Category: Article

The point of Minecraft seems simple: build practically anything you can imagine. Some kids recreate famous pieces of architecture, others express their creativity through grand designs.

Since 2009, Minecraft has sold over 20 million copies. And if that seems like a typical blockbuster, don’t be fooled — it isn’t. Graphics are boxy and blurry, and sounds are primitive at best.

So why do kids obsess over it? Read More

Children of all ages are spending hours every day playing videos games, yet many parents struggle to understand why. Here’s our essential guide.

For people who don’t play video games, they can seem like a strange and vaguely threatening interloper into the household.

These noisy yet seemingly seductive things are on computers, on smartphones and tablets, and on expensive consoles that your kids will tell you everyone else has. And if you’re not buying them for your children, your children are probably playing them elsewhere.

Even if you never intend to play a game in your life, you should probably know about them – if only to understand what it is that drags other people in. Here’s everything you need to know and were to embarrassed to ask. Read More

So much of the discussion of school comes down to video games. Especially for boys. And here’s why: in most cases, if you tell boys they can spend their time doing whatever they want, and they can learn whatever is interesting to them, they will learn a lot about video games.

It’s difficult for most parents to allow their kids to play video games for hours and hours every day. I know, so I spend a lot of time reading about the effects of video games to understand the dilemma. And the first thing I’ll tell you is that research based on “screen time” which includes television, concludes that it’s detrimental to kids in large doses. Research specific to video games shows largely positive effects from high engagement. Read More

It’s pretty much a fact, most kids love video games. It’s also true that most parents are not enthused by their kid’s gaming habits. While it’s easy to see the value in educational games, is there really any educational value in a game like the Sims? We recently attended a great seminar which turned our ideas of gaming, learning, and their place in the home upside down. Read More