Video gaming party

[Countrylifemama]

Hello!

I’ve got a video gaming party setup for my 8 year old son. The company will provide various consoles and age appropriate games - have this for 1.5 hours. They will be supervising the kids and doing mini competitions; handing out mini prizes etc.

Just wanted some thoughts on whether I should cut short the gaming to 1 hour or 1 hour 15? I’ve been told by the company that the kids play with each on the games so it is interactive etc… we will have enough controllers for parents to play etc too I think ..

Should I then get other traditional party games too? Bearing in mind it’s 2 hour party etc?

Just stressing about it now :/ and wishing I did something alternative

Also are the controllers of Nintendo switch similar to ps/Xbox my son has Nintendo at home and not sure they will guarantee that console

Sorry for the long message! Thank you x

It's a party, it's fine - they will be playing the interactive type games with friends so less intense anyway.

I think it sounds great OP! I’ve never heard of this before and I think it’s a great alternative idea.

@Lightswitch123 My dd had a mario kart party 12 years ago, no company involved just our wii but was fun. She's turned out fine as have the rest of the invitees.

People need to get a grip when it comes to computer games, as long as age appropriate they are actually better than watching tv as they are interactive

@LucentBlade

Well said. Similar story here too, I had a spectrum aged 8 and been gaming ever since.

Oh dear, the PP bleating on about forest walking and trampoline parks hasn't lived through children bonding remotely during Covid has she? 😀

@StardewMelons so true.

@ChocolateDeficitDisorder

My DC are grown now, but I would certainly have rolled my eyes if they had received an invitation to a gaming party.

I've spent 10 years working in schools and daily gaming is at least partly responsible for some hefty deterioration in academic and social skills in young boys and definitely responsible for some poor behaviour and impulse control issues.

It's bad enough that so many parents let their children game daily, but to make it a birthday treat too is lacking in imagination and ambition.

What's wrong with a soft-play or a trampoline park at 8 years old? Something physical to use their bodies and maybe try something new? How about a forest walk and some fire-making or shelter-raising?

This is also such a really badly informed, naive attitude. When I think of the gamers I know (and I know plenty because my husband loves gaming), they’re some of the most professionally successful, academically high achieving and widely social people I know. Their impulse control is just fine and they’re very well behaved.

Shouldn't birthday parties be a treat for the birthday child? Not a learning experience or an opportunity to get some exercise in or a virtue signalling opportunity to show the other parents that you're all about the forest walks and shelter building. I mean if a birthday party is all about being worthy and healthy then presumably you forget about party food and cake too? I also agree with posters saying give them the longer time for gaming, it's the main part of the event so let them enjoy it for as long as possible.

What's wrong with a soft-play or a trampoline park at 8 years old?

I might be behind the times but soft play for 8 year olds?

My kid had one in a van. Most popular party ever.

Your party sounds brilliant, gaming and food with friends will be perfect.

Most of my family are gamers to some extent, all have achieved well in their lives either through academic achievement or building up business.

It is possible to be a gamer and have healthy limits throughout your life.

I think it sounds great. Be aware that there will be varying levels of skill involved so maybe not so many mini competitions but just playing for fun. If you are looking to cut the time, what else will you fill that time with? How much time are you allowing for eating? And at 8 some may find it hard to come off the consoles.

As to the whole I've spent 10 years working in schools and daily gaming is at least partly responsible for some hefty deterioration in academic and social skills in young boys and definitely responsible for some poor behaviour and impulse control issues

I will tell you that both my sons played computer games pretty much daily and probably for far more than recommended. The deal was to have a good attitude to school work, do your chores without comment and when asked to come off you do so without comment then you can play on the xbox/computer.

Ds1 achieved all A*s at A level and is now at uni and Ds2 is in year 11 and doing just as well. This isn't about gaming every day, this is about balance and doing other things as well as gaming. Also the games they play too like Minecraft where my sons learned about electrical circuits with redstone and Roblox where they had virtual jobs or another one where they ran a theme park and learned about income and expenditure. They had hobbies and sports, played musical instruments too. Balance. All about balance.

I'm laughing away at the person who has worked in schools for 10 years. Are you a dinner lady? Because if you were an actual educator you could tell us where you got your ridiculous information from.

Imagine telling the party of excited kids "I was going to give you a gaming experience as a fun and bonding party, but some judgy poster on MN said no, so let's go for a walk and I'll teach you how to start fires!"

DS1 graduated then did a Masters, his PS4 and then PS5 were with him the whole time.

I remember Animal Crossing from way back when. It involved a lot of thinking from what I can remember.

Sounds mint. Can I come

@unvillage the questions round controllers was more around how similar they are… my son has a switch and doesn’t play on other consoles so was wondering how quickly he can pick up and play with other controllers etc

Just in relation to controllers, they are pretty much one and the same, with a few minor differences, up down a, b etc are all universal. And preteens have an inate ability to pick up tech stuff quickly so they should be good!

Jesus, ignore the fun sponges who clearly don’t know the first thing about gaming 🙄

Sounds great to me. 60/90 minutes will be fine either way and they’ll probably all really enjoy it.

Don’t overthink, it’s quite a novelty party so I’m sure everyone will have a brilliant time!

Nothing quite like kicking ass at Rainbow Road 😂😂

Fire starting is all well and good until you come across the next arsonist,

No advice but this sounds like a lot of fun, ignore the naysayers, he's 8 not 3 and it's a treat not a daily event.

@Lightswitch123

Why? Why would you have such a thing?

A gaming party??

He's 8.

How depressing

Literally do anything else

I agree. My son is 7 and loves gaming but I'd definitely think a bit less of someone who organised this for a party.

@GreenWheat

Oh dear, the PP bleating on about forest walking and trampoline parks hasn't lived through children bonding remotely during Covid has she? 😀

Absolutely! While I spent the first weeks agonising and wracking my brains how to support my primary aged children's social skills during a lockdown, my kids just got on with finding chat software, making sure all their friends were involved, and playing games with each other remotely. They organised birthday parties online to help their friends celebrate.

They'll all love a gaming party. Don't cut it down because of some misplaced idea of what's good/bad for children.

My 10 year old went to a gaming party and loved it.

@StardewMelons

Interesting how people "roll their eyes" at gaming. I'm 30, and when I was gaming as a child, a lot of games involved reading, following storys, decision making, forming strategies, teamwork, etc ... Along side imagination and fun.. The only people who don't allow their children this hobby, is people who don't understand it and are ignorant. .. Probably fine with their kids watching cartoons though

@StardewMelons I completely agree. I think I learnt to read more quickly and developed much better hand-eye co-ordination (plus better teamwork with siblings) as a result of being able to play games from an early age. People who pooh-pooh gaming don't understand how broad a concept it is. It's not all shooting people and shouting at a screen.

OP, the party sounds lovely and I bet the kids will really enjoy it

I agree. My son is 7 and loves gaming but I'd definitely think a bit less of someone who organised this for a party.

Yes, organising a party which all the attendees and the birthday boy will love and be talking about for days after is frankly dangerous and irresponsible.