My kids (and their dad!) are really into gaming. They’re always keen to try out new games and it’s one of their favourite ways to play and relax. Last weekend we went along to the Playstation Kids & Parenting Showcase, to find out what Playstation has to offer for the younger generation. Playstation is quite often thought of as more of a grown up’s console, for serious gamers, but actually they have plenty of kids games available and my boys weren’t short of content that was suitable for their age.
We do have a Playstation 4 at home already (along with an xBox 360 and Nintendo Wii U – So we’ve basically got all the main consoles covered) but the Playstation has been mainly their Dads until now. After trying out lots of games on it though, I’m sure the kids will now start to take that console over a bit more!
If your kids are familiar with other consoles, then using the Playstation controls is really intuitive and they will pick it up instantly! Even if they’re new to gaming, I find kids can still pick it up really quickly and get stuck in straight away. My boys are 5, 6 and 8 and are very able to manage with the Playstation, without any help.
The first game that they played at the Playstation Kids & Parenting event was TowerFall Ascension which is one of the downloadable games, that comes at a lower price point. I’d never seen this game before, but they loved this and the great thing is that it’s 4 players. With 3 kids in the house, and often their friends or cousins joining them to play as well I always appreciate when games can accommodate more than 2 players at a time. It makes it really nice for them all to be included together, and makes gaming much more of a social thing rather than each person doing their own thing.
This game is a PEGI 7 and is medieval themed competitive archery shooting. The graphics are a little bit old school on this so it has quite a nostalgic feel to it as well.
The next game that my kids were so excited to see at the event was Skylanders Imaginators. This game is released today (so I’m listening out for the postman and hoping it arrives on time as the boys are desperate to get their hands on it!) They loved having the chance to play the demo of this at Playstation Kids & Parenting last weekend, before release, and it’s definitely a game that will get a lot of use in our family.
All of the Skylanders games are available on Playstation, along with other popular “toys to life” games like Lego Dimensions.
They also have a huge range of other Lego video games, and other popular kids titles such as Minecraft, Ratchet and Clank, Little Big Planet and more. There are loads to choose from, so the Playstation 4 is a really good choice if you want a console that can suit the whole family. Especially with the new Playstation VR release, I’m sure our Playstation is going to be getting plenty of use over the coming months!
The VR headset isn’t recommended for under 12 years, so that’s more something for us grown ups to enjoy! We pre-ordered it ready for launch yesterday though, and I have to say – it is amazing! I’m really looking forward to seeing what other games will come out for this as time goes on.
Do you play Playstation with your family? What are your kids and your own favourite games?
Click here to download the new ‘Parent’s Guide to Playstation’ PDF (free) with lots of useful info.
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
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