Minecraft is a kind of Lego for the computer or tablet, where you can create your own world from virtual blocks with a lot of creativity and skill.
The game world in Minecraft consists mainly of cubes or blocks. These are always the same size, but is procedurally generated and thus looks different in each run. The world in Minecraft is made of different materials, for example, wood or earth. In different modes, these cubes are used differently:
In creative mode, players combine these cubes and build houses, models, or even working computers. In this way, they create their very own world, which they shape creatively and change constantly. This function is now even used by schools for learning. The materials used do not have to be collected, they are directly available to the players and can be used infinitely.
In survival mode, thanks to the tools, players can fight monsters and hide at night in the hut they built themselves. The big difference to the creative mode here is that the materials have to be collected by yourself and additionally a hunger bar and life bar have to be managed. Also, many of the items, such as chests, swords, doors, stoves, etc. must first be made. The level of difficulty can be adjusted so that there is something for every age group. This can be adjusted at any time in the game menu.
Minecraft can be played online with others, or offline alone. The current version of the game is 1.20.1.
Despite the simple graphics, which consist only of large pixels, Minecraft is very popular among children from about ten years old. Minecraft sets no limits to creativity. Players can create their very own virtual world and get excited about constructing landscapes and buildings and acquiring the raw materials they need. Playing with others especially challenges competition and strategy, but creating worlds together can also be a lot of fun and requires that you coordinate with each other.
Minecraft is released by the USK from the age of six. How well children cope with the game depends, among other things, on the game mode they choose: While Creative and Adventure modes are easy to handle, Survival and Hardcore modes are more about defense and survival. Here you have to overcome obstacles such as encountering monsters, which brings a certain tension.
Since the game doesn’t set its own limits, e.g. through different levels, it tempts you to play endlessly and lose yourself completely in the virtual world. Also, the control of the game can be difficult for inexperienced.
Minecraft offers in-app purchases, e.g. via the “Minecraft Marketplace”, the “Minecraft Marketplace”. This is a platform where gamers can buy skins, mini-games and other content. One popular offering is PvP maps, where players compete against each other in game worlds according to the “player vs. player” principle. Such paid elements are appealing to kids and teens because they enhance the gaming experience.
Some paid offers are unsuitable for younger children, for example, the “Scary Mods”, which makes the game environment more exciting with creepy creatures, gloomy environments, eerie sounds and events.
Minecraft belongs to Microsoft. Auf der Webseite gibt es die Datenschutzerklärung und Nutzungsbedingungen auf Deutsch. Data is processed and used for product improvement and may also be shared.
The game is designed to encourage creativity and problem-solving skills. In Sweden, it’s even on the curriculum. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind as a parent:
Younger children should be accompanied while playing in the beginning and should rather use the creative mode or easier difficulty levels of the survival mode. For older children, the hardcore mode may come into question later.
As always with media use, keep an eye on how much time your child spends playing. Make sure to adhere to set media use times and discuss together as a family which modes your child is allowed to play. Make sure the content is age-appropriate and control what content your child is allowed to purchase and use. Some offers in the “marketplace” are not suitable for younger children.
Players can communicate with each other in Minecraft using the chat function. In the process, children are exposed to communication risks such as conflicts, cyberbullying, but also cybergrooming. Talk to your child about being respectful in chat, encourage them to block and report inappropriate messages. This way, your child can protect themselves from harassment. Explain to your child that he or she should not disclose personal information such as name and address in the chat.
Using the Parental Control feature of a Microsoft account, communication functions can be restricted to friends only or disabled completely. Access to in-game purchases can also be controlled via the control function.
The game was tested for accessibility as part of the Gaming without Borders project. In the areas of comprehension, control and hearing, Minecraft already does a lot right in terms of accessibility, according to the test results. The game is quite suitable for children and young people with impairments. However, some hurdles were identified in the “vision” area, making it difficult for people with visual impairments to use. However, Mojang as a developer studio is also interested and working to build accessibility.
