Advertisement

Video games interfere with homework but not family

By New Scientist and Reuters

3 July 2007

Boys who play video games on school days spend 30% less time reading, while girls spend 34% less time doing homework if they play video games, according to a US study.

But the authors add that video games do not appear to interfere significantly with time spent with family and friends.

“Gamers did spend less time reading and doing homework. But they didn’t spend less time interacting with their parents or their friends, nor did they spend less time in sports or active leisure activities,” says Hope Cummings of the University of Michigan, one of two researchers who carried out the study.

The announcement comes as many doctors voice growing concern about the long-term effects of video games.

Prior studies have linked prolonged video game play with attention difficulties and poor academic performance. And some doctors have suggested that the games interfere with social development and might be addictive (see Mind-altering media ).

Gender differences

Cummings and Elizabeth Vandewater at the University of Texas at Austin, US, wanted to see how these games might affect academic pursuits and social relationships.

They gathered data from a sample of children aged 10 to 19 who tracked their activities on a random weekday and a random weekend day. Of the 1,491 who participated, 534 or about 36% played video games. About 80% of those were boys.

They found boys spent an average of 58 minutes playing on weekdays, and one hour and 37 minutes playing on a weekend day. Of those sampled, girls spent on average 44 minutes playing on a weekday, and an hour and four minutes on a weekend day.

Cummings and colleagues found video game use resulted in less time spent reading and doing homework, and these trade-offs fell along gender lines. “The reading was just for the boys. For the homework, it was just the girls,” she says.

Efficient or just slackers?

However, gaming did not seem to significantly affect time spent doing homework among boys, or reading among girls. Also, gamers did not spend less time with friends and parents. “These findings do not support the notion that adolescents who play video games are socially isolated,” the researchers say.

They add that the findings indicate that video game play can be a distraction from school-related activities, but that may not hurt grades (see Video game addiction ‘not mental illness’ ).

“Although gamers spend less time reading and doing homework, there have been some studies that show that high academic achievers spend less time doing homework,” Cummings says.

“Gamers may actually be more effective in completing homework assignments, and as a result, they spend less time doing homework. We need to look deeper into what is going on,” she says.

Journal reference: Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox! We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

More from New Scientist

Explore the latest news, articles and features

Realism of OpenAI’s Sora video generator raises security concerns

Environment, a container ship just tested a system to capture its own co2 emissions, super-thickeners made from starch reduce calories and carbs in food, carbon dioxide gas spotted in atmosphere of jupiter’s moon callisto.

Subscriber-only

Popular articles

Trending New Scientist articles

  • For Parents
  • For Educators
  • Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

  • Movie Reviews
  • Best Movie Lists
  • Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

after school homework or video games

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

after school homework or video games

  • Best TV Lists
  • Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
  • Common Sense Selections for TV
  • Video Reviews of TV Shows

after school homework or video games

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

after school homework or video games

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

  • Book Reviews
  • Best Book Lists
  • Common Sense Selections for Books

after school homework or video games

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

after school homework or video games

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

  • Game Reviews
  • Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

  • Video Reviews of Games

after school homework or video games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

after school homework or video games

  • Podcast Reviews
  • Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

after school homework or video games

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

after school homework or video games

  • App Reviews
  • Best App Lists

after school homework or video games

Social Networking for Teens

after school homework or video games

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

after school homework or video games

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

  • YouTube Channel Reviews
  • YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

after school homework or video games

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

after school homework or video games

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

  • Preschoolers (2-4)
  • Little Kids (5-7)
  • Big Kids (8-9)
  • Pre-Teens (10-12)
  • Teens (13+)
  • Screen Time
  • Social Media
  • Online Safety
  • Identity and Community

after school homework or video games

Explaining the News to Our Kids

  • Family Tech Planners
  • Digital Skills
  • All Articles
  • Latino Culture
  • Black Voices
  • Asian Stories
  • Native Narratives
  • LGBTQ+ Pride
  • Best of Diverse Representation List

after school homework or video games

Celebrating Black History Month

after school homework or video games

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

after school homework or video games

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

A Black girl sits next to her mom and dad on a couch, all smiling. She is pointing at a smartphone that they are looking at together.

Concerned about social media, AI, and screen time?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get the best out of media and tech.

Jeff Haynes

Video Games You Can Say Yes to After School

after school homework or video games

It's a modern-day dilemma: Do you ban gaming during the school week in hopes it will encourage more studying? Or do you use games as a reward for finishing homework but risk kids doing a rushed job?

Research on the positive effects video games have on players' brains may make those questions moot. In fact, all that decision making, logical thinking, and strategizing kids do while they're playing may not be wasted on enemies in Fortnite . Spatial reasoning, for example, is strengthened by playing games that emphasize building -- a lift that's especially good for girls interested in STEM careers . Action games can boost cognitive abilities including perception, attention, and reaction time. And some games can condition the brain for all kinds of learning -- sort of like how football players take ballet to improve their coordination.

So, how do you find the kinds of games that encourage the type of thinking that pays off? Look for games that include planning ahead, experimentation, problem-solving, and creativity. These games might not have the same appeal as Fortnite or Far Cry 5 (which can also serve up brain benefits) but might be the middle ground you and your kids can agree on for school nights.

Of course, it's still a good idea to make sure video games are balanced with plenty of offline brain-building activities and exercise. And taking an active interest in your kids' games and other media is another surefire way to boost learning. Check out these great games that you can "yes" to after school -- or anytime.

Math Blaster Online , 7+ Do your kids need help with equations? Math Blaster Online gives them plenty of practice as they join the Blaster Academy to save the universe using their math skills. It also lets your kids team up with other players to solve problems together in a safe, socially positive online environment.

Art Academy , 8+ Art Academy is more than a video game -- it's a fun art tutorial. The game walks you through the basics of drawing, shading, and other skills so you can apply them to real-life creations.

Lifeboat to Mars , 8+ Young scientists can experiment with creating a brand-new ecosystem on Mars to help support terrestrial life on Earth. Players can choose to work on microbes or on animal and plant missions to accomplish the task of terraforming the red planet. Even cooler, once they've finished a few missions, players can design their own missions for other players to try.

Minecraft , 8+ Minecraft can reinforce geometry concepts as it strengthens players' thinking and reasoning skills, creativity, and even collaboration. The game has a strong, positive online community and even has an educational module teachers can modify for classroom lessons on different subjects.

Oregon Trail , 9+ Oregon Trail has been teaching and entertaining kids for more than 40 years. The game continues to innovate through digital versions that provide realistic storylines and context. Players take on the role of a wagon leader directing settlers from Missouri to Oregon in 1800s America while dealing with issues such as disease, food, and weather.

GarageBand , 10+ GarageBand has exactly what fledgling musicians need to take their music to the next level. Kids can record vocals and instruments and mix tracks to create -- and share -- new songs while learning essential audio-engineering and composition skills. It's like having a professional recording studio in the palm of your hand.

The Political Machine 2016 , 10+ While The Political Machine 2016 may be focused on the main political players of the 2016 presidential race, the hot-button topics that candidates have to address are no less important today than they were then. Whether you're addressing issues like gun control, immigration, or global warming, players will have to figure out ways of swaying public opinion to their viewpoints, raise funds, and hopefully conduct a successful campaign.

SMART Adventures Mission Math 2: Peril at the Pyramids , 10+ Peril at the Pyramids is a story-based math app, where kids test their math knowledge to solve a mystery of disappearing artifacts at an archeological site. The app provides an engaging setting for players to use their logic skills as they solve engineering, science, and technology problems, as well as play mini-games that reinforce math concepts.

Walden, A Game , 10+ It's not often that students get a chance to explore a celebrated work of American literature in a video game, but Walden, A Game puts you directly in the shoes of Henry David Thoreau as he explores the wilderness around Walden Pond back in 1845. The game highlights many of the themes of the novel, including the simplification of your life, the importance of self-reliance, and the impact of nature.

Sid Meier's Civilization VI , 11+ With more than 20 cultures from around the world, Civilization VI is an ideal supplement to history class. Players lead a civilization from the Stone Age to the stars, using a variety of political, scientific, or military goals to accomplish their ends. Players can also found new religions, spy on rival countries, and explore various governmental systems through their country's development as they try to become the most important society in the world.

Spore , 11+ Can you design and develop the perfect creature? Spore lets you develop a species from its microscopic origins to an intelligent, social alien life form that can venture into space and interact with other sentient life forms. This is a great way for your young scientist to explore the methods and ideas behind biology.

