For anyone who wonders if anything good can come from video games...

[lovelaughs_times_three]

I have good news! My daughter has proved that something good CAN come from video games...

 

Tonight my 12-year-old daughter, who has never cooked before past helping me with cookies or boxed mac and cheese, made us dinner. She made HOMEMADE salsa from scratch with fresh tomatoes, fresh cilantro, garlic, onions, etc. She made HOMEMADE, from scratch guacamole! She made DELICIOUS homemade chicken quesadillas. The salsa was the BEST salsa I have EVER had!!! (and while I am prejudice, I swear this is no exaggeration!) The meal was not only incredible, but full of things that I have NEVER made, much less taught her to do.

 

So - VERY IMPRESSED -I ask her, "Where did you learn how to do all this?" Her answer?

 

The Wii Food Network Cooking game!!!!! :001_huh: Wow!!!! :w00t:

 

Next she is planning on cooking us a Chinese dish that I've never heard of! So much for my thinking that the Wii is just a diversion and not truly of educational value!!! :tongue_smilie::D

P.S. My son is :hurray: and :party:!!!! He is a great promoter of how important the Wii is in his education!!! ;)

[Starr]

:lol: Love it!

[GWOB]

Note to self- purchase Wii cooking game!

[WhollyHis]

Note to self- purchase Wii cooking game!

 

ditto! :001_smile:

[Jean in Newcastle]

Or to be a party pooper, you could just purchase a cookbook and do some cooking with your kids. . . ;)

OP - sounds like a great dinner:)

[wapiti]

Note to self- purchase Wii cooking game!

:iagree: If the Wii is going to get played anyway, might as well make it useful!

[DawnL]

Awesome!!

I have been enjoying my ds7 playing Scribblenauts on his DS because he is constantly trying to spell out new "things" for whatever the current objective on the game is. Also, it's encouraging him to read all the dialogue and instructions on the games. Although he has a hard time reading what Hagrid say on Lego Harry Potter ;)

[gardening momma]

Or to be a party pooper, you could just purchase a cookbook and do some cooking with your kids. . . ;)

But people do learn in different ways. :001_smile:

[Sparkle]

That's great! I want to come eat dinner at your house!

[NanceXToo]

That's awesome.

 

My 5.7 year old son who has had no formal schooling as of yet loves to play computer games, and he's somehow learned things like how to count by 50's and other similar math operations without my ever teaching him that. The first time he randomly started doing it a couple of months ago, my jaw was on the floor, as was my husband's. We asked him how he knew that, and he named a computer game he'd been playing. From wanting to know how many points he had and/or how much money he would need to buy certain things, he just figured it out! Crazy!

[Capt_Uhura]

Ok I'm buying that for me!

[lovelaughs_times_three]

That's awesome.

 

My 5.7 year old son who has had no formal schooling as of yet loves to play computer games, and he's somehow learned things like how to count by 50's and other similar math operations without my ever teaching him that. The first time he randomly started doing it a couple of months ago, my jaw was on the floor, as was my husband's. We asked him how he knew that, and he named a computer game he'd been playing. From wanting to know how many points he had and/or how much money he would need to buy certain things, he just figured it out! Crazy!

 

Wow! That's really cool!!! It's amazing what kids pick up when they are motivated!

[Amy in NH]

Or to be a party pooper, you could just purchase a cookbook and do some cooking with your kids. . . ;)

 

 

:iagree:

[Jumping In Puddles]

hmmm, is that the game where you are assisted/given tips by Mory? :001_wub:

[momofkhm]

Note to self- purchase Wii cooking game!

 

:iagree:

[lovelaughs_times_three]

Or to be a party pooper, you could just purchase a cookbook and do some cooking with your kids. . . ;)

 

 

Just to clarify (probably only because this post is stirring my silly Mommy-guilt). I did not buy her this game as a replacement for me teaching her how to cook. I do enjoy getting out the cookbook and magazines and cooking new things. My dd has helped me make some things. We are about to do an entire series on cultures around the world where all the kids will be cooking with me.

In fact, I did not buy her the game at all! She found it, on her own, at the library. We checked it out and she played it a few times and was inspired! :001_smile: We saw that she was developing a new passion, so we gave her free-reign to pursue that passion. She told us what ingredients she needed, we purchased those and set her free. I was AMAZED at the results!!! I like cooking, but she seems to have an in-born gift for it! Certainly a passion. I was really being sort of tounge-in-cheek about suggesting it as proof of the value of video games. But, I have to say, this is one of the beautiful things about homeschooling. Your kids have more time to try out new things. And you never know, sometimes, where they might find their gifts and passions! :D

[lovelaughs_times_three]

hmmm, is that the game where you are assisted/given tips by Mory? :001_wub:

 

This was a game they had at my library. It's called "Food Network: Cook or be Cooked!" On the back it says "Cut, slice and dice your way through 30+ real recipes taught by the experts from Food Network. Cook in multi-player mode or own your own." The "Food Network Experts" on the back of the case are Mory Thomas and Susie Fogelson.