Digital games are a popular pastime among children and young people. People also like to play via the Internet. There are various game sites on the net where children can play, some for free and some for a fee. Beim Spiel allein oder im Team werden verschiedene Fähigkeiten gefördert, aber vor allem sogenannte Multiplayer-Spiele bergen auch Gefahren wie Mobbing.
Many games portals that are particularly popular with children and young people, such as spielaffe.de, are financed by advertising. This is the only way they can offer the games for free. In return, children are confronted with many advertisements and links to external partners. Not every child is able to distinguish advertising from the actual content of the website and may thus unintentionally end up on other pages.
Play monkey is not made specifically for children. Not all games are suitable for every age of child, but still achievable. One problem here is that games that are offered online do not yet have to be provided with an age rating.
Younger children in particular are likely to be overwhelmed by the wide range of products and the many colorful pictures and buttons on spielaffe.de. The chat with other users is only possible after prior registration – but you can also play without registration. The section with information for parents and children on how to use the site safely is hard to find – at the very bottom left.
Even if Spielaffe does not collect data directly, data is collected and passed on via the integrated external pages, such as Facebook. The situation is similar at spielzwerg.de and spielkarussell.de. When registering, parents are not asked whether they agree that their children who are not yet of age can play here.
Many of the games offered on such portals also work with outdated gender stereotypes. There is often a category “girl games”, where you can find games about household or beauty. None of the three websites are displayed directly in a search with the fragFINN child search engine. Websites that are otherwise harmless for children can be found via fragFINN.
Despite all the risks, children and young people like to use these sites – certainly also because of the large selection of games. Try to understand your child’s fascination with these sites and show interest without ignoring the dangers. Help your child recognize advertising and agree on rules for using such sites. Install ad blockers and check out what educators have to offer and what they think. Online services such as the initiative Gutes Aufwachsen mit Medien (Growing up well with media ) or the Seitenstark community offer help here. You can find pedagogically valuable offers via fragFINN, among others.
Lovely animations, child-friendly illustrations and interactive content: There are a variety of learning and creative apps that have been specially developed for toddlers to support them in their development. We present a few apps for toddlers.
Children are fundamentally curious and learn through active trial and error. Learning and creative apps can support this natural learning process and promote cognitive and creative development. For example, there are apps that teach the alphabet or quantities, or let you solve puzzles and riddles. Children can also draw in apps, create their own artwork or tell stories. The playful design makes the learning process fun and can motivate children to express themselves or develop further.
You and your child can get apps in a number of ways. But it’s not easy to find the right product from the almost endless list of apps. For your search we recommend the DJI database, Seitenstark, SIN – Studio im Netz or the Spieleratgeber NRW.
This selection of apps is particularly suitable for getting started – for example, for two- to five-year-olds. Whether an app is really suitable for your child is individual and you know best. The apps all contain no advertising or in-app purchases. What else makes a good app for kids, we describe in this article.
The app for the show with the elephant offers, in addition to shows and laughs and factual stories, numerous games such as painting, puzzles, programming, dodging obstacles, hiding and rubbing a treasure chest free in pairs. With the help of the elephant alarm clock, the duration of the game time can be set.[iOS/Android/Amazon, Free]
As a firefighter, get to know the everyday life of the fire department. Your child experiences firefighting operations in the app and learns in a playful way how to behave correctly in the event of a fire. The self-explanatory and predominantly wordless tasks should be emphasized, which even young children can master perfectly.[iOS/Android, free of charge]
The app is based on the children’s series and offers children’s movies and music to sing along to, as well as some learning games such as a dress-up game, a flower chorus, cookie dominoes, a packing game, frog hopping or an ant rally. Again, no reading skills are required.[iOS/Android, free]
Discover his island together with Fiete the sailor: sort apples into a basket, mount tires on a car or crack eggs into the pan. The interactive picture book app can be controlled by simple and intuitive tapping and swiping motions. The soundscape and animations are also calm and unagitated. [iOS/Android, €3.99]
Select vehicles, hear their names and discover their characteristics. There are three types of games to get to know the vehicles: a puzzle, a spinning game, and a patience game with different difficulty levels. It should be emphasized that the app does not have a reward system.[iOS, €1.99]
Paint and compose – at the same time. To do this, select a motif, a color palette and you can paint colorful pictures and make music with colors and shapes. An overall picture is created from lines, waves and circles. The app promotes the perception of the connection between sound, color and form.[iOS, €2.99]
A read-aloud story in rhyme about a snail in search of itself. On her journey, she meets many animals. The calm and appealing design of the app stands out from many modern apps.[iOS, €1.99]
Shapes and colors, sound recognition, reading and writing the alphabet, numbers and math basics: the app offers several learning games based on the Montessori teaching method. Preschool at home, quasi.[iOS/Android, free of charge, exception: with in-app purchases]
Storybooks and phonics games, tracing letters and practicing writing, math facts and number games. In addition to educational games, the app also offers children’s songs and yoga videos to sing and dance along to – all in English.[iOS/Android/Amazon, Free]
Take time to review apps before providing them to your child. Read reviews from other parents and check if the app is from trusted developers or educational institutions.
