Since video game systems were introduced into homes, parents have been worried about their children spending too much time with their eyes glued to the TV and a game controller in their hands. Where earlier generations would play games outside, the video game generations would engage in challenges acted out on their television screens. The long hours that gamers invest in their pastime has led many to associate the activity with all-time high levels of obesity among both children and adults.

But things aren’t all that simple. Sure, there are ways in which gaming may be a time waster, but one can actually develop positive character traits and skills in their devotion to video games. Everyone has a hobby or two, where you do the activity simply for the joy of doing it. We wouldn’t have crosswords or sudoku puzzles if that wasn’t the case.

All games challenge those who play it. When you are challenged, you must figure out the parameters of the challenge, know your capabilities and limitations, figure out how to approach the situation, and learn from your mistakes. The most basic of video games demands this of you, even the flash games for kids that are free online. You must figure out the explicit rules and implicit dynamics of the game to win.

Getting better at a game means working on your skills. In any activity you have to have discipline so you can put in the consistent effort it takes to get better. Video games are designed to be fun, which helps, but unless you have the discipline to keep coming back, even when it gets hard, you won’t eventually push through the challenges to victory.

Another valuable skill to develop is the ability to adapt. Often in video games, the way forward is not always apparent. If you’re fighting a boss at the end of a level, the tactics that you’ve used to get to that point may not be effective. It may take several attempts to figure out the right timing and combination of moves that will get you past an obstacle. Stubbornness will not help you. You need to step back, reassess the situation, and try something else.

Now, if you are especially determined and driven, you could end up obsessed. That’s why it’s necessary for parents to oversee their children’s activities, to make sure they aren’t overdoing anything. Thus a valuable lesson to learn from playing video games is exercising restraint. Excessive gaming can develop into a pattern of addiction, and anyone who counts themselves as a gamer needs to know when to shut the game off. A parent can assist by setting limits, but every person needs to be able to know when stop something on their own. On multiple occasions, an obsessed gamer, playing a single game for several days without stopping, ultimately died from the abuse they did to themselves. You can’t let any one activity swallow your life.

Fortunately, you don’t have to spend hours, days, weeks on a single game in order to develop character and learn life lessons. You can challenge yourself to simple free games available online. You’ll have fun, but if you push yourself to emerge triumphant at the end of the game, you can feel the pride of accomplishment and self-improvement.

Check out the latest awesome games for kids based on your favourite kids shows, free to play online!