. It really gets
> them moving and they are pulling off all sorts of new dance moves. I have
> played a bunch too, and it is FUN! Amazon has it for $19. It has different
> game play modes where you they can play against each other or you can play
> cooperatively as a team. This is nice for my daughter who is very sensitive
> about winning/losing and her older brother prefers to play with her "as a
> team".
>
> Jennifer
>
>
>
Rachel
My four year old loves to play on the ds. She plays nintendogs, a vet game and a pony game (I can't remember the names) We also have a compendium of classic games on there that she really enjoys.
She also likes a barbie horse game on the wii and some of the wii sports games.
She really loves playing pocket frogs on the iPhone as do I and we regularly download free game apps.
She has her old favorites but asks almost daily for new games online and I have an ever growing list of her online favorites. They are mainly animal ones, but there are also level games and lately she likes online surgery games. If you would like, I could email you the links.
Rachel (39)
Leila (4)
She also likes a barbie horse game on the wii and some of the wii sports games.
She really loves playing pocket frogs on the iPhone as do I and we regularly download free game apps.
She has her old favorites but asks almost daily for new games online and I have an ever growing list of her online favorites. They are mainly animal ones, but there are also level games and lately she likes online surgery games. If you would like, I could email you the links.
Rachel (39)
Leila (4)
On 8 Feb 2011, at 10:04, Kirstin Eventyr <kiventyr@...> wrote:
> My daughters are 5 and 6 and have recently discovered video games
> after finding a game in the extras on a DVD we have. My husband and I
> are not gamers and don't know where to start to support this interest.
> Can anyone here suggest some favorites. Preferably non-violent and
> fairly gentle. My girls do Love Pokemon so anything on par with that
> would be fine.
> Kirstin
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>