Look for age-appropriate content and features. It is important that the app takes into account your child’s developmental level and provides appropriate challenges.
Use the apps as an opportunity for joint activities with your child. Accompany it, ask questions, encourage it to tell or discuss the content. Also, make sure that your child cannot access other apps.
Set rules for screen time– together, depending on age. And pay attention to how your child reacts to using the apps. When showing signs of frustration, overwhelm, or dependency, it is important to reduce screen time and provide alternative activities.
Your own behavior serves as a role model for your child. Try to set an example of a balanced approach to digital media yourself and not let screen time dominate family life excessively.
It is not necessary to have a large number of apps. Rather, focus on a few high-quality apps that match your child’s needs and interests.
Colorful avatars try to reach the finish line as fast as possible and have to overcome numerous tricky obstacles in a colorful and playfully designed game world. Unfair behavior is not forbidden, so opponents are sometimes pushed aside to get ahead faster themselves. Fall Guys is popular among children and teenagers, so we present the game.
In Fall Guys , the goal is to steer a character through an obstacle course and be faster than the other players.
A round starts with 60 participants and lasts about 15 to 20 minutes. After each mini-game, players are eliminated until a winner is determined.
In addition to the obstacles found in the world, players can prevent each other from winning, such as by pushing and holding.
Regularly there are new mini-games in Fall Guys, which are released as so-called seasons.
Compared to other representatives of the Battle Royale genre, the game has a very colorful design and does not use vulgar language or depictions of violence. Due to the easy-to-understand game principle and the easy-to-learn controls, the game is suitable for all ages (from 8 years).
The gameplay is reminiscent of the television show “Ninja Warrior”, which is popular among young people. Kids and teens can play Fall Guys with their friends, competing against each other while chatting via voice chat. The short lap times allow gamers to manage their gaming time well.
There is now also a game app that takes up the principle of Fall Guys . Learn more about Stumble Guys at Handysektor.
Fall Guys is available for free, but finances itself through in-game purchases. These do not bring any advantages, but only relate to the equipment and appearance of the character. Read more in our article Caution In-App Purchases!
In games with a highly competitive character, moments of frustration, and in extreme cases even aggression, can always occur.
The game does not have text chat within the game, however there is voice chat. This is disabled by default and must be enabled in the settings themselves. If it is activated, insults and the like may occur via it.
For kids and teens, Fall Guys is all about having fun competing together. However, competing with friends and competing against each other in an obstacle course can cause conflict. Therefore, it is best to play the game together with your child at the beginning. This allows you to better relate to the fascination of the game. Your child should not be younger than six when playing the game for the first time, otherwise the bright colors and fast gameplay can easily overwhelm him. Pay attention to the age classification of the USK of the respective version (Season) and educational age recommendations.
As a parent, you should be especially attentive when it comes to in-app purchases. Talk to your child about the extent to which these are necessary and useful and find an arrangement for them.
Use the settings on the game console or in the game provider’s account, for example, to secure the payment functions with a PIN or to limit the playing time. Epic Games’ provider has parental controls, you can find more about them here.
Agree on basic rules for media use and talk to your child about risks in games.
