Please help us understand these games...

I am exploring options with my kids, who are anxious to play in virtual worlds. Unfortunately, all they have in mind are rather violent games (warcrafts and so on...) and I am trying to find a more positive environment. Along the way I am trying to learn and understand this medium.
But sometimes it's just not working.
Like dizzywood. What is it? What is going on there? All clicking didn't help and the kids were out in no time...

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Cynthia Alvarado on January 13, 2009 at 10:59am

If your network is slow, nothing will ever work if kids just keep clicking. I tell my students to count to 10 before clicking again. I like Whyville as a lower bandwidth virtual world for kids.

Permalink Reply by ShapingYouth on January 21, 2009 at 8:32pm

Or-Tal, I can help you with this one...I've written a lot about Dizzywood and deployed some positive behavioral cues within by partnering via my nonprofit Shaping Youth.org. Pls. ping me directly if you're still seeking same, as I'm way behind on my RezEd updates...I can be reached at: amy at shapingyouth dot org.

Here are a few posts on Dizzywood to explain how things work, and I'm about to delve deep into Elf Island.com which is all about Gaming for Good etc. and paying off real world actions from virtual world actions...First question is how old your kids?

Both Dizzywood and Elf Island (and Zookazoo too!) are geared to 'tweens' 8-12 or so...

Kids Plant Virtual Trees to Benefit REAL trees: http://blog.shapingyouth.org/?p=1408
http://ecochildsplay.com/2008/09/07/virtual-worlds-bring-eco-litera...
etc.. etc.