The Boy Scouts are prepared to get parents more involved with their kids’ videogame playing — and other geeky activities too.
This week, the organization introduced a new activity pin for playing games (right), which Boy Scouts of America says is aimed at making games a family activity. To earn the Video Games badges, Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts have to work with their parents to learn more about the games they love.
Later this year, the BSA will add three more tech-oriented pins to the lineup: robotics, inventing and geocaching.
The BSA wants parents to “look at (videogames) as a family activity, much like going to Six Flags or going out to eat,” representative Rene Fairrer told Wired.com.
“We want to empower (parents) with tools, if videogames are already in the house, on how to possibly open up a dialog so you don’t have a child spending half their day sitting around playing a videogame,” he said.
While some of the awards’ requirements can be met by playing games with friends, most of them require the Scout to do some research and preparation.
Boys first earn the Video Games belt loop by doing things like learning about the ESRB game rating system and creating a schedule with their parents that balances game time with other chores.
After that, a boy can earn the Academics Pin by teaching parents or friends how to play videogames, competing with his family in a game tournament or learning to install a game system.
The videogame award joins 53 other areas in which young Scouts can earn distinction, including astronomy, gymnastics, geology and skateboarding.
“Games can be fun,” Fairrer said. “Games can also be a learning experience.”
Boy Scouts’ Videogame Badge Gets Parents in the Game | GameLife | Wired.com
