Online play options have become standard for many PC games and parents naturally want to find safe online games for their kids. While your kids play with other players of their favorite games, you need to be watchful for any potential problems. By taking proactive steps and staying actively involved in your children’s online activities, parents like you can ensure safe online gaming for your kids.
Observation
As a parent, you need to stay current on game ratings and your kids’ use of and involvement in these games. Game ratings can help parents determine what is and is not acceptable content for their kids’ age groups and maturity levels. Here is a breakdown of some of the common game ratings from the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB):
- E – everyone
- E 10+ – anyone over 10 years old
- Teen – some content is not kid-friendly
- M – mature players, usually 17+
- A – adults only due to graphic content
- RP – rating pending/undetermined
To learn more about what constitutes each ESRB rating, please visit here.
Communication
Make sure you keep communication lines open with your kids. They need to know that they can come to you with questions, concerns, or problems about the online games they play. Parents who are involved, approachable, and take an interest in what their children are doing often have kids who stay safe and smart when playing online. Here are a few tips to get your children talking:
- Ask them about the game they’re playing
- See if they will show you what the game is like
- Ask them about their favorite characters in the game
- Talk to them about the people they play with
- Find out what they like and dislike about the game
- Offer to play the game with your children
Involvement
Being involved will go a long way in helping to protect your kids in the online gaming world. Sit beside them, take an interest in what they are doing, and engage with them as they play the game. This is a great way to take an active role in promoting online safety, even if online games are not really your thing.
Tips to Promote Online Safety for Kids
Make sure your children do the following to stay safe online:
- Use strong passwords for online game accounts.
- Never share passwords or accounts with other players online
- Know how to report unacceptable behavior.
- Never share names, age, addresses, phone numbers, school names, or other personal info online.
- Avoid using real names for screen names
- Do not use real photos of themselves as their user images – adopt avatars or generic image instead.
- Only discuss game-related things during in-game chats or communications.
Make sure that as a parent you are engaging with your kids, encouraging them to take part in activities in real life as well as online, getting them to do things with you as a family, and highlighting the importance of spending time away from games and the Internet. You do not have to stand over their shoulders all the time, but being involved, interested, and influential in what they do with their time can help keep them safe when playing online games. Using these and many other safety tips for online game play can go a long way in helping kids make smart decisions as they play games and interact with other players online.
For the seventh year, thousands of gamers from all over the world have come together to play games for 24 hours to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. Extra Life is one of the most popular gaming-themed charity events held each year. As one of the premiere charities helping sick and injured children, the impact made by Children’s Miracle Network cannot be underestimated.
62 children enter a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital for treatment every minute. Whether they suffer from common childhood afflictions like asthma and broken bones, or fight bigger challenges like birth defects or cancer, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals provide comfort, treatment and hope to millions of sick kids. In fact, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals treat one in 10 children in North America each year.
This year for the first time, KingsIsle lead a team of Wizard101 and Pirate101 players (and KingsIsle employees too) for this amazing cause. Players from around the Spiral signed up to join KI Gamers and play 24 hours of games for this fundraising marathon. October 25th was the big game day, and team KI Gamers was out in full force. Many Wizard101 community leaders and fan site owners including Steve and Christina from Spiral Radio 101, Kelsey Fireheart from Stars in the Spiral, Paige Moonshade from Paige’s Page and Alura from Art in the Spiral took part in the event and helped us to exceed our goal!
Our original goal was to raise $1000 but with the amazing efforts of our team, we raised the goal to $5000 and just kept going from there. At final count, the KI Gamers team had 322 members who raised a combined total of $9,422 for their local Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. Members of the KI Gamers team who raised over $100 even got to be some of the first players in Wizard101 to have the brand new Mystic Fishing Bundle!
Matthew, the KI Gamers team top earner, raised $586 for Extra Life! He went above and beyond to help kids, and I knew we had to do something extra special to thank him. So we are sending Matthew a signed poster from our team at KingsIsle. Great job!
By the end of the day on October 25th, the entire Extra Life community raised over $5,515,074 to help improve the lives of sick children through Children’s Miracle Network. I am endlessly proud of not only the KingsIsle community, but the gaming community as a whole for showing the best of ourselves through Extra Life.
-Leala aka Professor Greyrose
Halloween is getting closer and closer! Today we have another great KingsIsle costume idea for you crafty Pirates. Dress up as Madame Vadima this Halloween with these great ideas.
She gazes into her crystal ball and tells you what fortune lies ahead of you. She is mysterious and lovely, and her predictions, while confusing, always come true. You have long admired the flowing hair and colorful costume of Madame Vadima, the mystifying fortune teller on Pirate 101, and now you can dress like her. Here are six things you can pull out of your mom’s closet to dress like Madame Vadima.
Top – Check to see if your mom has a white top that is full and flowing. Try to find one that has a stretchy neckline so you can wear it off your shoulders – just like Madame Vadima!
Skirts – Madame Vadima wears a couple of skirts that are layered. In order to dress like her, you will need to do the same. Raid you mom’s closet and find a couple of long and flowing skirts. Bonus points if any of these are green! You will need another, lighter, shorter skirt to put over it – you want the green to show.
Make-Up – Your mom’s make up will be one of the most fun parts of dressing like Madame Vadima. Have your mom help you use dark eye shadow and eyeliner along with a dark purple lipstick to look just like the mysterious fortune teller.
Scarf – Truly get in the character of a fortune-teller with a scarf around your head, just the way Madame Vadima wears hers. You can also tie another one around your waist as a long, flowing sash.