Jeff Haynes

As Common Sense's senior editor, head of games and digital Jeff Haynes spends his time doing things like blasting aliens, winning sports championships, and creating digital worlds to tell kids and parents about the best gaming and website experiences available. Having covered the gaming and technology industries for more than 15 years, Jeff previously worked at Entertainment Tonight , Game-Over Online, Inside Kung-Fu, MXB and other magazines, as well as IGN and TechBargains. His technology expertise has been quoted by the Wall Street Journal , Yahoo, MSN and many other websites, newspapers, and magazines. When he's not playing games, he fights ninja and pirates (on alternating Thursdays); debates the methods, merits, and madness of shows like Top Gear , Chopped , and MythBusters , tinkers with technology of all shapes and sizes, embraces his inner audiophile, and absorbs horror writing and movies of all kinds when his child is tucked safely in bed at night.

Recommended reads on this topic

after school homework or video games

10 Surprising Ways to Spot a Great Video Game

Tips, tricks, and guidelines to get the most out of your kids' video game experience.

after school homework or video games

10 Most Violent Video Games of 2017 (and What to Play Instead)

Before you buy your young gamer the coolest new game, consider the content.

after school homework or video games

14 Apps to Play with Dad

Whatever Dad's into -- from sports to science -- we have an app he and the kids can play together.

  • All Stories
  • Journalists
  • Expert Advisories
  • Media Contacts
  • X (Twitter)
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Education & Society
  • Environment
  • Law & Politics
  • Science & Technology
  • International
  • 2024 Elections
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Abortion Access
  • Mental Health

U-M study: Video game play among teens affects school work, not socializing

  • Jared Wadley

ANN ARBOR—Kids who spend a lot of time playing video games are finding time to socialize with friends too—though that’s not the case when it comes to doing homework.

A new study by the University of Michigan shows game players and non-game players spent the same amount of time with parents and friends. The study sampled nearly 1,500 teens nationwide.

For boy and girl gamers, the more time they spent playing video games with their friends on the weekends, the more time they spent in other activities with them as well, said Hope Cummings, a graduate student in the U-M Department of Communication Studies.

Cummings and Elizabeth Vandewater, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin, wrote the study, which appears in the July issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

But while video games did not negatively affect teens’ social interaction, the same could not be said for school-related activities. Compared to non-gamers, kids who played video games spent 30 percent less time reading and 34 percent less time doing homework.

The sample of 1,491 children ages 10 to 19 years kept diaries about how they used their time for 24 hours on one weekday and one weekend day, with each day randomly chosen. The diaries tracked adolescents’ time spent playing video games, with parents and friends, reading and doing homework, and in sports and active leisure.

In the study, 534 kids (or 36 percent) played video games. Eighty percent (425) were boys and 20 percent (109) were girls. Female gamers spent an average of 44 minutes playing on the weekdays and one hour and four minutes playing on the weekends. Male gamers spent an average of 58 minutes playing on the weekdays and one hour and 37 minutes playing on the weekends.

Among gamers, time spent playing video games without parents or friends was related to less time spent with parents and friends in other activities. For girl gamers only, the more time they spent playing video games with their parents, the more time they spent with their parents in other activities.

“Video game popularity continues its rapid growth,” Cummings said. “This creates concerns among parents, teachers and politicians who think video games will interfere with adolescences’ social interaction and academic success.”

Related Links:

  • Department of Communication Studies
  • Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine

University of Michigan Logo

412 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1399 Email [email protected] Phone 734-764-7260 About Michigan News

  • Engaged Michigan
  • Global Michigan
  • Michigan Medicine
  • Public Affairs

Publications

  • Michigan Today
  • The University Record

Office of the Vice President for Communications © 2024 The Regents of the University of Michigan

Boy playing computer game.

Videogames or homework? Why not both, as ACMI has 75 game lessons for you to try

after school homework or video games

Lecturer in Education, Monash University

after school homework or video games

Senior Lecturer, Digital Technologies, Monash University

Disclosure statement

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Monash University provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU.

View all partners

Despite the growth of technology in our daily lives , the integration of digital technologies into education has been slower than anticipated . There seem to be a number of factors at work here, including problems with access to technology and the time and support needed to use technology successfully in the classroom.

Teachers may also lack confidence in choosing and using technology or believe technology will not improve learning .

Australia’s national museum for screen culture, ACMI, has released an online digital learning lesson bank to address these challenges. This is part of ACMI’s school program and resources database. Game Lessons offers digital games as lessons – 25 lesson plans comprising 75 digital lessons. These are created by expert teachers and include areas such as the arts, humanities, sciences, literacy and capabilities such as ethics.

The new resource is an interesting step forward that builds on the existing pedagogy of digital game-based learning. This refers to the use of games to teach content .

Read more: Gaming in the classroom: what we can learn from Pokémon Go technology

A brief history of digital education

Digital games such as Maths Rescue and Carmen Sandiego have been used in education for as long as computers have been available in classrooms.

1980s computer with Carmen Sandiego on the screen.

The developers of globally-popular games such as Minecraft , Fortnight and Portal 2 have already capitalised on their potential in education. They’ve all developed educational versions of their games with supporting lesson plans and online communities.

Playing fun games that interest and motivate students is a key aspect of digital-based learning . Games, however, include other educationally useful features:

students can work at their own pace, or collaborate in a team

students practise skills until they are achieved and then move to a higher level. This provides experiences of mastery, continual assessments and immediate feedback

games automatically adjust to the level of difficulty needed to encourage student persistence. Students then gain rewards for hard work including virtual lives, coins or badges

transferable skills such as communication skills, strategising and problem solving are essential for collaborative gameplay. It also fosters creativity, flexibility and resilience skills

activities become more student-centred and students can be positioned as experts co-constructing knowledge with their teacher. This is a powerful motivator.

The research into the effectiveness of game-based learning seems highly contextual . A 2017 study examined the way teachers designed 27 game-based learning courses from middle school to higher education, including the specific game elements they used and why. It found

The structure of game-based learning at different levels will vary to meet the developmental and academic needs of students, but more work is needed in determining which strategies are most effective for learning.

Another study found many teachers feel unsure about using games in specific classes.

So, what is the ACMI resource?

ACMI’s Game Lessons are connected to the Victorian Curriculum and can be searched by learning area and year level, from foundation to year 12. To support these resources, ACMI also has professional development opportunities and peer to peer interactions in a Slack community.

Teachers are encouraged to pick and choose and adapt the most useful or inspirational aspects of the plans for their classrooms. They can leave out those aspects not meeting their needs.

Read more: How creative use of technology may have helped save schooling during the pandemic

In the lesson plans, students are no longer positioned simply as learners but as having active roles including watchers, players, makers or explorers. In some lessons they simply watch YouTubers playing games; in others they make their own online or offline games.

In one lesson, called Gone Home the players are immersed in a story where the protagonist is a mystery but players discover more about her through narration and the exploration of objects. This is a historical video game to develop skills in evaluating evidence.

Another video game is called Contraption Maker . Here students learn physics by becoming explorers in sandbox or simulation games and invent, tinker and test their ideas. A sandbox is a style of game in which minimal character limitations are placed on the gamer, allowing them to roam and change a virtual world at will.

Games such as the ones in the new ACMI resource can be seen as another tool in a teacher’s toolbox. The technology may be used as a stimulus for a main teaching activity, such as a writing task , in the same way a book, video, excursion or objects are currently used.

Maintaining momentum

The continual renewal of learning technology is relentless. It forces teachers to think twice before embracing this type of resource in case the technologies become redundant within a year or two.

For ongoing success, ACMI will need to ensure the Games Lessons library continues to meet the International Standards for Technology in Education. The library would need to meet current needs and anticipate future needs too.

Game Lessons is an ACMI education initiative funded by the Department of Education Victoria’s Strategic Partnerships Program, and supported by a committed network of teachers.

  • Video games
  • Digital learning

after school homework or video games

Lecturer / Senior Lecturer - Business Law & Taxation

after school homework or video games

Lecturer - Human Geography 

after school homework or video games

Professor/Associate Professor in Environmental Informatics

after school homework or video games

Newsletters and Social Media Manager

after school homework or video games

Research Fellow in Veterinary Herpesviruses

Featured Cohort

after school homework or video games

The State of Pastors Summit

Free webcast March 6th at 12pm ET to explore six trends shaping the future of pastoral leadership. Discover how pastors are doing, along with brand new findings from Barna's upcoming research report, The State of Pastors, Volume 2. Register for free today.