Especially when children reach puberty, they have less and less desire to do things with the family. Some children prefer to sit in front of their smartphones or computers, playing and communicating virtually with their friends. There are parents who are concerned that their child is not moving enough. Balancing screen time is important – especially if it doesn’t involve exercise. However, the two can also be brought together! Certain console games even work only with movement. And there are games that can be experienced together outside with the family.
If you have a game console like Playstation, Xbox or Nintendo Switch at home, you probably know sports and dance games. The choice is huge. Many of the games are not only fun for children and teenagers, but can also be played during a family game night. You can dance, play mini sports games in a digital board game, and much more. Accessories, such as Nintendo Ring Fit, are designed to enhance the fitness effect with the games. However, these must be purchased additionally. You can find an overview on GamePro‘s site, for example. VR glasses can also be used to combine play and movement. Stop by your local library or youth center. These facilities sometimes offer workshops on the topic or lend out equipment – including game consoles and the appropriate games, by the way.
If you’re worried that your child isn’t moving enough, why not make it a challenge? Some sports games allow you to record your training success. If you create different users and play against each other regularly, you can motivate each other.
Going for a walk on the weekend is boring for many children. But when it turns into a playful adventure, it’s a different story. Formats like geocaching and digital scavenger hunts combine exercise in the fresh air with digital devices. How the treasure hunt in the so-called geocaching works, you can read in our article about it. An alternative is digital scavenger hunts using Actionbound, which they can either create themselves or choose one from existing rallies.
If your whole family loves to play, whether with the board game or digitally, you can also get creative yourself. Which games can also be implemented outside? Why not try the old mobile classic Snake? Many teenagers love Fortnite. Elements from this, such as jumping, dodging and seeking cover, can be transferred to the analog world, e.g. with the construction of an obstacle course. Not only will you encourage your child to exercise, but you’ll also have a shared experience and a reason to talk with your child about his or her enthusiasm for games. There are also many youth projects that bring games and exercise together, for example with a FIFA indoor soccer tournament – maybe that’s something for the next birthday or class party.
More than 50 years ago, the first computer game was developed. Today, “gambling” is an important part of many children’s and young people’s leisure activities. New computer games are released every year – it’s not easy to keep track of them all. We have tips on how to recognize a good computer game that is suitable for your child.
In Germany, there are legal requirements for the release of computer games. The Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK) checks which games are suitable for which age and pays attention, for example, to content containing violence. These age statements – in the app store, on gaming platforms such as Steam or on DVDs – are a good orientation. However, parents should consider other criteria for choosing a good computer game, as the USK age ratings are not an educational recommendation.
A good computer game can promote the development of certain skills in children. Suitable games promote strategic thinking, memory skills and similar memory skills through puzzles or other tasks. Many games are played together with others. Social skills such as tolerance, empathy and the ability to work in a team are required. Action games support the development of dexterity, orientation and perception. In addition, playing computer games can help your child learn to cope with success and defeat and give space to his imagination. By playing together, children can maintain friendships or even build new ones. Children and young people can also try out different roles. Just from the title of the game, you don’t know if a game promotes such skills. Therefore, talk to your child about the game. The descriptions and pedagogical assessments of spielbar.de, the Spielatgeber NRW or in the app database from the Deutsches Jugendinstitut can also be helpful….
Check how the computer game handles personal data. If the provision of personal data is not required or if it is not stored, not passed on to third parties and not used for advertising purposes, data protection is taken seriously. In addition, GTCs or information on data protection should always be available.
Free or paid games available online may include in-game or in-app purchases. For example, game players are enticed to unlock new game features or get better costumes for their avatars. Talk to your child in advance about such possible costs and agree on rules about whether and how much money may be spent. Avoid putting your own credit card or PayPal information on the shared device. On smartphones and tablets, you can also set password locks for in-app purchases.
Many parents are concerned that their children will come into contact with too much violence in computer games. The effect is strongly dependent on the age and individual factors of a child. The USK classifications will also help you here. Violence or other content that is not age-appropriate can be appealing to children because they want to test their own limits. In addition to violence, interacting with others during the game can also be overwhelming, such as when too much is going on at once. The game chat also allows your child to get in touch with unknown fellow players.
