“Arcade games 'groom kids for pokies'” plus 3 more

Arcade games 'groom kids for pokies'
Kids can get hands on with historical games at Old Economy Village
Leipzig school broadens parents' ideas about video games
Kids' Café serves up fun and learning

Posted: 14 Jul 2010 09:54 PM PDT

Anti-gambling advocates say children are being groomed to gamble on arcade games that mimic poker machines in gaming venues.

The so-called redemption games offer expensive prizes including digital cameras or televisions and are usually located just steps away from the adults-only gaming areas, The Sunday Age says.

Monash University electronic gaming expert Charles Livingstone said the arcade games indoctrinate kids into gambling and lure children and their parents into pokies venues.

But a Victorian government spokeswoman said there's no 'research or evidence linking children playing redemption games with problem gambling in adulthood'.

However, a 2009 Adelaide University study of more than 2500 teenagers found those who were pathological gamblers were significantly more likely to have a history of playing video and arcade games, the paper says.

The Productivity Commission's report on gambling released last month reiterated that 'minors should not...be exposed to gambling areas within venues', it says.

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Kids can get hands on with historical games at Old Economy Village

Posted: 14 Jul 2010 01:39 PM PDT

Long before the days of battery-operated Buzz Lightyear toys and Wiis, kids had to get pretty creative in order to make toys and play games.

Children in the 19th century would amuse themselves with activities like rolling hoops with sticks, and doing "Lady Ann's ring tosses," which involved a stick tied to a wooden circle about the size of a doughnut. Kids would toss the stick around, and try to catch the circle with it. In another old-fashioned game, quoits, people would throw rings to land around a peg in the ground. Many of the toys were made with scrap wood that came from building houses.

"They had to make their own toys, mostly," says Lynn Popovich, who is organizing a play-themed event at Old Economy Village this weekend. "You couldn't go to the store and buy them. ... Most of the toys back then were creative things that the parents sort of invented when the kids were little to keep them busy."

On Saturday, Old Economy Village -- which re-opened in April, after a state budget crisis closed the National Historic Landmark for a few months -- will let its visitors explore, learn about and try out toys and games from the 1800s, when the Harmonists from Germany settled the Beaver County village. Hands On History Day features the old-fashioned amusements, along with arts and crafts, sack races, a historical scavenger hunt, and more. Kids can get their pictures taken while wearing reproduction 19th-century clothing, attend an 1830s schoolhouse session, watch puppet shows, play old instruments like kazoos, and more.

The activities will allow visitors of all ages to step back in time and enjoy getting a feel for early American life, says Popovich, who is the village's volunteer coordinator and store manager.

"We just want them to come and have a fun time and experience the days of yore ... with their children," she says. "It's something for the entire family. There aren't a lot of activities where kids and parents can enjoy themselves together. They can walk around the garden, pavilion and gazebo, sit on the bench and reflect how people lived back then.

Kids, Popovich says, are "fascinated, I think, with how the children of yesterday lived, without the modern conveniences."

"They love playing with the old-fashioned toys," she says. "You wouldn't think that they'd be interested because they're so involved with iPods .. and all that high-tech stuff."

Hands On History Day includes demonstrations from a blacksmith, weaver, broommaker, baker and other artisans, and visitors can try out these activities, Popovich says. The Ambridge Steel Drum Band will be performing at 1 and 3 p.m. Hot dogs, drinks and other snacks will be sold.

During school tours at the village, she says, the kids are fascinated by how their predecessors amused themselves without batteries and electricity.

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Leipzig school broadens parents' ideas about video games

Posted: 15 Jul 2010 04:33 AM PDT

Christoph Janisch is player number four – Shadow. At the moment though, he's a little out of his league. His eyes flash with disbelief, back and forth between the large screen and the small white controller in his hand. He presses each of the ten buttons on the gamepad at least once – and still Shadow doesn't seem to want to do what Janisch wants.

