Toddler gaming part 2—commercial games for the very young | Castle in the Air http://castle-in-the-air.com/2007/09/07/toddler-gaming-part-2%e2%80%94commercial-games-for-the-very-young/ Thoughts on games and other passions Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:32:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 Toddler gaming part 2—commercial games for the very young | Castle in the Air http://castle-in-the-air.com/2007/09/07/toddler-gaming-part-2%e2%80%94commercial-games-for-the-very-young/#comment-229 Mark Tue, 11 Sep 2007 08:26:47 +0000 http://castle-in-the-air.com/2007/09/07/toddler-gaming-part-2%e2%80%94commercial-games-for-the-very-young/#comment-229 I hoping, when my daughter is a little older, she'll be interesting in creating stories. Right now I read to her every night, but I'd like to make up a story for her and let her modify it as I tell it. I thought this might be a nice way to introduce her to roleplaying/storytelling. But we have *so* many books to get through... :) I hoping, when my daughter is a little older, she’ll be interesting in creating stories. Right now I read to her every night, but I’d like to make up a story for her and let her modify it as I tell it. I thought this might be a nice way to introduce her to roleplaying/storytelling. But we have *so* many books to get through… :)

]]> Toddler gaming part 2—commercial games for the very young | Castle in the Air http://castle-in-the-air.com/2007/09/07/toddler-gaming-part-2%e2%80%94commercial-games-for-the-very-young/#comment-226 Alec Bings Mon, 10 Sep 2007 11:48:31 +0000 http://castle-in-the-air.com/2007/09/07/toddler-gaming-part-2%e2%80%94commercial-games-for-the-very-young/#comment-226 He Mark, I heartily agree. It's wonderful to see anything—<em>anything</em>—become a toy in my daughter's hands. And it's wonderful to see the way a game becomes a toy. The pleasure she took in pretending to eat a sandwich made of cards designed to look like a sandwich was great. Her pleasure in pretending to eat a sandwich made out of dice was even greater. Deep down, I think storytelling and imagination are a big, big part of good games. Oh, the "gamey" rules end is important and fun, too, but completely divorced from "pretending" it becomes more interesting than pleasureable. I'm excited to see what other lessons about games I learn as I watch my daughter grow. As for looking in RPG books, well, my daughter was recently very disappointed with the new GURPS Martial Arts. It has a promisingly lurid cover, but they eliminated almost all artwork in favor of text. Me, I appreciate the text. My two year old . . . not so much. --Alec He Mark,

I heartily agree. It’s wonderful to see anything—anything—become a toy in my daughter’s hands. And it’s wonderful to see the way a game becomes a toy. The pleasure she took in pretending to eat a sandwich made of cards designed to look like a sandwich was great. Her pleasure in pretending to eat a sandwich made out of dice was even greater.

Deep down, I think storytelling and imagination are a big, big part of good games. Oh, the “gamey” rules end is important and fun, too, but completely divorced from “pretending” it becomes more interesting than pleasureable.

I’m excited to see what other lessons about games I learn as I watch my daughter grow.

As for looking in RPG books, well, my daughter was recently very disappointed with the new GURPS Martial Arts. It has a promisingly lurid cover, but they eliminated almost all artwork in favor of text. Me, I appreciate the text. My two year old . . . not so much.

–Alec

]]> Toddler gaming part 2—commercial games for the very young | Castle in the Air http://castle-in-the-air.com/2007/09/07/toddler-gaming-part-2%e2%80%94commercial-games-for-the-very-young/#comment-221 Mark Sat, 08 Sep 2007 18:37:10 +0000 http://castle-in-the-air.com/2007/09/07/toddler-gaming-part-2%e2%80%94commercial-games-for-the-very-young/#comment-221 My daughters turned three and my experience of getting her to play games is about the same. Puzzles are about the only "game" she'll play as they were intended. Everything else is just a toy, which is really fine at her age. I'd like to introduce her to more games, but she's not that bothered, getting more fun out of the, cliché, cardboard box and her world of pretend. I don't mind TBH. When she was even smaller she used to love taking down "Daddy's books" (all roleplaying books) to look at the pictures because they were big, bright and colourful. My daughters turned three and my experience of getting her to play games is about the same. Puzzles are about the only “game” she’ll play as they were intended. Everything else is just a toy, which is really fine at her age. I’d like to introduce her to more games, but she’s not that bothered, getting more fun out of the, cliché, cardboard box and her world of pretend.

I don’t mind TBH. When she was even smaller she used to love taking down “Daddy’s books” (all roleplaying books) to look at the pictures because they were big, bright and colourful.

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