Report from a special moment for a trophy hunter and father

[BabySnake1902]

Hi guys,

my son is nearly 4 years old and since some weeks he wants to play Playstation (it´s clear, what other thing should a trophy hunter kid want to do, lol). I know he is really young, but due the fact he has really a healthy childhood (we are outside as much as possible, he really gets healthy food and he is really not a couch potato), we have now the agreement that he can play 30 - 60 min. every weekend.

 

At the beginning he played Tomb Raider Go with the automatic help from the game. He just put the triggers on the controller which popped up on the screen. Sometimes for a 4 year old kid not so easy, especially moving the pillars caused him some problems. After some "gaming sessions" he was pretty good in it and he gets bored of it. I let him play Sly Cooper thieves in time then (just running around in the HUB areas). At the beginning he was just running around, in the end he already fighted the enemies in the HUB areas and explored really everything; it was fun to watch him. It´s really unbelievable how fast he is learning (and it´s really not so easy to handle with his small hands).

 

So at the end i wanted to buy him a game which nearly corresponds to his age. It was really difficult to find something (he is clearly too young, but i can understand that he wants to try it), but now i am really happy to got The Smurfs 2. We played it yesterday together and it was a very special moment for me. First time co-op gaming with my son. And therefore i have to say it´s exactly that game i wanted for him. Not really difficult (especially with my help) and good to handle for him, cause there are not much things the Smurfs can do. The controlling is very easy.

 

I was not sure to install the game on my main account, cause i probably wouldn´t buy it for myself, although it´s an easy platinum. But at the end i decided to do it, cause it´s really a special one for me. The first game i especially bought for my son and i think he will be on the screen if the platinum pops, so i definitely want to have this in my platinum collection. Was really a special moment if we played it together yesterday.

 

So does anybody else knows some other games which can be played by a 4 year old kid? What´s your opinion regarding kids playing? All kids watch TV (also my son), so why should be playing a game worser then watching TV? For me it´s even better, cause he trains coordination. And if i can keep the play times limited, it´s okay for me (but it´s not so easy, he is asking every day if we can turn on the PS, but i am steadfast)

 

Do you despise me cause i let him already play with nearly 4 years, or do you think it´s okay if it´s not too much?

 

Would be happy to get some feedbacks

 

[Terra]

1 minute ago, BabySnake1902 said:

Hi guys,

my son is nearly 4 years old and since some weeks he wants to play Playstation (it´s clear, what other thing should a trophy hunter kid want to do, lol). I know he is really young, but due the fact he has really a healthy childhood (we are outside as much as possible, he really gets healthy food and he is really not a couch potato), we have now the agreement that he can play 30 - 60 min. every weekend.

 

At the beginning he played Tomb Raider Go with the automatic help from the game. He just put the triggers on the controller which popped up on the screen. Sometimes for a 4 year old kid not so easy, especially moving the pillars caused him some problems. After some "gaming sessions" he was pretty good in it and he gets bored of it. I let him play Sly Cooper thieves in time then (just running around in the HUB areas). At the beginning he was just running around, in the end he already fighted the enemies in the HUB areas and explored really everything; it was fun to watch him. It´s really unbelievable how fast he is learning (and it´s really not so easy to handle with his small hands).

 

So at the end i wanted to buy him a game which nearly corresponds to his age. It was really difficult to find something (he is clearly too young, but i can understand that he wants to try it), but now i am really happy to got The Smurfs 2. We played it yesterday together and it was a very special moment for me. First time co-op gaming with my son. And therefore i have to say it´s exactly that game i wanted for him. Not really difficult (especially with my help) and good to handle for him, cause there are not much things the Smurfs can do. The controlling is very easy.

 

I was not sure to install the game on my main account, cause i probably wouldn´t buy it for myself, although it´s an easy platinum. But at the end i decided to do it, cause it´s really a special one for me. The first game i especially bought for my son and i think he will be on the screen if the platinum pops, so i definitely want to have this in my platinum collection. Was really a special moment if we played it together yesterday.

 

So does anybody else knows some other games which can be played by a 4 year old kid? What´s your opinion regarding kids playing? All kids watch TV (also my son), so why should be playing a game worser then watching TV? For me it´s even better, cause he trains coordination. And if i can keep the play times limited, it´s okay for me (but it´s not so easy, he is asking every day if we can turn on the PS, but i am steadfast)

 

Do you despise me cause i let him already play with nearly 4 years, or do you think it´s okay if it´s not too much?

 

Would be happy to get some feedbacks

 

When I was four, I played a variety of games that really weren't suited for my age but I learned how they worked with the help from my parents. Type of game? Doesn't really matter as long as it's not something to extreme...say Manhunt 2. The first "violent" game I played was Command & Conquer Renegade at around your son's age. I'd recommend any of the LEGO games. They aren't that easy but aren't hard, you just have to watch out for the glitches. 

