How can I pass the tech-love bug onto my kids?
AGaGu’s children – Hercules, Alta Vista, Mairée Dolphin and Mimsy Frou-Frou – are all grown up now, and get in touch only to demand money.
His grandkids, if anything, are even more demanding financially, so maybe you’d be better off keeping them away from tech, and convincing them that a stick and a cardboard box are the greatest toys a boy or girl can have?
If you really must find gateway drugs to take them towards full tech addiction, your friendly, playground-based pusher is Minecraft. GaGu is going to stop with this drug-dealing metaphor now; it seems inappropriate.
Minecraft is the online equivalent of LEGO. Actually, it’s the offline equivalent too, thanks to a spin-off with the Scandiwegian brick-o-stick-o marque. It teaches kiddies about building amazing things, and also introduces them to computer games, problem solving and online interaction.
Now, if there’s one thing today’s kids love even more than Minecraft, it’s watching YouTube videos about
Minecraft. Even if, to adults, said videos are slightly more irritating than someone chewing gum noisily while scraping their fingernails down a blackboard, whilst dressed as a clown.
So why not get junior creating ‘content’ rather than just consuming it? Venture into Maplins and get a Game Capture HD device from Roxio (£59) or Elgato (£99) and your offspring can make their own Minecraft videos, showcasing their ability to create magical landscapes, solve problems via team work, and totally overuse the word ‘awesome’ in a loud voice.
GaGu’s other kiddy fave is Amazon’s Fire 7 Kids Edition tablet. This can be set up to be safely used by kids from three and up, with new features unlockable when you feel they are ready for them, and strict limits on when it can be used and for how long.
A two-year, no-quibble guarantee gives peace of mind, should they find a way to break this robust bit of kit.
“If there’s one thing kids love more than Minecraft, it’s watching YouTube videos about Minecraft”