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Christoph Janisch has quickly come around to the benefits of video games

The Leipzig Video Game School, where Janisch has come to play and learn, has been around for almost two years, and is mainly targeted at parents and grandparents. It's designed to help them lose their fear of gaming technology and get to know their kids better. An instructor gives himsome pointers and, after a couple of false starts and a run-in with a wall, Janisch finally gets his car moving in the right direction.

When it comes to video games Christoph Janisch is a bit of a late bloomer. It took him 78 years before he even picked up a game controller. Next to him on the couch are the two responsible for bringing this agile senior here this afternoon: his grandson Toni and Toni's friend Johannes. Outside it's perfect beach weather – 33 degrees and sunny – but the two friends convinced Christoph to abandon the beautiful sunshine and come inside to play a few video games.

And as Grandpa battles his way through the game, Toni is visibly excited to see this new enthusiasm his grandfather is showing. Usually, he says, he only gets to play with his mom or dad.

"It's really great playing with Grandpa as well," he explains with a smile.

Paving the way for video game acceptance

Gabriele Heidecker, 52, sits with her two grandchildren Jonas and Melika just a couple of machines down. This is the tenth time here for these three, who've been coming twice a week. Eight-year-old Melika is excited to have a video game-playing grandma.

In fact, it was her grandmother's idea to come here. Anyone who brings there family can play two hours for free. Everyone else pays just one euro an hour to try out the latest video, computer and online games and consoles.

Claudia Philipp, who teaches media education at the University of Leipzig and is the current project head of the Video Game School. Her mission, as she sees it, is to broaden media literacy and allowing people to get acquainted with what kind of games there are, what types of genres there are.

"Because every genre is played differently. An example would be a strategy game, which is pretty difficult to just put down after 20 minutes," she said. "You can't put those kinds of rules on it.

Instead, according to Philipp, parents need to look at it differently. Perhaps setting up a weekly limit of a certain number of hours their kids are allowed to play and then letting the kids decide for themselves how they use that time.

Adult and child play a computer game together Bildunterschrift: The school wants parents to understand that games aren't just mindless entertainment

More than just mindless entertainment

Whether it's action and adventure, sport games, simulations, strategy or online games – parents and grandparents always have plenty of questions. Like which games are ideal of their children? How do protection systems work?

Philipp Wolfram, an intern at the school, helps parents search through video games and explains each of them. He says the one question that by far keeps coming up over and over is: why is my child so fascinated with this colorful imaginary world?

Wolfram says that's the question the Leipzig school was designed to answer. They want to help parents understand that their kids don't just see the shiny buttons, but that they also see the mechanics behind it all. How if you execute certain maneuvers, solve problems using things to help you along the way, then you get a reward, but you have to conform to a defined set of rules to move about in the game.

"Video games help with hand-eye coordination, you have to quickly adapt to new situations and quickly solve new problems," he said. "You have to be quick to get further in the game, to get to the next level. They promote logical thinking."

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Some gaming consoles have evolved, making them more interactive

Christoph Janisch, who is still in front of the screen, trying to throw his last bowling ball down the virtual lane, is certainly a testament to that. He skillfully twists the small, white wii remote in his hand, and presses the right button and just the right moment. Seven pins fall, three stay standing. Not bad, Christoph says smiling, for a 78-year-old. Their two hours are up for today. Toni and Johannes load up their backpacks while grandpa waits by the door.

"It was fun. Really stimulating and kind of brings you back to life," Janisch says, before heading out into the sunshine.