Featured Report

after school homework or video games

To explore the problems older adults are facing—and the exciting roles they can play in churches—Barna has partnered with Worship Anew to study aging generations. We’ve taken our findings and crafted a new report called Aging Well: A Renewed Vision for Ministering to Older Adults.

Featured Podcast

after school homework or video games

The Resilient Pastor

Join pastors Glenn Packiam, Rich Villodas and Sharon Hodde Miller as they invite leaders to think out loud together about the challenges and opportunities of leading a church in a rapidly changing world. In each episode, they will have a conversation about church leadership and the challenges pastors are facing. Then, they’ll share a conversation with a pastor, church leader, thinker or theologian about the health of the pastor, the state of the church and what it looks like to love well and lead faithfully.

Featured Service

after school homework or video games

Custom Research with Barna

Partner with Barna on customized research projects. Gain knowledge to understand the unique needs of your ministry.

Get full access to Barna insights, research & more

Aug 29, 2017

How Teens Spend Their After-School Hours

after school homework or video games

This article is part of Barna’s back-to-school series exploring brand new research on education, from parents’ expectations and college trends to students’ schedules and school violence. This article explores how young people spend their after-school hours, illustrating the impact of technology on their lives.

Smartphones are changing the way an entire generation spends their time. Teens (or iGen , as some have named them) have come of age in a world dominated by devices and unfettered access to the web—and it’s dramatically altering their behavior. According to a recent article in The Atlantic , author Jean Twenge shows that although teens are partying and drinking less, they are feeling more depressed and isolated than ever as they spend increasing amounts of time glued to their smartphones.

In his book, The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place , Andy Crouch explores the important role of the family in helping young people to navigate the demands of current technology . Recent research conducted by Barna for Andy’s book provides some insight into how young people spend their time when they aren’t at school (as reported by their parents), further illustrating the impact of technology on their lives.

after school homework or video games

Barna Access Plus

Strengthen your message, train your team and grow your church with cultural insights and practical resources, all in one place.

Between the school dismissal bell and the call for dinner, how do kids fill their time? If you picture an idyllic afternoon of bike rides, playgrounds and ice cream trucks, think again. These days, it’s almost impossible to imagine an off-the-grid, device-free existence, and this is especially true of children who have come of age in a tech-saturated world . In fact, most of the after-school activities of children involve technology. A significant majority of children (64%) watch television or movies after school, regardless of their age group. More than four in 10 (42%) play video games, but this is much more common among children ages 9–12 (48%) and 13–17 (49%). More than one-quarter (27%) spend their free time on social media or texting with friends, though this is primarily an activity among the 13–17 age group (48%). Half as many 9–12 year olds (25%) do the same, as well as only 13 percent of those eight or younger. One in four (25%) spend time browsing online, another activity dominated by teens.

Most of the after-school activities of children involve technology.

after school homework or video games

creen time is not the only activity that consumes the afternoon and evening hours for children. In fact, the most common activity for any child is still doing homework (65%) (though certainly this now sometimes requires engagement with technology) and watching television or movies (64%). The third most common activity is interacting with family members, an after-school reality for over half (56%) of American children. But unsurprisingly, teenagers (54%) and 9–12 year olds (57%), having formed more non-familial relationships, are less likely to spend time with their family than the two younger age groups (60% of 5–8 year olds and 69% of those under the age of five). Around four in 10 kids (39%) engage in some kind of informal play or activity, an activity those under 5 do twice as much as teenagers (56% compared to 28%). Reading books beyond schoolwork is still fairly popular (32%)—but mostly among those without schoolwork (42% under age 5). Activities outside the house like extracurricular activities or classes (25%), playing organized sports (23%) or hanging out with friends (22%) are much less common. The least common of all after-school activities is reading the Bible/devotions/prayer (8%), but this is much more commonly reported among parents who identify as Christians (9%) than non-Christians (3%). Unsurprisingly, it’s also a popular after-school activity for families with practicing Christian parents (12%).

after school homework or video games

Reclaiming real life in a world of devices.

The life-stage of parents has an understandably acute effect on the after-school activities of their children. For example, younger parents—those in their 20s—are less likely than middle-aged parents to report their children doing more traditional activities like homework (40% compared to 77% among parents in their 40s), playing organized sports (11% compared to 27% among parents in their 40s) or doing extracurricular activities or classes (13% compared to 35% among parents in their 40s). They are also less likely to report activity directly involving technology like playing video games (30% compared to 48% among parents in their 40s), being online other than for homework (17% compared to 29% among parents in their 40s) or spending time on social media or texting with friends (8% compared to 33% among parents in their 40s). The only activity younger parents are more likely to report is informal play or activity (48% compared to 35% among parents in their 40s). This makes sense for one obvious reason: Children of parents in their 20 are almost guaranteed to be pre-teen, and most would be either toddlers or preschoolers. Therefore activities like doing homework and playing organized sports or interacting with devices and technology are much less common (or in some cases non-existent) at these ages, when informal play or activity is more frequent. It will be interesting, however, to see how these families of Millennial parents incorporate other activities—or digital devices—as the children begin school or become teens.

after school homework or video games

Read  The Tech-Wise Family  for more insight into “the proper place for technology” as well as a series of practical nudges, disciplines and choices that can help you and your family keep technology in its proper place.

What the Research Means “The best and richest experiences of learning, it turns out, are embodied ones,” notes Andy Crouch in The Tech-Wise Family . “They require and build on physical experience and activity. This begins with the most basic things typical children learn in their first years of life. They learn, beautifully, awkwardly, and sometimes hilariously, all the aspects of living in a body.”

“As we go on to learn more complex and abstract things,” says Crouch, “the body continues to play an important role. At the most basic level, everything we learn is encoded in chemical and electrical connections between neurons in our brains. Cognitive scientists observe that the physical act of reading a book, with its bound pages, helps strengthen the learning of the concepts inside. Likewise, physically taking notes with a pen or pencil on paper—the act of forming physical letters by hand, with the twists and turns of the letter forms and the accumulating fatigue and need for rest—turns out to aid memorization and learning, even if we never consult the notes again.”

“The truth is that our children,” continues Crouch, “just like us, will spend far too much of their lives tethered to glowing rectangles. We owe them, at the very minimum, early years of real, embodied, difficult, rewarding learning, the kind that screens cannot provide. And that is why a family that cares about developing wisdom and courage will exert every effort to avoid the thin simplicity of screens in the first years of life.”

Comment on this research and follow our work: Twitter:  @davidkinnaman  |  @roxyleestone  |  @barnagroup Facebook:  Barna Group

About the Research In partnership with Andy Crouch, Barna Group conducted a public opinion survey among 1,021 U.S. parents, nationally representative of parents with children ages 4–17 who live in their home at least 50 percent of the time. The survey was conducted in January and February of 2016. The sampling error for this study is plus or minus 3 percentage points, at the 95% confidence level. Minimal statistical weighting was used to calibrate the sample to known population percentages in relation to demographic variables.

Photo by  Aaron Burden  on  Unsplash

About Barna

Since 1984, Barna Group has conducted more than two million interviews over the course of thousands of studies and has become a go-to source for insights about faith, culture, leadership, vocation and generations. Barna is a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization.

Get Barna in your inbox

Subscribe to Barna’s free newsletters for the latest data and insights to navigate today’s most complex issues.

What's Hot

Parents share the screen time rules that actually work for them.

Senior Reporter, HuffPost Life

after school homework or video games

Parenting in 2018 brings with a whole host of new challenges, especially when it comes to “ screen time .”

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting screen use to one hour per day of “high-quality programs” for children 2 to 5 years old and placing “consistent limits” on screen time and types of media for kids 6 and older. But how do you make this work on a practical level?

We asked the HuffPost Parents Facebook community to share what screen time rules have worked for their families.

While every family is different, and it is ultimately up to individual parents to determine what is best for their children, here are some approaches that have worked for others.

