In a world that is seemingly dominated by “the gamer”… we often associate video games and gaming to men and boys.
And basements.
But gaming isn’t just for basements and boys.
Our girls can dominate the screen time as well.
Are you shifting in your seat?
Screen time??? Screen time is bad!
Well… Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water.
With everything… moderation.
Except coffee and glitter, but I digress…
I was able to attend (and host!) the Games for Girl Summit in Seattle… Sponsored by Activision. Which means I got to see many of my local peeps, but did not get enough pictures of them…
Tammy (Tammy’s Two Cents), Louise (Mom Start), Leslie (24/7 Moms)
Marie (Make and Takes)
Toys and games (Activision)
The moms who came heard from Suzanne Kantra, the Editor-in-Chief of Techlicious.com, and Nicole Armstrong, the Director of Marketing at Activision. And, might I add both extremely delightful women. Delightful.
Suzanne presented research and perspective on the world of gaming and as it affects/relates to girls. I found the research she presented interesting…
- Experiencing success
- Coordination (reference pdf here)
- How failing can be beneficial (gamers fail 80% of the time)
- Pushes the individual to do better
I see you raising your hand… “But Jenny…”
Yes. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than one to two hours for kids older than 2.
As a parent… any activity must be moderated. Too much of anything isn’t good (exception: coffee, glitter…) … Parents must be involved. Invested. We must be “in the know” especially as it relates to the new technology our children are experiencing.
And friends. There is SO much to keep up on.
Nicole Armstrong shared some of the new Activision games available just in time for the holiday season. Games specifically geared toward girls. I appreciated the opportunity to attend and see what these 6 games girl-focused games are about:
Even the little ones can’t resist Wappy Dog!
Cute little baby of Kerri (The Maven of Social Media)
Being a mom of 2 girls… girls that like video games… but also a mom of daughters who has been discouraged by the primarily Barbie/princess options… I was excited tobe shown these new games.
Knowing my girls… I’m thinking Wappy Dog and ZhuZhu Babies might be big hits for us. But I hear Moshi Monsters are quite a hit… and suspect my littlest would get a kick out of Lalaloopsy.
Not that anything is wrong with princesses, but my mama’s heart can only indulge that for so long. And Barbie? Allowed, but not a direction in which I steer my girls’ attention.
My girls (6 and 9) want tech for Christmas this year. I left the Games for Girls Summit feeling better about my “gamer girls”… and better equipped to help lead my girls as they continue in their own journey into games and using technology.
I want to encourage their use of technology. That is where We are headed. I truly believe teaching them, guiding them and allowing them to discover their passion and how it relates to technology is so important in our world these days.
Oh, and we also have a trampoline.
*boing boing*
Disclosure: I was compensated by Business to Blogger to hostess this event… and received each of the highlighted games. Now my girls can see for themselves. All opinions and excitement… and trampoline are my own. And don’t tell my girls what they are getting for Christmas. M’kay? Thanks *wink*.
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