 

Second part? No. 30-60 minutes every weekend is good moderation, much more strict then the amount of time I was allowed to play during the week. I was 3 years old when I started gaming. 

[Not_like_therest]

If you don't care about the plat, maybe disney infinity 3.0 as well? I'm sure ebay and other places have the toys for cheap now, especially since it shut down.

[Eyjabria]

Gaming can be a great way to spend time with your kids. According to some studies videogames train coordination, memory, reflexes, logical thinking, etc. and can be helpful in learning to read and to learn a different language. There are also games where you can learn history, some biology or other useful facts which might give him an upper edge at school too. Just make sure to supervise what kind of content your son is exposed to and that he won't be gaming excessively (which you already seem to be doing). 

 

I've personally been gaming since I was only a few years old. I've learnt a lot of English from games since most games I played have English text and it's not my native language.

 

I don't have any specific recommendations for games, I guess it's up to what you find interesting and suitable for your son. I noticed there are game searches by ESRB and PEGI rating which might help: 

https://www.esrb.org/ratings/search.aspx

http://www.pegi.info/en/index/id/509

Edited November 15, 2017 by Eyjabria

[TheLiamK]

My niece always loved the Spongebob games around that age(Me too ^_^)

[fbdbh]

My 1 and half year old daughter can unlock the Vita (press button, slide the screen). She could probably 100% Aabs Animals and It's Spring Again, but she'd rather bring me a book to read from it.

 

So proud.

[starcrunch061]

46 minutes ago, BabySnake1902 said:

Do you despise me cause i let him already play with nearly 4 years, or do you think it´s okay if it´s not too much?

 

Why would anyone despise you? 

 

My 5-year-old and 2-year-old love watching video games. They don't play yet, but they will. And everything in moderation, right?

[itachi-destroyer]

I don't have a lot of idea for you but when I was young I used to play platforming games so maybe something like LittleBIGPlanet 3 would be ok and you could play it with your son.

And now that I think about it, someone in this industry should create a sort of "telltale" episodic anime game for the kids it would not be too difficult for them and they could create their own anime  

Edited November 15, 2017 by itachi-destroyer

[BabySnake1902]

Hi all, thx for your answers, comments and tips. I really appreciate it. And i am happy that it seems to be not bad for his growth if he already plays videogames. I am really surprised that many of you started gaming in early ages. My first game was Super Mario on the NES. I was 6 or 7 years old (it was Christmas 1987 or 1988 where i got the NES with the game), so i was a little bit older.

To create a Telltale game for kids is really a great idea. Unfortunately i am not a developer.... I would create such a game!

[Spudgun20]

this might come in handy, childsize controller made for smaller hands

 

https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/18/this-ultra-cute-tiny-ps4-controller-is-a-great-option-for-children-and-the-small-handed/

[EfthimisManUtd]

Try Sound Shapes. Only the first levels though. Some of the later levels might be too hard for him, but it's a family-friendly game, really fun, and great music too! You can also design your own levels together. 

[Caesar Clown]

The go-to game for kids is always Minecraft. It's a big open world where they can do whatever they like, and it's inexpensive as well. The best part is it's really a game for everyone of all ages, so he wouldn't grow out of it.

[Dav9834]

I don't think anyone will despise you, I was playing paperboy 2 on the nes when I was 4.

 

Recommendations hmmm

Seems platformers are good. 

 

I heard that Knack is difficult as player 1, but as the second player it's extremely easy. If he's the second player then I think you two would have a blast. Especially sense you can play together!

 

I would also recommend ps1 games (I don't know if you mentioned a ps3 or 4)

 

Linear ps1 jrpgs would be a great way to teach how to read and enjoy a story. 

For that I would actually recommend Legend of Legaia. It's a great ps1 jrpg, with a good story, simple battle mechanics, and easy to walk around. He may need help in some areas, but you'll be there speaking the txt boxes(which trust me, when I was young and my sister played games with me and told me what things said, it was a great time). This would give him the most education for the least difficulty imo. 

 

I could come up with a bunch more games new and old that are very mechanics friendly/easy for ps3/4. But lets see first. 

 

Really the best imo would be Nintendo though. 

 

 

3 hours ago, Terra said:

30-60 minutes every weekend is good moderation, much more strict then the amount of time I was allowed to play during the week. I was 3 years old when I started gaming. 

My God at 4 I was probably gaming 12-24 hours a week lol

 

And hey It gave me a lot of experience and small but difficult to attain skills in a lot of areas. Hand eye coordination being a big one of course. 

Edited November 15, 2017 by Dav9834

[jasondm300]

My son is 2 and in a year or so, I wan to introduce him to Lego Dimensions.  Not only will I play the game with him, but then afterwards, we have the lego sets we can play with together

[Mesopithecus]

I grew up on video games (starting with the Atari 2600 and Commodore 64) so I think it's great that you get to have these father/son bonding moments.

