How Video Games Can Help Teach Kids An Important Life Skill
Video games can take up your child’s (or your) day. In fact, kids spend time online on games and on their gaming consoles. There are even games on their phones and sometimes sneak it in during school! . But, there are advantages to gameplay. Experts say it has some benefits in memory work, and even helping to cultivate negotiation skills.
According to CNET, kids are learning helpful financial skills and a life skill or two, in video games like Animal Crossing and Minecraft. Although many will say that online gameplay is not exactly beneficial, it is giving the players a chance to get a taste of financial literacy before they actually need it.
Statistically, 71 percent of children in the US play video games. And many of those games rely on the power of negotiation (a great life skill), how the stock market works, and even how bills like mortgages work. Although the biggest and most popular game that checks all these boxes right now is Animal Crossing.
However, many other video games feature community building, corporation, learning how to work together, financial concepts are present. Experts say that any game in which children can learn how value is assessed and the power of saving is a great life skill. Even if it is a saving allowance to buy a game at Game Stop.
Virtual Reality is a huge trend in video games right now–and that is not going away any time soon. Experts say that VR does have tremendous educational potential. It is even being used for training in the retail space. In addition, Best Buy is selling a VR suite of tools that has its own curriculum and installation kit installed in the classroom.
ClassVR is only one of many types of educational tools designed to use in class, with a teacher. The project was designed with an instructional designer and in concert with many strategic partners. Educational video games are said to help teach complex subjects and topics.
It’s not just VR that is being utilized in the classroom. It’s other online video games like Prodigy (math), Kahoot, and MinecraftEdu. These games give kids a chance to learn in ways they feel comfortable. This generation is filled with digital natives so they are more used to computers than any other medium. Writing with a pencil is almost foreign.
But, when it comes to video games, the good ‘ol XBox or PlayStation 5 is a great option. As far as educational games on these consoles, they actually exist as well! There is a wide variety of games that teach information on space travel, geography, and math. And, of course, Minecraft is in the XBox educational game category again.
According to experts, game-based learning is the future. Some video games are experiential and that helps kids understand the experience of the past or a certain place in the world. Game-based learning also helps players retain knowledge and also encourages the desire to learn more! That’s a great life skill as well.
Remember, not all great educational games are online. A game-based strategy for learning has been used for a long time and has always proven successful. Even games like “Head’s Up 7 Up” (remember that one) encourage observational powers and context clues.