Timers And Schedules

“We always do a countdown ― ‘five more minutes,’ ‘three more minutes.’ It helps cut down the anxiety of him being in the middle of something and then having it taken away. We also set limits within our devices and only put kid friendly apps where he is allowed.” ― Kirsten Britain

“We use the kitchen timer on the microwave, so when it beeps she knows it’s time to put it away.” ― Rachelle Lowers

“The kids set a timer on their iPads, and when their time is up (20 minutes on weekdays, one hour on weekends), then it’s up.” ― Rinna Tablante

“Our screen time is scheduled and pretty much only TV. We have an old Kindle Fire that has a few games and a Leapster, but they’re rarely used. TV time is after lunch and after supper ― a half hour or so after lunch and a movie’s worth (1-1.5 hours) after supper.” ― Katie Kilsdonk

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

“Our TV lives in our family room in our basement, out of sight = out of mind. TV only on the weekend and only about an hour each day. There are a million other ways to entertain yourself. Honestly, I think little kids watch way too much TV. No iPads or laptops either. My kids are 6 and 8.” ― Amanda McAllister

“My younger kids don’t have their own technology besides access to a TV in their playroom. I would never trust them with their own tablets or a computer. Mostly because they break things.” ― Robyn Bourgoin

“Hide any tablets. Tell the kids to go ride a bike.” ― Danielle Bartran

Earned Time

“Screen time is earned for getting ready for school in a timely fashion and after school as a way to decompress from the day for a while before starting homework and evening routines. Kindle for Kids is great because you can make them read books before earning game time as well (and can be set to automatically shut off after a certain amount of time).” ― Kim O’Connor Crance

“We have a chore chart for earning time ― five minutes for making the bed, three for taking the trash out, five for laundry, etc. No time earned, no screen time. Screen time starts after homework is done.” ― Megan Spiller

“We have a system for her to earn screen time by reading. She’s in Grade 2, so she’s learning to read, and this is the priority.” ― Elyssa Katherine Bisset

“They have three basics before screens can even be turned on: homework, instrument practice and laundry. I bought a pack of cheap digital timers on Amazon that they can easily set themselves and pause (for bathroom breaks or if we stop for dinner, etc.). I still get fairly lax on weekends or school breaks, but it’s a great system for keeping school days under control.” ― Carrie Kindt

“Our child doesn’t have a tablet, and she won’t have one for quite a while. We also have the cheap cable package, so no Nick Jr. or Disney Channel. Our daughter can earn TV time (she mostly watches educational songs and videos on YouTube) by having good behavior at home and preschool. As she gets older, screen time will continue to be earned, not just given.” ― Wendy Pitoniak

“For my middle school kid, I said if your progress report has X, no phone until it’s up to Y. One week without the phone, and it was up to Y. My husband and I are constantly pushing for more outside time, and we pay a small amount for chores.” ― Yvonne Hudson

“My daughter watches some TV and some movies and knows the tablet or phone are reserved for very specific situations. She’s not quite 3 but if she asks, and we say no, we redirect to a different activity. Hoping it continues that way.” ― Kerry Marsh Wichowski

“My daughter’s school encourages screen time, but it’s more of utilizing it for learning. During the summer time, we use checklists that have things like, ‘practice reading for 30 minutes,’ ‘do something creative for 30 minutes like Play-Doh or Legos,’ ‘play outside for 30 minutes’ ... usually she gets so wrapped up in the activity that she forgets she wanted to play on her tablet.” ― Rachelle Lowers

Off Before Bed

“What finally worked for us during the week was stopping screen time one hour before bed (bedtime is 8 p.m.). So the bedtime show/game has to start by 6:30 ― which means all homework except bedtime reading has to be done by 6:30 too. Some nights my son has archery or scouts till 6:30/7, so no screen time those nights typically. The weekend is different of course.” ― Sarah Marie Bliss

Weekday Limits

“We do no screen time during the week. Then Friday night is family movie night. We still limit it on the weekends, but it’s more often turned off because we have so much going on.” ― Crystal Barnes

“My kids aren’t allowed any video games on school nights. On weekends though, after chores are done they are free to enjoy their weekend.” ― Pamela Januchowski

“We told our 5-year-old that the pediatrician said no screen time on weekdays. So now the TV and iPad are only on Saturday and Sunday.” ― Jennifer Kellogg

“We have zero tablet time during the week and the only computer time is to do schoolwork. We also have zero TV time during the week. We play games together, read together, and play with friends with zero screen time. It was hard at first, but our kiddos have gotten used to it.” ― Sarah Salisott

“No internet or video games during the school week, period. The only leeway is any need to do school work research. He doesn’t have texting or his own phone number. He can play video games on the weekend after chores are done and as long as his behavior is kind to all. Our 12-year-old isn’t a fan of these rules. But his father and I are a united front, so the child eventually stopped arguing about it. The only trick: Say NO, and mean it.” ― Gina Elliott Proulx

“During the school year, we don’t let our two youngest use it Monday through Friday. My oldest self-manages really well, and uses hers for homework, etc. We check hers but haven’t found the need to cut her off during the week.” ― Darci Lewis

“We aim for no tablets or playing with our phones during the week. We permit some TV since it’s easier to break them away from it. On weekends, they can use the tablets here and there throughout the day. But we set the device timers for 15 minutes so it doesn’t go on too long each time.” ― Eileen Conlon Blanco

For Travel Only

“We only use the tablet in the car and during travel. Because of my commute to/from work and daycare, he gets a solid chunk of time with the tablet and then is running around and playing once we get home.” ― Hollis Evans

“We stopped cold turkey. I have no problem with movie nights or watching one show before bed as a family, but we do no tablets or iPads at all unless we are on a long flight. Now the kids play and read.” ― Regan McDonald

Alternatives

“Audiobooks are a great alternative. We cut TV cold turkey about three years ago. It was hard for the first two weeks, but we started listening to audiobooks and podcasts together and it helped ease the transition. Now, iPads are locked to Epic or Audible, and kids can listen to audiobooks with headphones on whenever they want. We only do family movie nights on Friday and Saturday evenings.” ― Oz Douglas

“Find things to do together. Take a walk, bike ride, play board games, card games, read, do laundry together.” ― Kathie Hilliard

“We put all our board games out in the open. We are a big board game family and this helps us all reconnect, have fun, and learn together with no screens involved.” ― Bri Lutz

“With young kids, rotating toys really helps. When all their toys are out, they tend to get bored more easily.” ― Jenna Stensland

Get Outside

“If it’s nice enough outside, not pouring rain/storming or freezing cold, then out they go. No ands, ifs or buts. I spent my entire childhood playing outdoors, I’m trying to give my kids that same experience. They watch cartoons sporadically during the week, and I haven’t bothered to replace the needed battery on our iPad so other than their toons, no screens. It works for us, but we have a big yard and my kiddos are still young. So I am lucky I have the option to shoo them out and no phones to battle over. Do what works best for your family though!” ― Jennifer Hershey

“If it’s a nice day and they are indoors, they are assigned chores! Works great. They spend more time outside and devices aren’t allowed out!” ― Carrie N Mike Lehmann

Educational Focus

“My 7-year-old doesn’t know the password to the iPad. We have also started having him play an educational app (like DuoLingo as he is learning Spanish) before he can use it for what he wants (parent-approved options). We also set a kitchen timer so we can keep track of how long he is on it.” ― Erika Chaney

Parental Controls

“With the Google Family Link app, we set a one hour per day timer, so when the time is up, the screen goes off. An adult must approve all apps before they can be downloaded, and there’s a timer that let’s us know exactly how the time was used. Too much time on YouTube and not enough learning games means we delete YouTube.” ― Krystal Kilpatric

“We have Google’s Family Link app and have parental controls on all their devices (except school computers), so we can turn off their phones when we need to and just have them put their computers in their backpacks before bed.”― Patrice Caraway

“During the summer, I use the Our Pact app.” ― Darci Lewis

“We have a phone app called ESET Parental Control and settings on our router that allow us to set on and off times for each device.” ― Patty Johnson Dobrowski

“We use the Circle with Disney device.” ― Kelly Farrell Ziek

“Finally figured out how to turn off the autoplay feature on Netflix and Amazon!” ― Sarah Seiglie

“We watch the apps they use. We banned YouTube. I also have a kid on the spectrum, so I cannot completely take it away as he uses it to communicate sometimes. He’s learned to only use it as a calming tool, barely on it anymore.” ― Jessica Cozza

Tools For Punishment

“My 7-year-old son can use electronics as much as he wants as long as he behaves and does what he should when he should. Otherwise, they get taken away as punishment.” ― John Ayers

Balance And Flexibility

“There’s no set rule. We have found that balance and flexibility work best. Sometimes they can have tablet time, sometimes we say no and suggest another activity. Sometimes we do family movie night, like tonight, and sometimes we play games. Because of this, they enjoy their screen time, but they love doing stuff as a family even more.” ― Amanda Kirkland

Quotes have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Parenting is harder than ever, and there’s no one way to do it right. So on November 2, HuffPost Life will convene a community of people trying to figure it out together at our inaugural HuffPost Parents conference, HOW TO RAISE A KID . In advance of the event, HuffPost Parents will publish stories on topics that matter deeply to parents of children who are starting to navigate the world on their own: bullying; sex, consent and gender; money; their digital lives; and how to raise compassionate, self-sufficient, creative, emotionally intelligent children. In short — kids who aren’t assholes. View the event site here and be sure to follow HuffPost Parents on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram , and subscribe to our newsletter, How Not To Raise A Jerk .

