Mama or dada used to be child first words, these days bored seems to be their first utterance. Finding engrossing entertainment for children is no easy task, as their attention spans are half or less that of an adult. Television seems to do a good job entertaining, but between the gazillion ads, and the passiveness of their engagement, you might not like the outcome of too much television. Your answer could reside in the computer. A computer game can capture their attention, and a good computer game can be a helpful tool in enhancing your child's creative thinking process.
Creative thinking and problem solving is not something most people are born with, but can be learned utilizing the right skills. We parents are often guilty in delaying the process of developing these skills in children by stepping in and solving their problems for them immediately. Television also declares complex problems solved within the time frame of the show, often in half an hour, and all is well. In the perfect world of Walgreen's that would be no problem, but unfortunately, though we may live within driving distance of a Walgreen, we do not live in their advertised, pretend world. The world in which we do live allows problems to arise at the most inopportune times: their first sleep over with a group of other kids; an extended trip when the children have to stay at grandma. The first day of school of your child when you are not there to help, problems arise. In steps the world of creative thinking, problem solving, and computer games.
This does not mean you plop your child in front of a computer to search for games that entertain. Oh, no, no, no! At the very least, in the beginning, you must be involved in the games that are chosen for their entertainment. But, do not tell them the games are anything except entertaining games, do not mention the word educational or they may balk or worse yet, declare it boring before they play for five minutes. You should also set limits and rules for the amount of time and/or time of day they can play on the computer, and stick to it.
This means you need to educate yourself about what games are available for the skills you want your child to engage in learning. You know your child likes and dislikes, what seems to grab his attention even for short periods. They might enjoy watching sports with their dad, or they might love watching tropical fish. Maybe their room is decorated with some cartoon character. You could even steer your child to something you might think could capture their interest. Whatever a child might be interested in, you would likely be able to find a game with their favorite subject or character as a central figure. After that, discover what lesson the game teaches, as it is played. Is it an ongoing game or done in short segments? What are the problems posed that your child must overcome? Is it easily within your child skill level or will it frustrate them? Of course if you become engrossed, you have to give over the mouse to your child, sharing is a lesson well learned, too.
To get you started, you might check Big Thinkers Kindergarten or Freddi Fish Adventures. These are just a couple of learning games for younger children, but there are many more to be found for this age group and many for older children as well.
Problem solving through entertainment is a great way to teach your children skills that will serve them throughout their lifetime. Learning need not come in the form of a composition book and be declared boring, it can be packaged in a computer game, and be fun and engaging.
