The effects of screens, especially in children, are regularly debated. Specialists formally advise against television before the age of 3, but what about interactive screens? Well, according to the Academy of Sciences, the tablets can contribute to the early cognitive awakening of the baby, even before two years, but with some conditions. On the one hand, the use must be supervised by an adult and on the other hand it must be limited in time, no more than a quarter of an hour per day. However, can a child start playing games so early and should we urgently buy him a video game console? Well… not really!
Contents 1 Video games, not recommended before the age of 3 2 From 3 to 6 years old:first experiences 3 Between 6 and 12 years old
Even if it is not fundamentally bad to leave your child – sparingly – in front of interactive stories or reflex games which are moreover more educational tools than real video games, before the age of 3, priority must be given activities that promote social contact, language, attention, development and imitation. A child who plays with his peers, manipulates objects, gets some fresh air and discovers the world around him, is more fulfilled and has less chance of becoming sedentary during adolescence. There is a time for everything. Early childhood is a very short, but very important period of time for cultivating curiosity and working on your imagination, so you might as well skip, at least for the moment, video games.
Some parents may choose to give a controller to the first time at 3 years old, others rather at 4 years old. If the child shows some interest in video games, there is no need to refuse them. However, some precautions are in order. You should not let the child play alone and the playing time should not exceed 30 minutes per day for a 3-year-old child and 1 hour for a 6-year-old child. The video game is above all a moment of sharing and discussion. To do this, you can choose titles that can be played by two or even four to encourage time spent with the family:racing games, dancing games, etc. For example, the Mario Kart license is a very good reference to introduce your child to video games. You can also try Just Dance , an excellent compromise between video games and physical exercise.
Otherwise, you can choose any title, as long as it is marked PEGI 3. The PEGI standard is a European rating system that classifies games by age:3, 7, 12, 16, 18. However , it does not reflect the difficulty of a game, but rather aims to warn you about the nature of the content that could shock. PEGI 3 games do not use foul language, sounds and images are not likely to be frightening, and there are no violent scenes.
From the age of 6, it is important to make children aware of digital content and above all to explain to them the difference in use that a game console or a computer can have. Indeed, a console is only entertainment, while a computer is also a tool for work and learning. If most children sooner or later learn to use a computer at school, you must also help them enjoy it and why not alternate between console and PC so that they can both work on their dexterity with a joystick, but also with a keyboard and a mouse. If you are looking for video game ideas, you can consult the Pedagojeux site which lists a set of titles and provides a critical analysis of their content and what they can bring to the child. Nevertheless, only a few titles are referenced there, for the others, test them yourself to judge the content!
The more the child grows, the more he can gain in autonomy. Some children prefer to make video games a solitary passion. However, make sure he does not play before going to sleep, which could disrupt his sleep cycle. Also consider installing parental controls to create a limit and prevent playing time from interfering with the practice of other activities. Also diversify the games:platform, action – pay attention to the PEGI classification, however, if in doubt, consult the database to check if the content is suitable for the age group – and why not strategy to help your child improve his reflexes while improving his management skills.
On the other hand, moderate their time spent in front of the internet and refrain from having them play massively multi-player games – World of Warcraft, League of Legends, Dofus, Fortnite… – which, if they are very addictive, can quickly become addictive. The video game should not replace another activity essential to the development of the child. Whatever its infatuation, advocate moderation.
