Caution
and Fun are the Last Words in Choosing Games for
Girls
How Can a Girl Have Fun and
Still Play a Game That's Educational?
Males and females are
different in the way they learn and the way they
play. These tips will help make you aware of some
red flags to look for when choosing a game for your
young daughter. Mixed messages are everywhere
today.
Though this applies to both
sexes, the images and ideas that girls can get that
lead them in the wrong direction are much more
prominent. As the mother or father of a girl, you
have to pay a bit more attention about what they
are seeing, learning, and doing as they grow up as
these things will shape who they are as adults.
Good Game -- Bad
Game
When it comes to games for
girls, there are some out there that are going to
be good for them, and some that should be avoided
at all costs. Before you buy games or allow them to
find some online, think about your values and what
you want them to learn.
She Should Have
Fun!
Some games for girls are
going to be all about fun, and as long as that is
what you see in the game, there is no harm in them
playing these games. These are often games that
boys and girls alike can play and what they teach
is something that every child can learn.
These things might be
sharing, taking turns, simple math or reading, and
how to work towards winning but to also lose
gracefully. These are lifelong lessons, but they
can begin with simple games for girls when they are
younger.
Gender Specific
Games
What you may not want to
allow them to do is to play too many games that are
all about fashion, boys, and being popular. There
is nothing wrong with a game or two like this, but
it should not be the main theme of all of the games
that they play.
Clothes and playing dress up
are nice, and having a lot of friends are nice, but
some girls put too much emphasis on these things
and that makes them rather selfish and shallow when
they get older. Allow a few fun games like these,
but make sure you find quality games for them to
play otherwise so they have balance – and
balance is the key.
Rated PG
Some games are a bit too
graphic for younger children, girls in particular,
yet they are out there online for just about anyone
who wants to sign up. If your daughter is looking
for games for girls online, see if you can help her
when she looks them up and chooses what she wants
to play.
That way you know she is not
getting into a game that has her killing people or
stealing money – that sort of thing. If you
find her playing that sort of game, talk to her
about it. You can tell from the conversation if she
is taking it well or if it is something she should
stop doing. Avoid her starting these games if you
can, but if not, do damage control.
Positive Themes Girls
Games
There are some sets out there
that teach very positive lessons and have great
themes that all parents can agree are good for
their children. No matter what games you allow the
girls to play otherwise, try to find room in your
family time for these games.
About Females and Playing
Videos
There’s a big difference
between video games for boys and video games for
girls. Arguably, the majority of video game
products are targeted at boys in general, and
you’ll see a lot of action-oriented games that
usually have male protagonists.
In more recent times, the
video game industry has expanded its target
consumer base and began to include female gamers,
but video games for girls aren’t anything like
what video games usually embody. You can tell when
you’re looking at game for girls right off the
bat because you’ll see pink and sparkles, or
some otherwise “girly” palette of color
and design accompanied by girls with expressions of
excitement on the cover having fun together.
The subject matter of girls
video games mostly involves domestic tasks or other
stereotypical activities and behavior attributed to
females: Cooking Mama, Imagine: Fashion Designer,
Diss and Make Up: The Clique. A game about dealing
with high school drama? Really?
Compare these to games like
Grand Theft Auto, or Metroid, a first person
shooter with a female protagonist, a game with a
girl that’s drastically different from a game
for a girl.
It’s not like the video
game industry is a completely sexist domain that
excludes girls from joining in. Many popular video
games like Super Mario and Tetris are pretty unisex
and it’s not unusual for girls to have grown
up playing them, but you’re much more likely
to see girls playing “masculine” games
than the other way around.
There wouldn’t be such a
problem with girls playing Transformers or Zelda,
but lots of guys would be embarrassed to be seen
playing Hannah Montana or Pony Friends.
No doubt that there are many
girls that enjoy “feminine” activities
and enjoy video games for girls on the market, or
else they wouldn’t make any money and there
wouldn’t be any point in producing them. But
it’s not fair to think that that’s all
girls would want to play.
With a considerable number of
women working in the video game industry,
you’d think that they would have a say in what
sorts of games released, or that they would say
something.
We can’t say for sure
what’s going on behind the scenes, but out
here a lot of us are sick of the video game
industry’s interpretation of what games for
girls should be. Sure, we may cook and care about
fashion but sometimes we like to shoot things up
too.
Make Them Feel Better about
Themselves
Some games teach girls how to
build their self esteem, that they are important,
and that they can do great things with their lives.
Those are the most important lessons and sometimes
parents do not know how to say those things to
their girls. With a little searching, you can find
games for your daughters that back up what you are
trying to say – loud and clear.
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Other
Tips for Playing Family
Games
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