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Best Benefits of Playing Video Games Together
Emotions & Self-AwarenessSocial SkillsCharacter

BEST BENEFITS OF PLAYING VIDEO GAMES TOGETHER

By Samantha Gratton
Dec 20, 2023
Author:

Samantha Gratton

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If your kids are like mine, they love playing video games! Joining them is a
great way to connect and create a shared experience with my kids. While we play,
I learn from them, hear their thoughts, and cheer them on!

“We know that games are the number one activity for kids on mobile, tablet, and
desktop,” said Abby Jenkins, Senior Director of Content for PBS KIDS. She and
her team make fun educational video games that help kids learn social and
emotional learning, problem-solving, and computational thinking skills. “We’re
focused on helping kids find content that they love and want to play but in
service of those key learning goals.”

GAMES ARE A GREAT TIME TO BOND AS A FAMILY.

Playing video games together can be a great way to bond as a family. You can
navigate different challenges, take turns, and share helpful tips. It’s fun to
see my son show his little sister how to get through a tricky part of a game or
hear her encourage him. For me and my husband, it can also be fun to relive our
own childhood memories as we dust off some of the same video games we played as
kids to now play with our children.

“I love video games,” said Adam Buchweitz, who has been making video games for
15 years and is currently a lead developer at LAN Party Technologies, which
builds virtual game rooms for people to enjoy playing video games together. He
recently played a video game full of puzzles with his daughter for the first
time. It had them work together as a team while they raced against the clock.
“The experience — I don’t know that I’ll ever forget it. I don’t know that [she]
will ever forget it, and she’s only five!”

He encourages parents to be thoughtful and intentional when looking for the
right video games to play with their kids. “It’s not free babysitting,” said
Buchweitz, who suggests playing together instead of letting young children play
alone. “If you engage with them, you can be the voice of reason.”

GAMES CAN HAVE EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS.

Video games can build on what kids are already learning and doing, from finding
patterns to making artistic creations. Some educational video games promote
memory or problem-solving skills. Other video games focus on creating and
working together.

“There are so many types of games in the PBS KIDS Games app,” said Jenkins. “We
think building on a child’s interest is a great entry point to finding content
that they’re going to love. If they are interested more in creating and
building, there’s something for you to do. If they’re interested in creative and
pretend play, there’s something there for you.”

You might be surprised to find some parts of the game playing out daily. For
example, working together to follow the recipe in a game may help your child
follow directions and work with other family members to make dinner.

“One of the moments where we think that’s such a win is when kids continue to
play when they’re done playing the game,” said Jenkins. Her hope is for the
video games to spark curiosity in kids.

GAMES ENCOURAGE LEARNING THROUGH PLAY.

When playing, kids can explore another imaginative world or scenario. Some
educational games help show the perspective of the character in the game.
Helping other characters to meet their needs in the game can build empathy.

Another one of the benefits of playing video games together is the chance for
families to talk. Jenkins said, “We have found that kids are naturally talking
and narrating their own play while they are playing a game. So, it’s just a
great way to hear what kids are saying and how they are reacting while they are
playing and maybe get some insights.”

HERE’S A LIST OF PBS KIDS GAMES TO PLAY TOGETHER:

Arthur vs. D.W.: Have a little sibling competition going on in your house? Take
it to the court and see if you can send the most socks to the basket in this
two-player game.

Babysitting Squee: To practice caring for someone and building empathy, help
Jelly, Ben, and Pogo look after Squee. Ask your child what they like best when
with a babysitter.

Pinkamazing Family Game: Play this game for silly prompts to draw or act. Then,
see what parts of the game you take beyond the app. This game is designed to
span all ages and can be played by up to four people.

Tea Party: For open-ended play, join Daniel Tiger and his friends for some tea.
Ask your child what snacks they like best and pretend alongside them.

Canoe Quest: Help Molly paddle through the river rapids and collect rocks while
learning science facts. Afterward, see if your child wants to go on a nature
adventure together to see what you can find!

Hide & Seek: In this two-player game, take turns helping hide with Elinor and
her friends. Then, have the other person click to find them.

Story Emporium: With this game, you can pick out different parts to create a
story together. Take turns making decisions or decide together what will happen
to the “Work it Out Wombats” characters.

Find your favorite games to play together on PBS KIDS Games!

Author:

Samantha Gratton is a freelance writer and mother of two young children. With a
background in journalism, she covers parenting and families, artists and
musicians, and small businesses. She loves hearing and sharing life stories,
building community with her neighbors, and eating a little bit of chocolate
every day.

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