Before You Go

Caroline Bologna - Senior Reporter, HuffPost Life

Caroline Bologna

Do you have info to share with HuffPost reporters? Here’s how.

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

More in life.

after school homework or video games

intentalogo-whitebg

Gaming and Students: Benefits & Risks

Gaming often gets a bad press, with the focus on excessive play, violence and cyberbullying. However, there is increasing evidence that video games can have multiple benefits for young people in the classroom and beyond.

This blog explores the pros and cons of gaming , and the resources available to equip educators and school counselors with the skills to help students exhibiting unhealthy gaming habits.

Benefits of gaming for students

students and teacher

Is gaming good for a student? There’s strong evidence that video games can improve the learning experience and enable students to develop their interpersonal skills. Here are some of the positive effects of gaming in an educational context:

  • Provides experiential learning – Video games are particularly effective experiential learning tools because learning by doing can enhance memorization and retention. Also, they give students a wide choice of environments in which to explore and learn. Professors at the University of Edinburgh designed Project Millport 1 – a digital fieldwork experience built in Minecraft – for zoology students who were unable to undertake in-person fieldwork due to COVID-19 restrictions. This demonstrates how gaming affects academics in a positive way by giving them the tools to develop creative solutions.
  • Engages students in STEM subjects – Video games are an effective way to engage students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects. But what is gaming education and how can it be used effectively? The appeal for educators and students is twofold – STEM skills can be introduced into video game content or through teaching coding and other computer skills. The University of Oklahoma has devised a calculus game 2 called Mission Prime to make it easier for students to understand and excel in the subject.
  • Helps students learn from mistakes – Video games allow students to fail in a safe way and learn from their mistakes. A study by Anderson et al (2018) 3 looked at the gaming patterns and conversations of 88 middle school students playing an educational video game called Virulent to investigate the role of failure in learning. They found that collaboration helped players to learn, with more successful players sharing strategies with students who were struggling.
  • Improves learning capabilities – Video games can improve players’ learning capabilities more generally, not just through skills gained while gaming. This is backed by research which shows that gamers have an advantage at learning 4 compared to non-gamers. In a weather prediction task, gamers performed significantly better than non-gamers – especially in situations with high uncertainties – and gamers showed an increased activity in the brain areas relevant for learning. A follow-up questionnaire demonstrated that gamers had acquired more declarative knowledge than non-gamers.
  • Enhances problem solving – Many video games encourage players to experiment with different approaches to succeed. In Angry Birds (a puzzle game) and Cut the Rope (a physics-based puzzle) players require critical thinking, strategy and problem-solving skills to reach the next level. Education expert, Professor Angela Mcfarlane 5 , says “There are many computer games that require quite deep learning to master the games. Some of that learning applies beyond games to wider life, such as concentration, problem solving, and resilience – important life skills. Anyone who has tried to play complex video games will know they are difficult.”
  • Boosts academic performance and attendance – According to the National School Boards Association 6 (NSBA), it’s time for schools to harness the potential of scholastic esports – organized video game competitions between teams. As well as gaining real-world skills, playing esports can help students thrive socially and academically. The NSBA reveals that students who join esports programs have better attendance (+10%) and earn better grades (GPA +1.7) than their non-esports peers, and 80% of students who play esports at high school have never previously taken part in an extracurricular activity.
  • Encourages inclusivity – Esports in schools also attracts previously unengaged students and has greater reach and inclusivity than other activities. Kristy Custer, Vice President of Educational Innovation at the High School Esports League 7 says: “You can come to the esports team and be whoever you want to be. One of the most foundational things that we learned [from a research study done this fall of a big high school district] is that 7% of the students gaming were from the LGBTQ community. Esports is capturing a marginalized, high-risk community, and we are helping them belong to something. It crosses a lot of social-economic boundaries.”

Risks of gaming for students

Is gaming bad for a student? Despite the many benefits outlined above, gaming does have downsides. Here are some of the negative effects of gaming that some students can experience when playing video games:

  • Conflict at home – Sometimes gaming causes conflict between parents and students. Perhaps the student has ignored rules about the types of video games they’re allowed to play, the amount of time they’re permitted to spend online or they may have bought loot boxes without parental consent.
  • Poor physical health and hygiene – If gaming starts to take over a student’s life, it can have a significant impact on their physical health . It’s not uncommon for problematic gamers to be exhausted and dehydrated from playing all night without a break. Other side effects of being physically inactive for long periods include obesity, vision problems, headaches, repetitive strain injury, aching muscles, blood clots and poor hygiene.
  • Mental health problems – Students who game excessively have poorer emotional health and well-being than students with more well-rounded lives. Research has consistently shown that adolescents with mobile game addiction self-reported higher instances of depression, social anxiety and loneliness 8 . Streamers also experience issues with their mental health .
  • Neglecting schoolwork – Students sometimes skip school to continue gaming while those who do attend may be unable to concentrate if they’ve been playing all night. Losing motivation to study, procrastinating about homework and rejecting any school-related activities to play video games are all signs that there’s a problem.
  • Lack of interest in other activities – Some students have all their needs met by playing video games so they resist spending time with friends and family, and stop all other activities during and after school. Find out what to do if a student has lost their motivation .
  • Cyberbullying – There are many ways that students can be bullied while gaming, some more serious than others. The anonymity of players and the use of avatars allows gamers to abuse, harass and exclude other players without fear of repercussions. This can range from name calling to ‘doxing’ (sharing private information online) which can compromise not just a student’s private information but their parents’ information as well. Find out more about toxicity, hate and harassment in gaming .
  • Internet safety – Online predators sometimes use video games to groom young players. They can build rapport and gain trust by defeating a tough opponent, standing up to a cyberbully or sending gaming currency. This can lead to inappropriate messages, webcam chats or even face-to-face meetings. It’s important that students are educated about online risks and parents closely monitor their gameplay.
  • Excessive play – Often, parents worry that their child is spending too much time playing video games. But how much play is too much play? Check out the screentime guidelines for children and teens . An increasing number of students are experiencing symptoms of problematic play. In fact it’s estimated that around 3 billion players globally suffer from gaming disorder – defined here by the World Health Organization 9 .

Here’s a message from our co-founder Cam Adair on his advice for 11-year old gamers:

How educators and school counsellors can help students gaming problematically

Educators and school counselors are seeing a rise in the number of students with problem gaming habits.

In just 15 hours of self-paced learning, our Gaming Disorder Clinical Training will equip school staff and counselors with the skills and knowledge to help students and their families enjoy the benefits and minimize the risks of gaming.

Find out more about our internationally-accredited training today.

  •  https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/learning-teaching-conference/poster-project-millport-a-digital-field-work-experience/
  •  https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/game/1039
  •  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323669946_Failing_up_How_Failure_in_a_Game_Environment_Promotes_Learning_Through_Discourse
  •  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28842270/
  •  https://www.inquisitr.com/1240414/angry-birds/
  •  https://www.nsba.org/ASBJ/2020/February/esports
  •  https://districtadministration.com/esports-remains-the-best-vehicle-to-reach-all-k-12-students/
  •  https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00247/full#:~:text=Literature%20has%20consistently%20shown%20that,anxiety%20(40%2C%2041).)
  •  https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/addictive-behaviours-gaming-disorder

Subscribe to Trends & Insights

Enter your email to receive monthly trends, insights and resources on gaming and digital disorders.

Enter your email to receive monthly trends, insights and resources on gaming, esports and mental health.

Get your free lesson

Enter your email to receive immediate access to Lesson One of our internationally-accredited Gaming Disorder Clinical Training.

Living with Children: Sleep, homework need to come before video games

John Rosemond

Q: We would like to limit our 16-year-old son’s video game and cellphone time. We think homework should come first and then free time. He wants to relax with his video game and phone after school which frequently results in homework not being done before he must attend a two-hour team practice at 7 p.m. That means he’s not done with homework until around midnight and struggles the next morning to get out of bed. What is a fair requirement concerning his electronics or an appropriate punishment if he cannot get up in the morning and be ready on time?

