Choosing Great Events

Playing arcade games has been a popular pastime of kids since the 1970's. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, it all started with a game called Pong that is still enjoyed today. Kids bonded as they tried to beat one another in the table tennis game. Encourage that same sort of bonding with your children today by following these simple tips.

Choose Games with Cooperative Gameplay

Many arcade games are designed for two or more players to compete with each other. However, some arcade games require players to work together to defeat the artificial intelligence players within the game. If your children are quick to fight or be competitive with each other, choose games that offer this cooperative gameplay. 

Monitor how they play the game at first, encouraging them to help each other if they want to win. If one player messes up, the other one may get mad. Talk about how they shouldn't get mad at each other over mistakes. As they figure out how to work together to win the game, they may learn valuable lessons about how to better communicate with each other in their day-to-day lives.

Reward Good Sportsmanship

Although games inevitably have winners and losers, talk to your children about the fact that winning isn't the most important thing. Explain how good sportsmanship is necessary for enjoying video games just like it is a part of team sports or games they may play in recess at school. 

Some examples you may give your kids of sportsmanship include the following:

• Cheering on siblings as they play an arcade game

• Encouraging a teammate after a mistake during cooperative gameplay 

• Doing their best even when it's clear they cannot win

• Being humble when they win and resisting the urge to brag

• Helping other players learn a new technique in the game

• Taking responsibility for mistakes they make without excuses

Reiterate this idea by giving rewards to your kids when they show good sportsmanship while playing arcade games together. For example, instead of giving rewards to who wins the most games in a little marathon, give one to every child who showed good sportsmanship. Give specific examples of things they did to exhibit good sportsmanship when handing out the rewards. 

Schedule Times When Kids Can Play Apart and Together 

Decide how much time you want to allow kids to play arcade games each week, then schedule times for kids to play solo games alone and then group games together. By giving kids space to play on their own, they can better appreciate how much fun it is to have their siblings as fellow players.

Finally, be consistent and positive when discussing the ways children can enjoy playing arcade games together. Through having fun with their siblings while playing their favorite games, your kids are sure to create memories that last a lifetime and nurture their relationship with each other.