To assess what your child is playing, how he or she is doing with it, and whether he or she is having contact with strangers, you should talk regularly and without judgment about his or her play experiences. Let your child show and explain his or her computer game world to you. Agree on common rules and be consistent in following them. Educate yourself about age recommendations and stay alert to changes in your child’s behavior to assess possible negative effects.
Toca Boca ‘s colorful and creative game apps are popular with younger children. For example, there is Toca Nature, Toca Life: Farm or Toca Hair Salon. So far, Toca Boca has developed over 20 different games. In these apps, children can freely create their own worlds and play any stories.
The makers advertise that children are involved in the development of the apps. Children test the app in advance and make suggestions for improvement. All apps are free from content unsuitable for children. In doing so, the game developers are taking up the demand of various children’s rights organizations to consider children and their rights in the development of products for children.
All Toca Boca apps are about creativity and free play. There are no levels or goals that must be completed in a certain amount of time.
After downloading the app, users move freely in the respective world and shape it as they wish. There are different play figures, which the child can choose for themselves by appearance and characteristics. In some rooms, the child can complete tasks. Most of the time, however, there are no specific instructions.
Kids can make up their own stories and worlds and create them in the app. By creating different play environments and taking on different roles, children are encouraged to keep playing. There is no text in the colorful worlds. The children can look around and discover a lot about seeing.
The privacy policy of the app promises that no third-party advertising is included. However, Toca Boca advertises other apps of its own. Therefore, children can be tempted to want to play similar apps. The apps also store data, such as game duration and progress, and share it with Google Analytics. Parents’ data is also collected when they purchase something from the Toca Boca store, activate notifications or subscribe to the newsletter. Data deletion can be requested by sending an email to dpo@spinmaster.com.
Most apps are free to download, but offer in-app purchases. With these, kids can theoretically unlock new characters, stations, or gifts in some of the apps if a credit card is on file on the device.
Toca Boca is a Swedish game developer and therefore bound by EU data protection laws. Toca Boca claims to comply with the PRIVO seal. This seal is awarded by an independent organization that is committed to protecting children’s data online. The app promises not to collect personal data from children.
Since the apps were developed especially for younger children, you should accompany the first steps of use – also to familiarize yourself with the functions of the apps. It is advisable to set game times, as the apps do not impose time limits and can be played practically endlessly. On the other hand, free play is easier to interrupt than in level games.
Talk to the child in advance about the function of in-app purchases and deactivate them or do not store payment data to prevent accidental purchases.
Challenges are a favorite format of kids and teens – online and offline. If you spend a lot of time at home, you can play so-called media challenges with the whole family.
You can read about what exactly lies behind the Internet phenomenon of challenges in our article on the subject. Challenges don’t necessarily have to take place only online. It’s also fun to play them at home. Especially when the whole family is home a lot due to Corona, challenges can be a nice way to spend time together.
In the Top Photo Challenge all family members take photos with their smartphones and/or cameras throughout the day. In the evening, everyone picks their favorite pictures of the day and they all look at them together. The best images can then be captured in a photo collage, for example. Thus, in addition to beautiful photos, a great memory of the time together remains.
A challenge for all generations is the Re-enactment Challenge . This involves recreating photos that, for example, parents and grandpa still have from their childhood. The children try to imitate the photos with their smartphones. This includes finding matching items and clothing. Conversely, the older ones can recreate photos of the younger ones. Who manages to imitate a photo the best?
At the Game-Challenge is about video or computer games: Each family member chooses a game that has a special meaning for him or her. She or explain to the other family members why the game is so great. Afterwards, everyone can try it out together. This challenge can take place over several days or weeks, when a different game is introduced and played each time. Of course, you can also introduce board and card games.
In the Quiz Challenge the question is “Who will be the new quiz master in the family?” Apps such as Kahoot! or Actionbound make it easy to create your own quiz on your smartphone or tablet. Anyone can develop their own quiz questions. One also additionally set tasks. It’s guaranteed not to get boring!