A: My initial thought was of a song first performed by the late, great Fred Astaire (1899 – 1987): “Something’s Gotta Give.”

Over the past five years or so, hundreds of parents have complained to me about teenage children who have difficulty getting out of bed on school mornings. Two observations are pertinent: first, at least 90 percent of these tales concern boys; second, nearly all of the boys in question have a problem self-limiting when it comes to video games and cellphones. In short, these boys’ priorities are out of whack, something’s gotta give, and it seems to me that the something in question should be the aforementioned electronic devices.

Your son is responsible for homework, team practice, and getting himself up for school in the morning. Playing video games and talking/texting on his cell phone are not responsibilities; they are recreations. It’s obvious that he’s unable to set proper priorities; therefore, and regrettably, you’re going to have to set them for him.

I’ll wager that you’ve talked yourselves blue in the face, nagged, threatened, and even yelled. You wouldn’t have asked my opinion if any of that had worked. What you haven’t done is confiscate the video game and the cellphone. Well, maybe you have, but then he’s promised to do better (and maybe even done better for two or three mornings) and you’ve given them back. If so, that’s an example of what I call “trying to stop a charging elephant with a fly swatter” – that is, responding to a big problem with a completely ineffectual consequence.

If you really and truly want your son to wake up and smell the coffee where his responsibilities are concerned, then I’ll venture that the only wake-up call he’s going to pay attention to is the a) sudden and b) long-term disappearance of his devices. His video game disappears when he’s at school tomorrow (in hesitation, all will be lost!), and you confiscate his cellphone as soon as he comes home.

Then, having obtained his full attention, you inform him that you will restore the devices to his possession when he’s had no problem getting out of bed on school mornings for no less than two straight months. If, during that time, you have to get him up, his two electronics-free months start over again the next day.

You won’t be the most well-liked parents in the world, but like Fred Astaire said, something's gotta give.

Read more from family psychologist John Rosemond at johnrosemond.com and parentguru.com.

The future of homework is … video games

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on LinkedIn

Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the gaming industry’s top leaders? Learn more about GamesBeat Summit sponsorship opportunities here . 

For many students, the mention of homework evokes a sense of dread. Ask any parent and chances are they, too, have a strong opinion about the value of homework.

Educators and researchers are divided on the issue. In the last decade, an emphasis on standardized tests has become much more prevalent, creating incentives to assign students with even more homework. At the same time, a recent study from Stanford University shows that spending too much time on homework can contribute to anxiety, physical health problems, and even alienation from society. The snowball effect of stress among teachers, students and parents over homework seems to be increasing with no end in sight. Unfortunately, homework as we know it is generally not effective . No data consistently shows that homework leads to learning or better grades, much less to development of cognitive skills not measured by traditional assessments. It is time to reimagine not only the amount of homework necessary but also its format.

Meanwhile, students are playing video games more than ever — on average, more than 13 hours per week. This time represents a huge educational opportunity. After all, play is one of the most powerful and natural ways for children to learn. Some game designers even argue that games can help to create a better world. As educators and parents, we can and should integrate gameplay into our students’ learning routines. Yes, you heard that right — let’s assign our kids some game time as part of their homework!

Recommended learning games by subject area

Early Literacy : Montessorium , Endless Reader Math : Todo Math , MathBreakers , Motion Math , Dragon Box Coding :   CodeMonkey , Tynker , Lightbot Science : The Sandbox EDU , SimCityEDU , Econauts Financial Literacy : Thrive N Shine , Collegeology Creativity : TinyTap , Pixel Press , Toontastic

GamesBeat Summit Call for Speakers

We’re thrilled to open our call for speakers to our flagship event, GamesBeat Summit 2024 hosted in Los Angeles, where we will explore the theme of “Resilience and Adaption”.

After more than a year operating Co.lab , an accelerator for startups at the intersection of games and learning, I have seen video games work effectively as learning systems for engaging children across ages and subject areas. We have worked with companies developing games for the consumer and school markets to teach concepts as varied as math, reading, computer science, and financial literacy as well as “21st century” skills like problem-solving, collaboration, and grit.

Games, particularly those designed with educational goals in mind, are great media to engage kids in the quest of learning. Why? Because they are systems with goals, rules for how to reach them, and feedback loops along the way to surface progression — these characteristics can support learning in a wide range of contexts. When developers and designers align game mechanics with educational goals, games can offer engaging and personalized experiences where the player becomes the agent of his or her own learning. In GlassLab’s SimCityEDU , players learn about factors affecting the environment and problem solving by building their own cities and instantly observing the impact of their decision-making.

We do not all learn the same way, and games can be especially effective for students who are struggling in traditional learning environments. Almost 80 percent of K-8 teachers surveyed by The Joan Ganz Cooney Center agree that games can help improve lower performing students’ mastery of subject areas such as math, language arts and science. Indeed, games can empower a wide range of learners by offering personalized content as well as the freedom to experiment without fear of making mistakes. LocoMotive Labs’ Todo Math presents students with multiple representations of elementary math concepts like addition and subtraction to support different styles of learning without penalizing students for making mistakes. Similarly, MindBlown Labs’ Thrive ‘N’ Shine gives high school students the freedom to practice making their own financial decisions in a risk-free environment and then reflect on their experiences with peers through classroom discussions.

The value of games for learning is becoming more widely accepted among educators, with schools nationwide integrating digital games into their curricula. According to the Cooney Center’s study , 74 percent of K-8 teachers are using some form of digital games for instruction — primarily to teach supplemental content and introduce new material. Games are also used to bring concepts together so students can apply knowledge in different contexts. According to Jesse Feldman, a middle school science teacher in El Cerrito, Calif., games like Pixowl’s The Sandbox “can really reinforce concepts that are being learned in other ways … allowing students to build skills and understanding of how individual concepts fit together in systems and how different topics relate to each other.” Games can also help students bridge the physical and digital worlds: Pixel Press enables children to create their own games with pen and paper, photograph their drawings and convert them into digital experiences to play with their friends.

Games are definitely more fun than homework as we know it today, but they also hold the potential to be more effective, too. Most homework is inherently “hackable” since, too often, it is the same for every student. It’s easy to receive help from a friend or parent, to search online for answers, or even to use an app that solves math problems for you. This homework paradigm is biased toward kids with adult support and other resources at home, potentially widening the achievement gap for underserved students. This is not the case for games, which take a vast amount of work to hack, and can be personalized to address the needs of children with different interests and levels of content expertise. There are still disparities in access to mobile devices, but smartphone and tablet ownership continues to increase for families across income levels.

I hear of so many parents struggling over the right amount of screen time for their kids. But the real question we should be asking is this: Which games are worth playing? With tens of thousands of choices out there, let’s focus our energy on seeking out the highest quality learning games so that the time our kids do spend on mobile devices supports their cognitive and social growth.

What are you waiting for? Chances are that someone has a game out there that could help your child with their homework.

Esteban Sosnik is the executive director of Co.lab , a San Francisco-based accelerator for learning games, co-founded in partnership with Zynga.org and NewSchools Venture Fund.

VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Discover our Briefings.

after school homework or video games

Celebrating 25 Years

  •  | 

Subscribe to Additude Magazine

  • What Is ADHD?
  • The ADHD Brain
  • ADHD Symptoms
  • ADHD in Children
  • ADHD in Adults
  • ADHD in Women
  • Find ADHD Specialists
  • New! Symptom Checker
  • ADHD Symptom Tests
  • All Symptom Tests
  • More in Mental Health
  • Medication Reviews
  • ADHD Medications
  • Natural Remedies
  • ADHD Therapies
  • Managing Treatment
  • Treating Your Child
  • Behavior & Discipline
  • School & Learning
  • Teens with ADHD
  • Positive Parenting
  • Schedules & Routines
  • Organizing Your Child
  • Health & Nutrition
  • More on ADHD Parenting
  • Do I Have ADD?
  • Getting Things Done
  • Relationships
  • Time & Productivity
  • Organization
  • Health & Nutrition
  • More for ADHD Adults
  • Free Webinars
  • Free Downloads
  • ADHD Videos
  • ADHD Directory
  • eBooks + More
  • Newsletters
  • Guest Blogs
  • News & Research
  • For Clinicians
  • For Educators
  • Manage My Subscription
  • Get Back Issues
  • Digital Magazine
  • Gift Subscription
  • Renew My Subscription

Q: “My Child Decompresses with Video Games and Then Has No Time for Homework. Help!”

“setting a blackout hour is a very effective way to refocus a child with adhd’s attention away from playing video games and helps budget his screen time appropriately.”.