 

As for games, Lego games are always great and you can play co-op in most.  Other suggestions I have are Abzu, Journey and Tearaway

[Beyondthegrave07]

1 hour ago, BabySnake1902 said:

Hi guys,

my son is nearly 4 years old and since some weeks he wants to play Playstation (it´s clear, what other thing should a trophy hunter kid want to do, lol). I know he is really young, but due the fact he has really a healthy childhood (we are outside as much as possible, he really gets healthy food and he is really not a couch potato), we have now the agreement that he can play 30 - 60 min. every weekend.

 

At the beginning he played Tomb Raider Go with the automatic help from the game. He just put the triggers on the controller which popped up on the screen. Sometimes for a 4 year old kid not so easy, especially moving the pillars caused him some problems. After some "gaming sessions" he was pretty good in it and he gets bored of it. I let him play Sly Cooper thieves in time then (just running around in the HUB areas). At the beginning he was just running around, in the end he already fighted the enemies in the HUB areas and explored really everything; it was fun to watch him. It´s really unbelievable how fast he is learning (and it´s really not so easy to handle with his small hands).

 

So at the end i wanted to buy him a game which nearly corresponds to his age. It was really difficult to find something (he is clearly too young, but i can understand that he wants to try it), but now i am really happy to got The Smurfs 2. We played it yesterday together and it was a very special moment for me. First time co-op gaming with my son. And therefore i have to say it´s exactly that game i wanted for him. Not really difficult (especially with my help) and good to handle for him, cause there are not much things the Smurfs can do. The controlling is very easy.

 

I was not sure to install the game on my main account, cause i probably wouldn´t buy it for myself, although it´s an easy platinum. But at the end i decided to do it, cause it´s really a special one for me. The first game i especially bought for my son and i think he will be on the screen if the platinum pops, so i definitely want to have this in my platinum collection. Was really a special moment if we played it together yesterday.

 

So does anybody else knows some other games which can be played by a 4 year old kid? What´s your opinion regarding kids playing? All kids watch TV (also my son), so why should be playing a game worser then watching TV? For me it´s even better, cause he trains coordination. And if i can keep the play times limited, it´s okay for me (but it´s not so easy, he is asking every day if we can turn on the PS, but i am steadfast)

 

Do you despise me cause i let him already play with nearly 4 years, or do you think it´s okay if it´s not too much?

 

Would be happy to get some feedbacks

 

When I was 4, my father and I took turns on playing levels on the original Mario on the original, bulky Gameboy. I think your son playing games isn't a big issue even at 4. My parents never limited me, but that's because I was interested in team sports, swimming,  and being outdoors as well. Video games were just a small piece of my childhood. Games did not dominate my life.

 

Though, at the same time, I think to myself,  "Who am I to tell you how to raise your kid?" 

 

I'd recommend LittleBig planet, Flower, and Journey. I think those could be played by a young child though only LBP is multiplayer. You could also go the Lego route as well. 

 

[AndresLionheart]

I actually think its much better for him to play games than watch TV. He can actually train himself while playing, watching TV teaches kids anything.

 

When I was 3 and something my mom bought me this new and fancy console called NES. Both her and my dad had 0 ability for games so they weren't of much help with playing. My mother told me they were actually impressed I could beat several levels in Mario 1 when they couldn't even do 1-1, lol.

Since then I've been playing games. I learned english from them. I learned to solve puzzles on my own, I trained my hand-eye coordination so much I have an easy time with most games. Thanks to music games I trained my hand-eye-ear coordination, too. Thanks to RPGs I experienced lots of different stories. There is so much variety and it keeps your brain active.

 

Anyway, since my early years of experience are mostly with Nintendo I do think they have the best games to play with your son. So maybe you could try there as well. Nintendo games are so imaginative and you can enjoy them as much as your son would. The recently released Mario Odyssey is incredible for a dad-son game. With co-op, assist mode and you reading the text for him you would have an incredible time.

[RNumbers]

IMO, teaching them about moderation early on is better than keeping them from playing completely. I let my 7-year-old play about an hour a day (time permitting) and it works out OK. If he has a tantrum about it (which used to happen a lot), he would lose the privilege for a while. It might not be as healthy as some other activities, but it also teaches him hand-eye coordination, tenacity, trouble solving skills, etc. It's all pros and cons, just don't let them overdo it.

[wolverine123]

As others have said the Lego games are great to play co-op with kids. My son turned 5 last week, he first played a game with me a couple of years ago. Now we have 30-40 mins game time each evening when i get home from work. 

[mojtaba333]

my suggestions are :

1- Dead space 

2-Resident Evil

3-The Evil Within 

 

just kidding ? 

[BabySnake1902]

Thx for all your replies and proposals. In the meanwhile we could beat the Smurfs 2 twice and for sure plat it. My son is playing it alone now and i am looking for the next game i want to do with him. Due your proposals i have some things in mind, thx for that.

At the moment i tend to mojtaba´s proposal -> Dead Space, lol;-)