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Forums - Gaming Discussion - When to start gaming

sc94597 said:
Platina said:
Kids with too much exposure to games can't learn to concentrate on other things like reading books and such.. Of course, this does not apply to everyone but it is really troublesome to keep children entertained (without games) after they have been exposed to games.

Depends on the kid really. Video Games helped me learn to read. I got into Pokemon (and other JRPG's)  when I was 6/7 while I was learning how to read, and it helped a lot. Then i was reading children novels in second grade (Harry Potter), while in class we had pamphlets with three sentences on each page. Kids will find other things to be distracted by if they really want to.   As long as you just set a time limit on games when you feel that they are becoming overwhelming. 

Yeah, like I said, it will vary but in general, I don't think it is a good idea for age 3-4 to play video games so soon



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I find it hard to believe that a 3-4 year old can get addicted to anything, other than maybe television (I admit I was addicted and had insomnia when I was that age,.) The attention-spans at that age are just so short for addictions. It doesn't seem like kids appreciate games so much that they can become addicted until they've been in school for a year or two.



As long as you're not introducing him to an M rated game, it should be fine.



"Just for comparison Uncharted 4 was 20x bigger than Splatoon 2. This shows the huge difference between Sony's first-party games and Nintendo's first-party games."

Above the age of 3 should be fine. Buy him an Atari 2600, it's simple and fun for kids. Don't let him play too much tho, addiction is bad, mkay?



I started at 4, with an atari and quickley moved to NES with super mario and talespin



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get them exposed to minecraft as soon as possible!



I started my Sister with Minecraft around 5-6 mainly because it's building and creative aspects.



sc94597 said:
It was my mother who introduced me to gaming when I was three. Back then we'd play platformers mostly: Mario and Donkey Kong.


Me too :D my mom introduced my to gaming when I was 3. We were playing Super Mario World and Donkey Kong Country together.



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My uncle handed me his gameboy when I was 4 and a half.



In this day and age, it's important to get kids familiarised with technology as early as possible. By the time today's toddlers are going to school, a greater chunk of their learning will be through hands-on technology. Already, some secondary schools here recommend a touch-screen tablet as an essential piece of classroom equipment for every pupil. When my youngest was just six years old, his homework sometimes involved logging onto a Maths website and completing tasks set by the teacher - it was expected even at that age to know how to use a browser.

Games are the best way for kids - and adults - to learn how to use the technology. I'm old enough to remember when Windows was first introduced to our office, and everyone was required to spend time playing Minesweeper as part of their training, so they could get used to using a mouse.

Here, the BBC has its own educational games website for the 3 - 5 age group, based around kids' TV characters. Introducing kids to videogames at an early age is a good thing. It helps them learn to read and to do simple maths without even realising it. But it should have its place among the rest of the kid's toys and activities, and time in front of the screen should be limited. For one thing, their eyesight is not fully developed until they're around six, so it is best not to let them strain their eyes.

It's important to be with them when they play, though, and particularly if it's on a PC, because they quickly learn how to click on links and browse! So I would say choose educational games, but be involved with it - don't let the technology become a babysitter.