Toys and Games - Reviews and News

We are faced with additional challenges compared to those that faced our parents. Back in  the days of our youth almost all play took place outside the walls and protection of our house where concerns about skinned knees and bruises ran rampant, at worst we might talk to a stranger. Those are all things that our parents would be forced deal with back in the day. All grown up with families of our own we have (on top of the same problems our parents had) we have additional strain on us in the form of online video games. Playing games online leads to two major concerns that todays parents should be aware of. One is that some online games, since they offer anonymity, can be accessed by pedophiles and can talk to your child. Secondly we need to be aware of “griefers” or in layman’s terms cyber bullies who can make children’s online experiences bad.

Online gaming usually has a chatting option wherein our little one can chat with others. Mainly in strategy or barter based games talking is a huge part of the gameplay, but often talk spills over into the personal sphere. Stick to the basics before you go out and find your kids used street fighter 4

To ensure your childrens safety online here are a few basic tips that I would suggest implementing in your house to protect them from grifers and pedophiles alike, just do these before you go and find halo wars or some other games:

1.    Ensure that your kids comprehend - If you are about to set rules or boundaries, make sure you set some time for you to explain why you are doing this. Explain that its not that you do not trust him, its just that you are not very trusting when it comes to other people.

2.    Move the gaming system - Make sure that the computer is in the kitchen or the living room area. It makes it a lot easier to oversee your kids gameplay when you ar earound them reglaurly. Also, if the computer is in a well trafficked area, your child will also be able to interact with people in the real world.

3.    Educate - Tell your child to never give out the following information to people online:
a. True name
b. Contact details like address and phone number
c. State
d. Passwords
e. Social security numbers

4.    Use a fake name while playing online as your login ID, not personal info.

5.    Turn The Other Cheek - Ignore both strangers and bullies online. Strangers like this are looking for easy prey, if you just don’t respond they will go away after a few seconds.

6.    Do not stoop to their level - Make sure your kids know two rights don’t make a wrong and should never retaliate to a bully. Things only get harder as you reply.

7.    Ask an adult - Tell your child that when in doubt, when they do not know what to do and when they are scared, to ask help from you. Let them know that you are never too busy for you and that they shouldn’t be afraid to come and ask or call you to discuss any complex issues.

Follow these tips before you allow your kids to go on the net and play games once you’ve gotten them used resident evil 5

All my kids talk about getting every year for Christmas is video games if they don’t go downstairs and find Gears of War 2 under our new flocked christmas tree I do not know how they will survive. This drives me a little crazy since I like to encourage my kids to go outside. I would prefer to get them something like new football equipment or bikes, really anything they can do outside. Oh well I guess you just learn that kids are kids. Arguing with the boys over “appropriate” lengths of time is just too much work.

That being said I’ve tried to find some tricks for my family and video games. I do a couple of things in an effort to force them outside. First off I limit their time every day to one hour (they can earn more). I find placing a limit is important because then they know that anything above that is a privilege. To be more fair I’ve allowed them some methods of earning more television time. That leads me into my second trick. They have a few options to earn more television time, either playing outside or doing some chores for me. I like the chores option because it is nice for me to have a few less things to do, and the reward for them isn’t bad either. I set it up so it ends with one hour of chores earning one hour of television time.

The number two way they get more television time is by spending some of their time outside. For every hour they spend outside they get fifteen minutes of video games. Like I say this isn’t a huge payoff, but I also don’t really think asking them to be outside is a huge thing to ask. This mostly pays off for them on weekends. They can play outdoors for the day on Saturday and then spend the night playing video games. I do not even mind if they play a night of video games after a good day outside.

That being said I’m ok with one or two ending up under artificial flocked christmas tree this year , that is if it allows for the positives of getting the boys outside and making them a little more obedient. They had better like the games they’re getting, because I know I’ll like my “gift” of one more thing to use “against” my boys.

Solutions Through Fun is an initiative started by the British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) as part of their ongoing campaign to highlight the value of play in child development. In the words of Oscar Wilde: ‘The best way to make children good is to make them happy’.

The BTHA have produced an immensely useful and informative booklet that is intended to provide parents and carers with help in improving the quality of the time that they spend with their children. Interestingly, all of the tips and suggestions in the booklet come from children themselves. (Download ‘Solutions Through Fun‘ PDF 982kb)

As noted in the booklet, in 1980 less than a third of mothers of young children worked whereas in 2004 around 55% of mothers of children aged between 1 and 5 were working. The amount of time that working parents can spare to spend playing with their children has fallen significantly and many parents and carers wish that they had more time to spare. The little time that is available is often eaten up by domestic chores, DIY and restng after a hard day at work.

The booklet provides some genuinely useful, practical ideas that can be used to make family life more fun. Even if you only have ten minutes to spare this valuable time can be put to good use in playing with your children by telling jokes, doing puzzles together, playing short games, reading together and even doing the housework!

Children learn a lot through playing with their parents or carers. Footballs, board games, puzzles and traditional childrens toys will all be familiar playthings that most parents will recall having played with when they were young. Sharing their experience with their youngsters can fulfill the childrens desire to interact and have fun together.