BatBoy and Sum Dog

In general, I'm not a fan of video games for young kids.  It's not that I don't like games -- I do -- but when my husband and I were growing up in the 80's, the number and accessibility to games were far more limited compared to today.  Neither of us started playing until we were in our tweens.  Now, with my husband working at home as a video producer, in addition to being a game and gadget geek, we are simply surrounded by computers and other sources of electronic entertainment.


BatBoy, being very like his dad, loves games.  However, lately, I've realized that his love of video games partially stems from his love of games in general.  He loves board games, logic puzzles, Rubik's Cubes, jigsaw puzzles, sports games, pretend games -- all kinds of games.  In the virtual world, he doesn't have to worry about making a mess or encountering physical difficulties due to his age.  The rules are clear and there is always a virtual personage there to cheer him on.  He doesn't realize that the more time he spends on video games, the more he thinks about them.



I can't keep him away from computer games altogether, but I do limit the amount of time he plays and I am very selective about what he plays.  SumDog.com is one program that I don't mind either him or SpiderGirl playing for 15 minutes on a given day.  

Sum Dog is a site full of mini-games that quiz you on math skills.  The program tracks the student's progress and personalizes the questions they are asked to the types they most need to practice.  The student gets to choose from a variety of games such as saving endangered animals or making a huge stack of junk.  The student can play against other players or the computer.  Finally, parents can see personalized reports for each of their children.  With a $6 per child per month membership fee, parents can see full reports and set challenges for their children.


In addition to limits, I have found that adequate mental stimulation is essential to staving off requests for more computer time.  Toys to play with, things to take apart, and new places to explore, all contribute to a happy BatBoy.