Programme swaps rackets for joysticks
A holiday programme with a difference aims to meet children where they are to help develop their social skills.
Tenforward’s gaming holiday programme takes place in a little building tucked away in Auckland’s Remuera.
Greeting the children entering the space is a giant mural of a Minecraft creeper, the Poke´mon Mew and Sonic. A row of TVS hooked up to Xbox consoles line one wall, laptops sit ready on the desks, and Beyblades and Nerf guns fill containers.
Your average holiday programme sees children play sport all day or head to the movies, but founder Belinda Hope said she wants to see young people learning key skills while doing what they really want to do.
She created Tenforward three years ago after seeing a gap in the market for a child like hers, who wanted a space where they could do one of their favourite things – gaming.
The bonus is they are in a communal space, developing social skills, instead of speaking into amicrophone to others far away, she said. ‘‘They are interested in being online because that is where their community is.’’
Through the games, they learn to work together and share items.
They can build a house together in Minecraft or work to find the ‘imposter’ in Among Us.
One of the participants, Alexis, said he and his parents had tried a few different holiday programmes.
They chose the gaming lounge at Tenforward because they thought it was the best fit.
He said he has been playing games since he was 5, and finds it easy to talk to people when they are playing alongside him.
Daniel Gay, a psychology student at Auckland University and part-time Tenforwardmentor, said the aim is to get children playing in a positive environment.
With the toxicity of online ‘‘trolls’’ there is a real need to teach children how to operate in an
online environment, he said. That translates into everyday life too.
He’s seen children go from shy and keeping to themselves the first few times they come, to getting involved in the hustle and bustle when games get intense.