 

So, yes! It is Mory! :D

[Belacqua]

This was a game they had at my library. It's called "Food Network: Cook or be Cooked!" On the back it says "Cut, slice and dice your way through 30+ real recipes taught by the experts from Food Network. Cook in multi-player mode or own your own." The "Food Network Experts" on the back of the case are Mory Thomas and Susie Fogelson.

 

So, yes! It is Mory! :D

 

And here I thought "Mory" was an affectionate nickname for Chef Morimoto. :)

[Mabeline]

Just to clarify (probably only because this post is stirring my silly Mommy-guilt). I did not buy her this game as a replacement for me teaching her how to cook. I do enjoy getting out the cookbook and magazines and cooking new things. My dd has helped me make some things. We are about to do an entire series on cultures around the world where all the kids will be cooking with me.

In fact, I did not buy her the game at all! She found it, on her own, at the library. We checked it out and she played it a few times and was inspired! :001_smile: We saw that she was developing a new passion, so we gave her free-reign to pursue that passion. She told us what ingredients she needed, we purchased those and set her free. I was AMAZED at the results!!! I like cooking, but she seems to have an in-born gift for it! Certainly a passion. I was really being sort of tounge-in-cheek about suggesting it as proof of the value of video games. But, I have to say, this is one of the beautiful things about homeschooling. Your kids have more time to try out new things. And you never know, sometimes, where they might find their gifts and passions! :D

 

:hurray: Yay, for letting her follow her passions.

[Jumping In Puddles]

And here I thought "Mory" was an affectionate nickname for Chef Morimoto. :)

 

:lol: No, Mory is a real guy and he's very cool. :cool:

[NanceXToo]

Just to clarify (probably only because this post is stirring my silly Mommy-guilt). I did not buy her this game as a replacement for me teaching her how to cook. I do enjoy getting out the cookbook and magazines and cooking new things. My dd has helped me make some things. We are about to do an entire series on cultures around the world where all the kids will be cooking with me.

In fact, I did not buy her the game at all! She found it, on her own, at the library. We checked it out and she played it a few times and was inspired! :001_smile: We saw that she was developing a new passion, so we gave her free-reign to pursue that passion. She told us what ingredients she needed, we purchased those and set her free. I was AMAZED at the results!!! I like cooking, but she seems to have an in-born gift for it! Certainly a passion. I was really being sort of tounge-in-cheek about suggesting it as proof of the value of video games. But, I have to say, this is one of the beautiful things about homeschooling. Your kids have more time to try out new things. And you never know, sometimes, where they might find their gifts and passions! :D

 

You have nothing to feel guilty about and don't need to clarify anything IMHO. And that would be even if you DID buy her the game yourself. It's hardly as if it's an either/or situation, where if you're letting your kids play video games that must mean you're not interacting with them on a more personal level, too.

 

Nance, (who does buy her kids video games, and does plenty of other stuff with them, too).

[SweetMissMagnolia]

awesome!!! love to hear it--DS also has some "cooking coach" type games that walk you through recipes step by step also....my little one is a video game-aholic!

[Mimm]

My kids play a game called Endless Ocean and have learned about all kinds of sea life. They were watching a Blue Planet documentary and my ten year old kept naming the animals shown on screen before the narrator said what they were.

 

We have video games that are just for fun as well. I don't think games need to be justified as educational in order to have value in a person's life. :)

[Belacqua]

These games certainly can be instructional. But it just occurred to me that my son's knowledge of first aid comes largely from Oregon Trail. He's admirably informed about frontier medical techniques of the 19th century, but it might be worth bringing him up to date a little.

[lovelaughs_times_three]

You have nothing to feel guilty about and don't need to clarify anything IMHO. And that would be even if you DID buy her the game yourself. It's hardly as if it's an either/or situation, where if you're letting your kids play video games that must mean you're not interacting with them on a more personal level, too.

 

Nance, (who does buy her kids video games, and does plenty of other stuff with them, too).

 

My kids play a game called Endless Ocean and have learned about all kinds of sea life. They were watching a Blue Planet documentary and my ten year old kept naming the animals shown on screen before the narrator said what they were.

 

We have video games that are just for fun as well. I don't think games need to be justified as educational in order to have value in a person's life. :)

 

Thanks! I agree. I just thought the post about pulling out a cookbook made it seem like I didn't interact with my kids. I agree that there are many ways to interact with our kids, and it is also cool to just let them have fun, too! :001_smile: