I’ve been reading How Computer Games Help Children Learn . It’s a fantastic book. He covers many areas relevant to kids and video games, and I’ll definitely be covering more of this book on our blog.

Here is an interesting quote from his book that stood out for me: “There are plenty of bad games out there, just as there are plenty of bad books. But there are plenty of good ones too, and the only way you can help young people become discerning players is to become literate yourself.

Find some games - at least one, and preferably more - that you think are good, that you enjoy playing, and that make you think in interesting ways.”

This speaks exactly to our goal at Kid Confidence - helping parents to find those “good games” amongst all the thousands of computer games that are published each year.

I grew up playing computer games, and now that I have two daughters (ages 7 and 4) I really enjoy playing certain games with them. One of our favorites is Zoo Tycoon 2. I’ve been playing this game with my oldest daughter ever since it was released. In this game, you deal with all the elements necessary to build a zoo: planning the animal habitats, animal diets and activities, planning the zoo attractions, restrooms, restaurants, etc. It is truly a fun, engaging game to play.

And the best thing is that we’re learning along the way, without even thinking of it as an “educational” activity. My daughter knows so much about the diet and habitat requirements of emperor penguins, African Elephants, and many other animals. She understands that if she has great animal exhibits, they will attract lots of guests, and then she will need more refreshment areas and restrooms. She has a virtual economy to manage. She is building a “model” in her head of how these things work, and I think that’s great.

If you’re reading this, take please 2 seconds to tell me what your favorite “learning” game is that other parents might like to play with their kids!

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