Leslie Josel

What you’re describing makes total sense. Video games seem never-ending — they are designed to keep children playing long after they should exit. It’s easy for children to lose track of time while playing. The social aspect of talking to and playing with friends as if they are in person makes it much harder for kids to disconnect.

I’m all for decompressing after a busy school day. Kids need downtime before starting their homework or other responsibilities. The problem occurs when that downtime completely stops a student from doing what needs to be done. There needs to be a balance.

Establish a Blackout Hour

When my children were young, we had a designated time — for everyone — in the evenings when no phones, television, or screens were used.

[ Read: An “Ethics Manual” for Your Teen’s Electronics ]

Being “forced” to shut down all screens for an hour or so every night allows for uninterrupted and nonnegotiable time to complete homework, practice an instrument, prepare for the next day, and reset the home.

It also takes all negotiations out of the equation. By establishing parameters and boundaries beforehand, the constant questioning of “Can I?” or “Five more minutes, please!” has already been answered.

And the best part?

Track Gaming Time

Create a gaming log (I like using a spreadsheet format) where you write down what time your son starts playing a game, the game’s name, and when he stops playing. Total up the gaming hours at the end of each week. Seeing that huge number in real-time, instead of just telling your son, may snap him out of his video game vortex. The data never lies!

[ Self-Test: Could My Child Be Addicted to the Internet? ]

Set a Physical Timer

Kids lose track of time when they play video games , especially if they are having a bad game or are working toward advancing to another level. Setting a timer will give your son a visual cue for where he sits in time. If the timer is too easy to ignore, place it on the opposite side of the room or connect it to his gaming console.

Activate the Sleep Timer Function

This tip is my favorite. Buried deep in your television’s settings is a handy sleep timer function. Just choose how long you want the television to be on; the TV shuts off automatically when that time ends. Yes, it’s abrupt, but it does the trick.

Decompress with Screen Time? Next Steps

  • Q: “How Can I Help My Teen Better Manage Screen Time?”
  • Read: Video Game Guidelines: 5 Smart Screen Rules for Teens with ADHD
  • Download: Free Guide to Managing and Safeguarding Your Child’s Screen Time
  • Watch: “Time to Unplug? How Screen Time Impacts the ADHD Brain”

ADHD Family Coach Leslie Josel, of  Order Out of Chaos , will answer questions from  ADDitude  readers about everything from paper clutter to disaster-zone bedrooms and from mastering to-do lists to arriving on time every time.

Submit your questions to the ADHD Family Coach here!

SUPPORT ADDITUDE Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support,  please consider subscribing . Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.

More Articles Recommended For You

boy friendships don't flourish over social media

Discord Chats and Xbox Games Alone Will Not Sustain Your Son’s Friendships

A boy with minecraft addiction plays at night as his brother watches.

“One More Block!” Managing Your Child’s Minecraft Obsession

Boy lying on the floor with a book over his face to escape his homework problems

Scripts to End Every Homework Fight

A checklist to help child overcome frustration at too much homework

The After-School Homework Routine You Need to Try

Free newsletter, the adhd parenting guide, behavior & discipline, positive parenting, organization, happiness & more..

It appears JavaScript is disabled in your browser. Please enable JavaScript and refresh the page in order to complete this form.

ADDitude eBook: Video Games and The ADHD Brain: A Special Report from ADDitude Cover

Video Games and the ADHD Brain

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Teaching Expertise

  • Classroom Ideas
  • Teacher’s Life
  • Deals & Shopping
  • Privacy Policy

36 Fun & Engaging After-School Activity Ideas For Elementary

November 10, 2023 //  by  Rachel Cruz

After a long day at school, your kids may not want to do anything but watch TV or play video games, which can be detrimental to their development. Instead, why not engross them in various crafts or games that promote their mental and physical health?  Below, you’ll find a wide range of ideas that’ll engage your young learners’ minds as they dabble in some amazing art projects, science experiments, and problem-solving games. Try these 28 enchanting after-school activities to keep your elementary-aged kids off the screen and actively learning!

1. Create a Catapult

Calling all of your little engineers!  Challenge your students to design a functioning catapult using popsicle sticks and rubber bands! In their last step of construction, they’ll attach a bottlecap to their catapult to hold their projectile in place- marshmallows and paper balls work well!

Learn More:  Kids Discovery Place

2. Spaghetti Towers 

Two food items that don’t naturally go together can make for an exciting STEM activity! Dry spaghetti noodles and marshmallows are the perfect materials for your kids to build sturdy towers. If you don’t have the required materials on hand, your littles can use straws and tape. As they experiment with design techniques they can compete to build the tallest tower!

Learn More:  RIGB

3. Build a Ball Drop Maze

Building a ball drop is an excellent way to use recycled materials and promote critical thinking in your pupils. To do so, they’ll take empty paper towel rolls, wrapping paper, and toilet paper rolls, and tape them to a wall with painter’s tape; constructing a fun maze for a ball to travel through. Your elementary students won’t even realize that they’re working on their fine and gross motor skills while creating this fun contraption.

Learn More: Cambridge Montessori

4. Magnetic Slime

Making slime is an activity that ALL students love. Change it up from the regular recipe by adding black iron oxide powder and liquid starch to make it magnetic! We bet your kiddos will be impressed by the new properties of their gooey toy; making it perfect for an interactive and engaging after-school activity.

Learn More:  Little Bins For Little Hands

5. Minute To Win It Games

Minute to win it games are exhilarating, competitive games that can be played individually against a timer, or with teams! There are hundreds of exciting games for your kids to choose from- like stacking as many dice as they can on a popsicle stick that’s balancing in their mouth. They’ll feel the pressure as they only have 60 seconds to complete each of the tasks!

Learn More:  Tiny Beans

6. Can You Fit Through An Index Card?

When asking your kiddies- can you fit it through an index card… most children will say no! Hand them a pair of scissors and see if they’re up for the task! After they struggle through a few tries, cutting different shapes and holes- offer them up the trick! They’ll see how, with the proper cuts, they can expand the size of the paper and fit their bodies through it! They’ll definitely think it’s magic and want to show all of their friends!

Learn More:  Parent Vault

7. Build a Hovercraft

Your kids will surely be on board for building a DIY hovercraft after school! They’ll start by gathering the necessary materials; a balloon, duct tape, a rubber band, a straw, a CD, a pencil, a skewer, and a piece of packing foam to create their flying machines! The construction process is only half the fun; once they add their air supply they can play games and race their hoverboards all afternoon long!

Learn More:  PBS Kids

8. Make a Lava Lamp

Lava lamps are a great after-school craft that’s suitable for any age. Plus, they can be used for mindfulness and calming down. All your kiddos need is some vegetable oil, colors, glitter, and anything else that they’d like to see floating around in their jars. Once they’ve mixed everything, they can seal it and watch in awe as the lava flows!

9. Egg Drop Challenge

I’m sure you’ve seen, or even remember doing, the classic egg drop activity yourself! Provide your elementary kiddos with an egg, a cup, a bag, a string, and something to cushion their egg with. Then, task them with creating a special design that can be used to house an egg and protect it from breaking when dropped from a height. Whether successful or not, prompt them to analyze their designs based on the outcome of the experiment! 

Learn More:  There’s Just One Mommy

10. Pop Up Cards

We all see the value in teaching our kids to be thoughtful and kind humans, right? In this activity, your students will design a pop-up card and write a sincere note to a friend or family member. Prompt them to add their own artistic touch with a pop-up flower, superhero, or any other image of choice!

Learn More:  Tinker Lab

11. Make A Balloon Car

Balloon cars are a fun children’s activity promoting higher-level thinking and problem-solving skills. Challenge your older elementary kids to make the fastest car from an empty, plastic bottle and a balloon! Once they’ve added some bottle cap wheels- they’ll be all set to race all of their friends!

Learn More:  Science Buddies

12. String Puppets

We love these unique string puppets, and we know your kids will too! Essentially, they’ll thread string through straws to make jointed limbs and add a paper face to decorate their puppets. Then, they can pull the tabs to make their puppets dance and move around as they entertain you with a puppet show!

13. Finger Knitting

You and your kiddos may be surprised to know that you can knit with just your fingers and some yarn! Finger knitting is an excellent fine motor activity that will calm your students down after school. Following step-by-step guides, they’ll be able to knit blankets, hats, and animals by wrapping yarn around their fingers!

