Gather 'Round the iPad for Family Games
By Asha Dornfest (from Parent Hacks) on June 11, 2010
Do our kids really need more encouragement to play electronic games?
I'd be one of the first to say "no." Already, a multitude of screens are competing for our kids' attention,
and the non-electronic world is being rendered increasingly pokey and
boring. A neighborhood stroll? Monopoly with Mom and Dad? Snooze. Sure,
there's the Wii, and we have great fun playing together. But the fact
remains that we're still all staring at the TV.But we've stumbled onto one form of electronic gaming that feels very different: multiplayer games on the iPad. These games, played by two or more people on a single iPad, get us around the coffee table playing, laughing and talking. The experience is more like Game Night from the days of yore...we're relaxed, companionable, and as aware of each other as we are the game. I've never experienced electronic gaming quite like it.
When sitting in the middle of the table, the iPad looks and feels very much like a game board, so it lends itself to all sorts of board game apps. Checkers ($1.99) and Scrabble ($9.99) are naturals on the iPad. It's fun to "slide" the pieces around, although I miss the tactile experience and sound of handling the real thing. But, then, I'm not suggesting you replace your board games with an iPad! Just that it's a fun way to involve the kids as they're dying to get their hands on the device anyway.
There's also Ludo ($1.99), an electronic version of the classic game of Parcheesi. I played this game as a kid, but it was called Trouble, with the little dome-shaped die-popper in the middle of the board. Great for all ages, as the role-the-die-move-the-pieces rules are simple but engaging.
I'm a sucker for the board game experience, but then I'm not much of a videogamer. For those who like electronic-native games, there are family friendly choices as well.
Marble Mixer ($1.99) is perfect for the family with a wide age range. This game, which involves flicking marbles into a hole, is effortless to play and much more fun than it sounds. I especially love the clacking of the marbles as they hit one another.
Friendsheep (Free for now!) is fast, frantic fingerplay. As fun with the kids as it would be over a few beers with your mates. Lots of laughter. And sheep.
OK, so this is another offline-to-iPad game, but who doesn't love air hockey? Besides, the original lives in the game arcade, so I'm leaving it in the "electronic native" category. Air Hockey Gold and Glide Hockey (both free) will take you back to the old days, when you saved up your quarters for friendly-but-fierce after-school competition. Regale your kids with tales from the olden times, back when Wii was something one did in a potty.
Globetrotters ($.99) is the original multiplayer iPad game (and the one pictured in the header for this article!), but it doesn't get the strong reviews of the other games mentioned here. Still, fun and simple, and worth a look if your ready for more variety. There are more games out there, with new additions popping up in the iTunes store every day.
What are your family's favorite iPad games? (Or, as @tigerljily wondered on Twitter, for Android?) Many thanks to Raven Zachary (@ravenme) for his fantastic game recommendations...they inspired this post!
See more from Parent Hacks:
Track Your Kid's Allowance Online
6 Sites to Help You Plan a Summer Roadtrip
Create a "Possibilities" Calendar
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Asha Dornfest is the founder of Parent Hacks -- where savvy parents swap clever, often unconventional, parenting tips. Here's the practical, real-world stuff you'll never find in an "expert" book. Featured in Real Simple, Parents, and PC Magazine.
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