Author: Ronny Arnold / Mark Mattox
Editor: Cyrus Farivar

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Kids' Café serves up fun and learning

Posted: 14 Jul 2010 08:39 AM PDT

The last day of the summer Kids' Café on July 8 opened with a "snowball relay," but Heather Nell of Altoona said the free program is about more than just fun and games.
"They have so much fun, they don't even know they're learning," said Nell, who has four children.
Kids' Café ran for four weeks this summer, on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Mitchellville Elementary. About 80 kids were enrolled in the program.
"We specifically target Mitchellville, because we've had a really good relationship with them and since the town is a little bit more isolated, they need more activities out here," said Elaine Collet, community projects specialist for Central Place Family Resource and Community Education Center.
Collet has coordinated the program with the assistance of Central Place intern Clarice Schroeder, a 2006 Southeast Polk High School graduate.
"We have the kids come in, and they start off with a game," Collet said. "Our game (July 8) is the kids are putting a little bit of petroleum jelly on their noses. They start on one end, they run down to a little bowl of cotton balls, they dip their noses into it, see how many cotton balls they can get, and go drop them off in the other bowl."
The relay tied in with a book about weather, she said.
"I like that we play games," said Kaylin VonAhnen, 6, who will be in first grade at Centennial Elementary.
Schroeder will use her Central Place internship to wrap up her studies at the University of Northern Iowa.
"This is the last part of my degree," Schroeder said. "I'm actually doing this for college credit, so I've already walked and everything like that. I'm done the first week of August, so I've completed 400 hours this summer."
She majored in family studies at UNI.
"Central Place is a great place to do an internship, because they provide the guidance and the knowledge of how to run programs like this, and they let you take the lead, also," Schroeder said.
Kids' Café was scheduled for 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with lunch included for both children and adults.
Linda Stuart of Altoona said the lunch line was a big step for her 5-year-old grandson, Jackson, who is soon to start kindergarten.
"This is our second year, and he has really grown in that period of time," Linda said. "He loves to come. I think it helps him socially and prepares him for either preschool or kindergarten."
Jackson's neighbors at lunch pointed out that he had been introduced to honeydew melon that day, and Jackson said he is a fan of another meal item, as well.
"I like to drink milk," Jackson said.
The Altoona parent Nell said Kids' Café packs a lot into its 90-minute sessions.
"They come in and get a good, healthy lunch, read a story, play a game, do an activity based on the story and just have a really good time," said Nell, who has volunteered with Kids' Café for five years. "They get to take home a new book every time, and each of them gets a different book. Our library at home has just been blessed by this program."
She spent part of July 8 in the parent lounge, with her 2-year-old, Jacoby. Kids' Café is targeted at children from 3 years old to entering fourth grade, but the lounge offers space for child care providers, parents and volunteers to supervise younger kids.
"If it wasn't for this, I wouldn't even be able to bring him," Nell said.
Her oldest child, Chelsy, graduated from Southeast Polk this spring and has been a Kids' Café volunteer too.
Suellen Sellmeyer of Pleasant Hill was another July 8 volunteer. She attends Christ the King Lutheran Church in Altoona, which has been an active supporter of Caring Hands Outreach Center.
"I heard of (Kids' Café) through the church, and I think it's great," Sellmeyer said.
Kids' Café relies on donations, grants and volunteers to stay in operation. Along with their free books, students also take home snacks.

Reach Out Mitchellville

This year programming at Mitchellville Elementary has expanded to serve students up to high school age, in Reach Out Mitchellville.
Marc Peterson of Iowa State University Extension said the program that met at the same time as Kids' Café is part of Reach Out Iowa, financed by a federal grant.
"Over the last four weeks, we've gone through a process of helping them identify what they feel are the needs of the community and plan a service learning project to address those needs," Peterson said.
ISU Extension has collaborated with Freedom for Youth Ministries, which has renovated the donated former Rydex building at 118 Center Ave. N. for a youth center in Mitchellville.
Peterson said the students would like Mitchellville to have more activities in town for children their age. They have planned a community service day to upgrade the city park.
Peterson said the project will continue throughout the summer, even though Kids' Café has ended for 2010.
Rebecca Watters, who will be in eighth grade this fall, was one of about 15 students who attended Reach Out Mitchellville on July 8.
"It's fun because you get to hang out with people your own age and different ages, and you get to help while you're doing it," Watters said.

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Kids Games

Thursday, July 15, 2010