On the last day of term, my brother and I would race home and wrestle for sole possession of our Sega Mega Drive. It would usually end in a scolding from our parents and a staunch order to share. Throwing our bitterness aside, we’d sit together and embark on adventures in the virtual worlds of games like Golden Axe (1989) and Streets of Rage (1991).
These are some of my fondest childhood memories. Gaming ignited a passion and curiosity in me that has led to a career as a games journalist. When I was growing up in the Nineties, video games were a niche interest, but today the industry is worth hundreds of billions of pounds and there are more than three billion gamers around the world. There’s a good chance your child is one of them.
There is also an outdated misconception among some parents that video games will rot their children’s brains. We need to reframe how we think about gaming as it can be a powerful force for good if used appropriately, just like any form of entertainment.
Gaming is still a big part of my life and now I have a six-month-old son, I’ve thought hard about how I’ll parent him around games when he’s old enough to play with my PS5 controller instead of trying to eat it. Here are my tips on how to enjoy video games with your children.
Super Mario Odyssey is a family-friendly game
How and when to start
I started playing games at the age of four. For younger kids, I’d recommend using a Nintendo Switch (or the upcoming Switch 2) as there are tons of games that are family-friendly, like Lego Star Wars and Super Mario Odyssey. Other consoles such as the PS5 have titles like Astro Bot and Sackboy: A Big Adventure. This is just a chance to introduce them to the concept of gaming and using a controller. (All the games I just named are rated seven plus, but they’re extremely mild.)
Screen time is a concern for many parents. Once your child is playing alone, you can utilise parental controls (see below) to manage how long they game for or to create a schedule. Be sure to blend their game time with other important activities like playing outdoors or reading.
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A family that games together …
This is the easiest tip. I cherish the time I spent beating my dad at Mario Kart 64 and the evenings training my mum (terribly) to play Fifa 99. Games are designed to be fun and they can bond a family through shared experiences.
Research supports this: playing games as a family will develop healthy social behaviours and facilitate open communication. Seek out titles like Overcooked (great for children aged three and up), a chaotic cooking game that’s primed for teamwork. Or there’s Minecraft (ages seven and upwards)which lets you get creative with your kids. Alternatively, something like Super Mario Bros Wonderwill unite you in laughter. (Again, it’s perfect for kids aged three or above.)
The Overcooked series is great for developing teamwork skills
Actively asking your children about the games they’re playing is important too. How did they solve that puzzle? What’s the story about? That will positively encourage their interest and give them the opportunity to teach you something.
Thoroughly research a game’s content and don’t give in to peer pressure
My parents didn’t have to worry about me watching a sex scene in Donkey Kong Country or a mass murder in Tetris, but contemporary games can feature all that and more. Researching a game’s content through organisations like Pegi will help you find age-appropriate titles and put your mind at ease.
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Your child will probably face peer pressure to play this game or that game — or pretend they are. Some kids will get their hands on a copy of Grand Theft Auto VI (strictly for adults)when it comes out next year, but speaking with your children about why they can’t play it, instead of delivering an outright “no”, will breed understanding rather than resentment.
Use games as a tool for learning
Video games are inherently interactive and therefore engaging. Studies now conclude that gaming can forge a path toward reading and aid literacy for many children. Eighty-eight per cent of young gamers told a survey for the National Literacy Trust that they read messages from friends or family within game platforms, so it’s an important form of communication.
Titles like Shashingo (ages three and up)teach Japanese through the art of photography. The typically violent Assassin’s Creed series has a downloadable mode that strips away the combat and allows the player to wander freely through the lands of ancient Greece and Egypt; schools have even used it in history and geography lessons.
Even more traditional games can educate: Portal and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom(both 12 plus)encourage players to use physics and logic while story-driven games like Venba (seven plus)will introduce your children to other cultures.
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Apply parental controls
Online gaming is a great way to socialise. Many of us used it to great effect during the Covid pandemic, but there are pitfalls. Children can enter virtual spaces with strangers or be subject to abuse. Applying parental controls can counter this.
Resources from publishers like Epic Games — maker of Fortnite, which your child will almost certainly play — will help you to manage who they interact with, how much time they spend gaming and prevent them from spending a fortune on in-game items like character costumes.
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