In the Clip Challenge, a video must be shot under time pressure. Each family member has one hour to create an exciting 30-second clip. The clip can be about a specific topic or message. You can also use it to capture moments at home, such as “On the hunt for clues: Who ate the yogurt?”. As in an online report, the clip should be fast and exciting cut. You can do this with iMovie for Apple devices or Power Director for Android devices, for example.
Of course, not everyone in the family has their own smartphone, tablet or laptop. Challenges are also fun without a lot of technology and can be done with just one device. For example, you can take turns with a smartphone. Or each member of the family may use the device on one day and at the end of the week the results are compiled. Have fun playing!
When it comes to the question of whether media use can make people violent, computer games are often discussed, especially the so-called first-person shooters. Parents, teachers and even some scientists fear a direct and negative effect on children and young people. The biggest concern: the content could inspire real acts of violence. This has not yet been proven. A game alone does not make you aggressive or violent.
In games that involve using violence to take out other characters, gamers look at the game world from their character’s perspective. So in these first-person shooters, it looks like you’re running and shooting through a 3D world with a gun yourself. Famous shooters are Counter-Strike , Battlefield, Call of Duty . This game genre is enormously successful and has become an indispensable part of the scene. Fortnite is considered particularly sensitive because it mixes elements from first-person shooters with childish and friendly graphics and therefore appeals to young gamers.
It is believed that games containing violence can have a negative effect on children and adolescents. That is why the USK, as part of the protection of minors in the media, checks all games and sets age limits. The older a child is, the better he or she can distinguish between play and reality.
When it comes to the portrayal of violence, the USK checks, among other things, whether the game appears dark and threatening or rather bright and positive, whether the game characters look like people and you can see red blood, whether gamers can identify with the character, and whether acts of war are glorified or also criticized. Depending on how many criteria are combined, a decision is made as to the age at which the game may be made available to children and young people. However, games with a higher age rating are sometimes particularly appealing to young people because they want to test their limits.
Computer games, like other media, can have negative effects in extreme cases, for example, if they are used too much and there is no balance to media use.
Some of the communication in gamer forums and chats is pretty harsh and mean and can scare your child. But that doesn’t mean it has to happen with your child. Because such effects vary from person to person, because each person behaves differently in certain situations. Children and adolescents who are also otherwise prone to violence, are often alone, and have no other interests are more at risk than others. No one becomes aggressive or violent because of a game with violent content.
The youth release should be respected. The older your child is and the less insight you have into their media use, the more difficult this is for you. That’s why you should stay in conversation with your child. Ask what is fascinating about it and question depictions of violence. Your child may explain that the game is also about skill, athletic goals, puzzles, or solving problems together. Most of the time, it’s not just about violence alone, otherwise it would also quickly become boring. Let them tell you or show you the game. You should also explain to your child why you insist that he or she play only age-appropriate games.
Talk to other parents if your child pretends that the others are already allowed to play a game despite the age restriction. Perhaps you can agree on rules together that also apply to the best friend.
More information is available at the USK’s Parents’ Guide.
Playing with friends or family is fun. Online games, especially in times of Corona, are a nice way to do something together with friends and other family members without having to meet. Here’s a little guidance for parents and grandparents to navigate the world of online games.
Interaction with friends and family members is very important for children. Along the way, games can improve general knowledge, encourage strategic thinking, teamwork and creativity, or simply be fun! Many online games are free and playable both on the smartphone and on the computer via the browser.
Pen-and-paper games: A video connection via computer or smartphone is sufficient as a technical prerequisite for an evening of games together: Each player takes a pad and pen and pen-and-paper games can be played together as usual. These include games that require only a small amount of material, such as city-land-river or sink ships. Alternatively, you can play it at stadtlandflussonline.net or battleship-game.org.
Game apps: From Uno to Monopoly – many well-known card and board games can nowadays also be purchased as apps in the PlayStore or AppStore for a few euros. The knowledge game app Quizduell, where you can compete against your friends, has enjoyed great popularity for several years. Depending on the app, advertising clips can interrupt the game process little to significantly. It’s best to try out an app before the online game night you have planned.
