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If you have a school-aged child who plays video games, chances are good that you’ve heard of Fortnite.  My son was thrilled about the Fortnite Birthday Challenges that released on July 24.  He’s still working to find the final few birthday cakes.  You might be surprised how educational video games can be!  

Fortnite is one of the few shooting games my son is allowed to play. He’s 9 years old, and I don’t like the realistic close-range violence on many popular games.  After seeing the game for myself, though, I decided to allow him some freedom on this one.

Teamwork Bus

Fortnite teams have 4 players who stick together throughout the game play.  The goal is to be the last man standing, so having friends means there can be safety in numbers.  Teamwork requires the players to work together to protect each other.  They serve as lookouts and support.  In the case of the Birthday Challenge, the teams have the common goal of making sure all members get to fulfill the challenge requirements.

However, it’s a little like Hunger Games, and alliances can quickly dissolve when the going gets tough.  Playing through difficult situations on a game can help kids built problem solving social skills they need when working with others.  Can you imagine how useful this is in the classroom?

Reading practice

There’s been precious little reading going on between the Savings in Seconds kiddos this summer.  At least Fortnite motivates my son to read something!

There are actually some useful reading skills employed with this game.  It takes map skills to figure out where to find the birthday cakes, for example.  Knowing how to find Greasy Grove or Pleasant Park might not seem too important right now, but those skills may come in handy when Junior is asked to locate Africa on a world map.

Additionally, players must read point meters, instructions, and even numbers in order to fulfill all of the challenge requirements.

I’ve also been known to ask sneaky questions like, “What does that say?” when words are on the screen.  My son is happy to oblige by reading it out loud to me.  This increases fluency and sight word recognition.  Though it’s not a full-length chapter book, I’ll take what I can get during the summer months!

Metacognitive skills

Basically, metacognition means “thinking about thinking” — which is a VERY important skill in school!  The Fortnite birthday challenge requires some strategy, planning, and organization as players have to find all of the cake locations.  I’ll often ask my son questions like,”Why did you build that ramp?” or  “Why are you standing in front of that giant toilet?”  By explaining the purpose for his actions, he stretches his reasoning skills.

Plus it’s just fun to ask weird questions like that.

Trial and error

At a recent workshop I attended, the presenter Tom Guskey pointed out that  kids are willing to build stamina for video games.  His example was Pac-man, and he described how players work hard to eat all the dots so they get rewarded with….MORE dots.  As comically ironic as that is, it’s absolutely true!

Working toward a goal is frustrating in some situations, but kids are willing to power through for a video game.  The Fortnite birthday cake challenge requires a lot of trial and error.  It’s not practice, exactly, but instead it’s determination to succeed. You can bet that I’ll bring up the hours spent on the Fortnite birthday challenge as an example of hard work=payoff when my son faces a difficult challenge at school this year.

Now, I’m not suggesting that we all home-school our kids through Fortnite’s seasons.  Since my son already likes playing in the game, I’m justifying some of its better attributes.  You have to make parenting decisions that suit your own family’s needs!  Hopefully, though, you’ll notice the educational benefits of your child’s activities, no matter how pointless it might seem to a grown-up brain.

GIVEAWAY

Have you seen all the cool Fortnite shirts and other themed stuff on Zazzle?  What a fun way to make going back to school a little more exciting!  I’m giving one lucky Savings in Seconds reader a $10 Zazzle gift card that can be used toward Fortnite merch.  The giveaway is open to anyone ages 18+ who can receive a Zazzle gift card via email. Void where prohibited by law.  International readers, please check and make sure Zazzle delivers to your country. Also keep in mind you’ll be responsible for any duties or taxes!