Game Design is Important for Kids – Find Out Why

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Game Design in education is typically associated with a higher grade-level. Usually somewhere in high school and college is where individuals learn the tricks and trade of game design. However, this does not mean that game design is limited to teenagers and adults. Kids are beginning to get in on the craft of game design as well.

Game Design and KidsThere are many programs that engage young kids in the craft of game design. Gamestar Mechanic, GameMaker, Kodu, and Scratch are a few of the programs that are helping engage kids in game design. I’ve written about how Game Design fits into STEM education seamlessly. The same applies for young kids in grade school. Game Design reinforces many qualities that are not only beneficial to the academic life of a young individual, but to their future as a functioning individual in society.

Game Design Teaches Key Skills

Game Design is a project-based discipline. It encourages teamwork and reinforces problem-solving concepts. It helps kids get hands-on with technology. Not only how to use technology, but how to manipulate it and tweak it to your liking. It helps them understand and analyze systems. It teaches them to be resourceful. And, arguably most importantly, it helps teach kids how to put themselves in someone else’s shoes. This is because of the user-centered philosophy of game design. Anybody who designs a game must put themselves in the shoes of the player so they can better understand how to design the game and how to engage a variety of users.

Skill Sets Improved by Game Design

Sure, game design reinforces some nice concepts, but what about actual skill sets? There’s Programming, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Art, Design, Networking, and much more.

With the many different resources being made available to young individuals, there’s no reason to not engage a kid in a discipline that has a lasting positive effect on their life. Especially now that there’s more emphasis on game design in academia than ever before. Take advantage on popular game development software such as Unity 3D Game Development Platform and the GameSalad Creator Pro authoring tool available at Studica.

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