Board and card games: Various classics such as checkers, backgammon and memory are offered for free by the English site Playingcards.io. Without registration it is possible to invite other players via a link. At schach-spielen.eu you can play either against the computer or with a friend via an invitation link. Board games for printing are available on Print & Play from Asmodee.
Drawing and guessing: On skribbl.io, one person draws a word on the screen, which the other players have to follow live and guess as quickly as possible. When setting up the game, set the language to German (Deutsch), invite friends via link and off you go!
Strategy games such as Settlers of Catan or Risk are also available as a free app and can be played with all friends who have registered with their e-mail address. However, extensions and premium version have to be paid. The free basic version of Settlers of Catancan also be played via the web browser at catanuniverse.com.
Especially with free online games, contact with unfamiliar players can happen quickly. Cybergrooming is a possible danger. Parents should therefore accompany younger children in particular during their first experiences with online games. At the same time, parents can look out for hidden costs, e.g. through in-app purchases, check information on data protection and the operator of the site and, if possible, make appropriate security settings.
On many game pages you can expect advertisements and pop-up windows from external sites that have nothing to do with the game. These can also be advertisements for games that are not age-appropriate or websites with content that is not child-friendly. On the portal Spielaffe.de, which is aimed at children, there is less of a risk of this happening, but the large amount of advertising for other games can be very annoying here as well. Questionable is the subdivision into categories such as ‘girl games’, where games about hairstyles, decorating and baking are listed. Such gender images in media can have a problematic impact on children’s development. A selection of child-friendly online games is also available at Seitenstark.
The Sims has long been one of the most popular computer games. The series has been inspiring gamers around the world – including children and teenagers – for about 20 years.
In the PC and console game you can create the life of the so-called Sims. As a single player you create different characters, determine their appearance, characteristics and social interaction. You build cities and houses for the Sims and decide what profession a Sim chooses, whether he or she will have a career and start a family. Much is the same as in the real world, except that you can influence more yourself. It is the simulation of life without a concrete game goal as in many other games. The player’s drive is to give the Sims a “good life”. So you can’t lose or win.
The Sims is a role-playing game in which you can create different characters. Many children like to slip into other roles to try out different personalities. They can try things that are not (yet) possible in real life because they are reserved for adults, for example. At the same time, the game feels very realistic, so they can discover familiar things and put themselves in different roles well.
The countless design possibilities do not let boredom arise and children can live out their creativity. It is pleasant that in the latest Sims version you can create people very freely, without serving prejudices. For example, no distinction is made between female and male. Female Sims can be muscular and earn the same salary in the same jobs as men, and male Sims can even get pregnant.
Playing with the Sims has no clear end. This may make it difficult for your child to stop playing. Immersing yourself in other worlds and different roles is tempting. But it also carries the risk of getting lost in it – precisely because the social aspect plays an important role. Your child can decide with whom the Sims make friends, spend time and much more. In real life, it’s not always that simple.
Players will also be confronted with the fact that people die – because that also happens in the Sims world. The way a Sim can die could be very distressing, especially for younger children: he or she can drown, burn to death, starve to death, or even be eaten by a carnivorous plant.
The mobile freeplay version of the game, which can be installed for free via the popular app stores, contains in-app purchases and advertisements. Not every child knows how to handle it. It can be tempting to buy certain package to achieve certain things faster.
There is no official website of the game with specific terms of use and privacy notices. Information about game releases, announcements, purchase options and forums for fans can be found on the website of the game distributor EA (Electronic Arts).
Pay attention to the age recommendations and get to know the game yourself first to be able to assess whether it is right for your daughter or son. Then take the first steps together in setting up the game. Maybe you feel like creating some sims together?
In life simulation games, values such as community, trust and tolerance are of particular importance. The Sims in particular provide an opportunity for you to talk with your child about role models, values, and ideas and consider whether they fit with your ideas and those of your child.
Since the game could be played on continuously, you should agree together on rules for the duration of the game. Also discuss with your child how to deal with possible costs and in-app purchases. The mobile version of the game requires permanent Internet access and offers a chat function that allows communication with other players. Advise your child of the risks of contact with strangers or disable the chat function.
