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Dad Field Manual · Field card 109 · Screens

Co-op game night: think out loud

Kids rarely get to hear an adult get stuck and work it out. On a co-op game you're on the same side, so you can say it all out loud: what you tried, why it failed, what you'll try next. In 45 minutes, with a timer set before you start.

Time
45 min
Cost
$0
Ages
5 to 12
Where
The couch or the table

What you need

  • A two-player co-op video game you already own, or a co-op board game
  • Two controllers, or one you pass back and forth
  • A kitchen timer or phone timer the kid can see

Before you start

  • Check the game first. Look at the rating and turn off chat with strangers. The play their game plan walks through ratings and settings.
  • Set the stop time before you start, and stick to it. A timer they can see ends the session, not you.
  • Watch for gaming that's taking over: a kid who's very upset whenever games stop, can't cut down, or games to escape a bad mood. Talk with their pediatrician.

Steps

  1. Pick a game where you're on the same side. Pick a game where you win or lose together. Let them choose from two or three you've okayed.
  2. Set the timer out loud. Set a 40-minute timer they can see. Agree: when it rings, finish the level and stop.
  3. Think out loud when you're stuck. When you're stuck, say your thinking out loud: what you tried, why it failed, what you'll try next.
  4. Ask for their plan. Ask, "What should we try?" Pause, try their idea, and say what worked.
  5. Lose well, out loud. When you fail, name the frustration, take a breath, and try again slower.
  6. Land it when the timer goes. Finish the level, controllers down, then ask what the hardest part was and how you got past it.

If it stalls

  • If they get frustrated and want to quit, say what you'd do: "I'm going to put it down for one minute and breathe." Then do it.
  • If they want you to do the hard parts for them, take turns: you narrate while they hold the controller.
Times we got stuck and got past it
Signed off: can do this.Signed by Date