WOW! The Activision Family Game Summit was not only a ton of fun; it was a pretty great learning experience too!
A Panel of experts that included Nicole Armstrong [director of marketing at Activision-pictured above left], Suzanne Kantra [Techlicious.com], Patricia Vance [President of the ESRB] and Soleil Moon Frye [actress, author and entrepeneur] discussed the benefits of family gaming and some of the great tools that are available to help make the best content choices for your famliy.
FUN FACTS ON THE BENEFITS OF FAMILY GAMING:
Did you know?
- Children who play video games tend to perform 10%-20% higher in terms of perceptual cognitive ability compared to non-game players.
- Children who play video games perform 23% higher on creative tests.
- Pre-school aged children who play video games have better motor control and hand/eye coordination.
- Children who play video games have higher reaction times
- Video games teach everyday skills, such as: delegating, responsibility.
- Video games can be used as an interactive resource for children with Autism. They allow children with Autism to have a predictable interaction [recommended game titles: Happy Action Theater and Dance Central]
- Video games can be helpful in combating anger issues and depression* [*study conducted by Boston Children's Hospital].
CHOOSE THE RIGHT GAMES FOR YOUR FAMILY WITH THESE GREAT RESOURCES:
- Find great family friendly games, online content and resources at www.CommonSenseMedia.org
- The ESRB [www.esrb.org] helps parents navigate the gaming world with their video game ratings system and Online Privacy Seal. They also offer a great Family Discussion Guide to help parents initiate a productive discussion on gaming and online safety.
- Download the ESRB Rating Search App to your Android /iPhone app [free in the Google Play store]
PICTURED ABOVE: Activision Family Game Line-up For The 2012 Holiday Season Offers Something For Everyone
TIPS FOR IMPLEMENTING FAMILY GAMING IN A BENEFICIAL WAY:
- Regulate family game time.
- Keep gaming devices in a public area in your home.
- Set up blocks by age/rating on your gaming system.
- Password protect gaming systems in your home.
- Educate your children. Set clear boundaries and let them know what games are acceptable to play in your home [and when they visit their friends homes.]
- Use the ESRB ratings to select age appropriate games for your children.
- Monitor online gaming content and the amount of time that your children spend online with your wireless router's settings [custom settings vary by model.]
One of my fondest memories from childhood is playing Super Mario Brothers with my brothers; it was a common ground where we could really relate and have a good time together. As a mother, it's been interesting to see my own children do just the same. They absolutely LOVE to play Wii and Xbox Kinect together! We also tend to play games on the Wii and Kinect as a family, on weekends. As a parent, it's an activity that I can actively endorse because I know that they are not only spending time together, but they are also learning together as well.
The Acitivision Family Game Summit was an incredibly fun informative day!
Activision has an extensive line-up of fun games for the entire family this Holiday Season! Games include:
- Lalaloopsy: Carnival of Friends
- Bratz: Fashion Boutique
- Moshi Monsters: Moshling Theme Park
- TRANSFORMERS PRIME
- The Trash Pack
- Wreck-it Ralph
- Wipeout 3
- Angry Birds Trilogy
- Skylanders Giants
Ready to experience some of the fun that Activision has to offer this Holiday Season?
(1) One Savvy Mom reader will receive a fun gift pack [contents pictured above] that includes some of the goodies that were included in the gift bags at the Activision Family Game Summit! The gift pack will include [RV$125]:
- (1)Skylanders Giants Starter Pack for Nintendo Wii
- (1) Angry Birds [red bird] plush
- (1) Transformers Prime Action Figure
- (1) $10 Target Gift Card
- (1) Canvas Tote bag with the Activision Family Game Summit logo
HOW TO ENTER (leave a separate comment on this post for each method of entry that you complete) :
- Follow through Google friend connect on bottom of page - (please make sure that your email is visible in your profile. If it is not visible please leave a valid email address in your comments so we can contact you if you win
- Tell us one thing that you learned about family gaming in this post that you hope to implement in your home [let us know in a comment on this post].
- Tweet (cut and paste the following) Learn about the Benefits of Family #Gaming + #Win a @ATVI_Family #Holiday Prize Pack [RV$125] @one_savvymom http://www.onesavvymom.net #Giveaway [can be tweeted up to 2x daily] + 2 Entries (per tweet)
- Follow One Savvy Mom on Twitter www.twitter.com/one_savvymom +2 Entries
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Open to residents of the U.S. and Canada . Entries must be received by December 27, 2012 at 12 PM PST. Reader(s) will be drawn at random through www.random.org and must confirm their shipping details within 48 hours from the time that the email notification is sent (or another winner will be chosen in place).