Boots – One of the most important parts of Madame Vadima’s outfit is her heeled black pair of boots. If the boots you find are too big, stuff some socks in the toes and wear a pair of thick socks so they don’t slip too much.
Whether it’s homework or the hot new app, more activities are involving a screen of some sort. Before the rise of iPads and computers, it seemed all we had to be concerned about was how close our kids were sitting to the TV. These days, the tech explosion could cause our heads to explode because screens seem to be within arm’s reach at all times!
Limiting screen exposure can be tricky; they don’t make a lotion for it like sunblock. A recent report from the American Academy of Pediatrics states that on average, today’s kids spend seven hours with all types of media that involve screens and links this time to attention problems, school difficulties and sleeping disorders. We all agree that it’s important to limit screen time, but this can be tricky since guidelines can vary by age. Here are some rules that we try to follow:
Ages 3 to 8
Most experts on the subject will tell you that any screen time is too much for kids ages 2 and under. However, that’s not stopping toddlers and young children from experiencing technology. Media use by kids 18 months of age increased from 10 percent in 2011 to a whopping 40 percent by 2013, according to a report by Common Sense Media.
These habits will likely stick with kids for the rest of their lives, so it is suggested to build healthy screen time habits early on. Try:
- Setting school day rules, set a reasonable hours limit during the week
- Playing with your child, Wizard101 and Pirate101 offers a great family playing experience
Ages 8 to 13
Remember when homework consisted of writing on a piece of paper? Limiting screen time at home can be tough when kids have a project to complete, plus want to get in an hour or so of Wizard101. Some studies recommend around two hours a day for this age range, but it is discretionary to each child and family. Whatever limit you set with your kid, lessons about moderation and budgeting time wisely are key.
Learn to be flexible, but also set limits on when and where screen interaction is allowed. Keep digital devices out of the bedroom, and have a “no screens at the dinner table” rule. It is also important for parents to model healthy screen use, so you don’t end up with a “Do as I say, not as I do” situation.
Ages 13 to 18
Teenagers are an especially difficult group to police when it comes to screen time. There aren’t many teens without smartphones these days, and this can put a wrench in many of a parent’s best intentions.
When setting screen time for your teenager it’s important to remember that studies have shown that higher amounts of screen time contribute greatly to a lack of much-needed sleep. Additional negative consequences from too much time online among the high school set include cyberbullying, not getting homework done and failure to pay attention in class.
Make extra screen time beyond those three hours a reward for good grades, finishing homework and chores. Encouraging after-school activities and hobbies can help your teen be active and find balance.
Other Considerations for Parents
Most studies on screen time and its effect on children include the caveat that what your children are watching does matter. As parents, we should not only be aware of how much time our kids are spending with a screen, but what they are doing as well.
Know what your child is into and be conversant about it. Look for information pages for parents like Wizard 101’s “Family Game” page, which helps us understand the games our kids are playing. Parents are encouraged to set limits with input from their children. Give them feedback on the subject and they’ll be more accepting when it’s time to turn off the computer, tablet or phone.
If Merle Ambrose is your favorite character from Wizard101, then you’re in for a real treat this Halloween! While Merle is best known as the commanding Wizard who created Wizard City, he is also the headmaster of Ravenwood School of Magical Arts and is currently researching a third triangle of astral magics – one we know little about. You can easily dress as this great and powerful Wizard with items you probably already have lying around your house.
Stuff you’ll need:
- Purple construction paper or poster board
- White construction paper or poster board
- Bathrobe (preferably purple)
- Long stick from your backyard
- Tennis ball from your garage
- Cotton balls from your bathroom
- Pencil
- Single hole punch
- 12″ piece of string
- Blue paint
- Paintbrush
- Glue
- Foil
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Compass
Making the Mystical Robe
To create Merle Ambrose’s robe, you’ll need to borrow or use your own bathrobe. Bonus points if it’s purple to match the mystical wizard’s wardrobe! Cut stars out of the foil (younger Wizards should ask for help with the cutting while making their costume!) and tape them to the robe.
Crafting Merle Ambrose’s Hat
Use the ruler and compass to draw a large half-circle on the purple construction paper/poster board. Cut it out and roll it into a cone. Make small cuts along the bottom edge of the cone, then bend them outward.
On a second sheet of purple construction paper/poster board, measure the circumference of your hat and draw a circle that big. Then, draw a larger circle around it to make the brim. There should be 3 or 4 inches between the two circles.
Glue the hat to the brim, then use the ruler to make the bends in the hat so it looks like Merle Ambrose’s. Glue more stars onto the hat so it matches the robe.
Growing a Wizard’s Beard (the Fast Way)
Cut a sheet of white construction paper or poster board in the shape of a beard. It should be straight at the top and cut like a scalloped upside-down triangle. Use the hole punch to make a hole at each corner of the flat edge of the triangle.
Tie a piece of string through one hole, hold the beard up to your face, and pull the string around your head to the other hole. This will make sure your beard fits properly. Secure the other end of the string after passing it through the other hole, but don’t make the knot so tight that you can’t put the beard on and take it off.
When the shape looks like a beard, make it fluffy and more “beard-like” by gluing on cotton balls from your mom’s medicine cabinet.
Creating the Wizard Staff
For Merle Ambrose’s magical staff, head to your backyard and pick up a large stick. Next, roll some of the gold foil you used for the stars and shape it into the curve at the top of the stick, like Merle’s. When you’re done, visit your garage to pick up an old tennis ball. Paint the tennis ball blue and glue the curved gold foil and the ball to the top of your stick. Now you are ready to make magic!
KingsIsle Blog 