Learn More:  The Craft Train

14. Foil Art

Foil art is a fantastic art project that your little ones will love! All they’ll need is a piece of aluminum foil and some paint! Simply have them crumple up the foil for some texture, and then get to work painting their very own masterpieces!

Learn More:  Toddler Approved

15. Suminagashi

Suminagashi is an art technique from Japan that will keep your kiddos entertained for hours on end! They’ll need marbling paints, brushes, and a bin filled with 2 inches of water. To begin, get them to place a piece of paper into the bin filled with water. Next, they can load their paint brushes with colored ink and tap the surface of the water; watching the ink instantly spread into a beautiful work of art! Finally, they can remove their sheet of paper and hang it up to dry.

Learn More:  Inner Child Fun

16. Make A Kaleidoscope

These DIY kaleidoscopes are the perfect after-school activity for your kiddos to create and then play with! To make them- they’ll need a toilet paper tube, a straw, paper, and mylar strips of mirrored paper. They’ll follow the steps to piece together the eyehole before spending time coloring unique designs on the piece of paper that they’ll gaze at.

Learn More:  Buggy And Buddy

17. Rubber Band Art

Rubber band art is an excellent activity for after-school time and best of all it requires minimal supplies. All your pupils need is cardstock paper, rubber bands, and a sponge. To create their masterpieces, they can wrap rubberbands around the piece of paper, dip sponges in paint, and apply them to their sheet of paper. Once the paint dries, they can cut the rubber bands and reveal all of the cool lines and color splotches!

Learn More:  Babble Dabble Do

18. Popsicle Stick Weaving

Popsicle weaving will surely keep your kids busy and calm after school! With 2 craft sticks tied together in a T shape, they’ll weave yarn around the sticks to create a mandala-like design. This is a great fine motor activity with an end product that can be hung in their rooms as a decoration.

Learn More:  Pretty Opinionated

19. Popsicle Stick Harmonicas

Who knew that you could make a harmonica out of popsicle sticks? This musical instrument is easy to make and only requires popsicle sticks, a straw, rubber bands, and loom bands! Your students will be surprised when they blow into their craft and it makes a melodic sound!

Learn More:  My Baba

20. Leaf Rubbing

This autumn-inspired art project invites you to take your students on a walk to collect a variety of attractive leaves after school. Then, they’ll be ready to apply the leaf rubbing technique by placing their leaves underneath a piece of parchment paper and coloring over the top with crayons. The veins and intricate details of the leaves will pop into a texturized fall collage!

Learn More:  KC Edventures

21. Raised Salt Painting

Your kiddies will be obsessed with raised salt painting! To start, they’ll squeeze glue onto cardstock. Then, they’ll sprinkle salt all over the lines of glue. Finally, they can carefully apply watercolors to each of the lines and let their art pieces dry. Completing this simple art activity is a quiet way for your pupils to spend the afternoon. 

Learn More:  Artful Parent

22. Watermelon Chess

after school homework or video games

Despite the name, this strategy game that’s been derived from China is nothing similar to the classic game of chess. This is a 2 player battle game that requires a few counters and a printable board. Your elementary kids will need to engage their problem-solving skills to be the first to immobilize their opponent’s markers!

Learn More: What We Do All Day

23. Snowflake Suncatcher

after school homework or video games

This after-school activity is sure to brighten your children’s winter days!! They’ll have tons of fun cutting snowflakes out of colored paper and adhering them to clear plastic wrap. After tearing up a rainbow of tissue paper, your students can glue the pieces into a mosaic design and cheerfully watch the sun shine through once they’re hung in a nearby window.

Learn More: Kids Activity Zone

24. Roll A Monster

Time to bring out your little one’s inner monster with this fun dice and art game! To prepare, print out the instructions and give your kids dice and colorful felt pieces. According to the number they roll, they’ll then follow the directions to craft a unique felt monster. For example, rolling a 4 means that they’ll have to add one horn, and a 5 allows them to add one leg. The fun part is that they can play this multiple times and they’ll always end up with a different Frankenstein-like monster! 

Learn More: HomeMade Heather

25. Breathing Exercises

Breathwork is a beneficial practice that teaches your young ones to calm their minds and improve their mental health. A simple and effective breathing exercise is inhaling and exhaling in the shape of mountains. Another fun technique allows them to practice breathing like a cute, little bunny!

Learn More: La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools

26. The Floor is Lava

after school homework or video games

Here’s a great activity to expel your students’ energy at the end of a school day! To play, begin by scattering paper or felt stepping stones across the “lava” to protect your young one’s feet. Add some numbers or words to get them to practice math facts or recite sight words as they hop along; trying their best not to fall into the burning lava!

Learn More: Learning Resources

27. Animal Yoga

after school homework or video games

Yoga combines physical activity, mental awareness, and emotional skills all rolled into one. Pick a card and have your little ones practice flowing their body to become an elephant, crocodile, or even a tiger! To boost self-esteem, they can rehearse positive mantras to fully bring mindfulness to their thoughts! 

Learn More: Washington State University

28. DIY Trees

after school homework or video games

This tactile activity is a wonderful way to bring nature to life. Begin the sensory play by having your kids crush up dry leaves from outside. Then, they can cut and paste paper in the form of a tree and glue all of their different leaf crumbs to make a colorful 3D tree! 

Learn More: TikTok

29. Dreamcatchers

after school homework or video games

Chase your little one’s nightmares away by keeping this intricate dreamcatcher next to their bed at night. To create, they’ll simply need to cut the middle out of a paper plate before weaving yarn between punched holes along the circumference. Then, they’re free to decorate their dreamcatchers using markers, beads, and glitter- maybe even hanging feathers to add some finishing flair!

Learn More: One Little Project

30. Robot Dance

after school homework or video games

Dust off that boom box and get your kids ready to move!! In this musical gross motor skills game, your littles will be able to show off their best robotic dance moves as you call out different movement commands. For example; walk in a rectangle, take on giant step, and spin in a circle- all while acting as a stiff robot! 

Learn More: Sara J. Creations

31. Exploring Colors

after school homework or video games

This colorful activity merges science and art as it invites your kids to explore the hues created from a chemical reaction. To set up, they’ll need to fill a tray with baking soda and an ice cube tray with vinegar and different watercolors. Then, they’ll use droplets to blend the vinegar colors with the baking soda; resulting in an awesome reaction. 

Learn More: Buggy and Buddy

32. Nature Bracelet

All you need for this creative activity is a piece of tape and the beautiful outdoors. By turning the sticky side up and wrapping tape around your child’s wrist, they can walk around sticking a variety of natural textiles to their bracelets. They can use flower petals, blades of grass, and even clovers for good luck!

Learn More: Sprouting Wild Ones

33. Who We Are On the Inside 

after school homework or video games

Teach your children that what truly makes them unique is their thoughts and feelings with this introspective spin on a self-portrait! First, they’ll need to fold a small portion of the top of the paper down and illustrate their faces- with their forehead meeting at the fold. Once complete, they’ll open the fold to reveal a space at the crown of their head where they’ll write or draw everything that flows through their beautiful mind!

Learn More: Art with Mrs. E

34. Water Drop Race

after school homework or video games

Get ready, get set, H2O! This is a super cool way to introduce your little scientists in training to the idea of surface tension. For experiment tools, they’ll need water, straws, and parchment paper. Challenge your students to move water from a start to a finish line by blowing the droplets across the wax paper with a straw! 

35. Coffee Filter Wall Hanging

after school homework or video games

Your students will be dying to hang their coffee filter art projects with pride! Grab some coffee filters and have your elementary-aged children decorate them with a mix of watercolors. Once dried, they can attach the painted filters to a branch with string. Pottery Barn can’t compete with this colorful display!

Learn More: Art Bar Blog

36. Seussian Sculptures

after school homework or video games

Calling all Dr. Seuss fans! This activity will unlock your child’s creativity when you present them with a colorful mix of media such as pipe cleaners, beads, pool noodle pieces, and any other whimsical material. They’ll enjoy fusing the most interesting ideas into these non-traditional sculptures!

Learn More: Scrum Dilly Do

The ‘Homework Gap’ Is About to Get Worse. What Should Schools Do?

after school homework or video games

  • Share article

A program that provides discounted broadband internet service to low-income households is expected to run out of funding by the end of April, a concerning development for school districts with families that relied on the subsidy.

With the Affordable Connectivity Program , eligible families can receive a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service. For those on qualifying tribal lands, the discount is up to $75 per month. The program also provides a one-time discount to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers.

Nearly 23 million households have enrolled in the program since it launched in 2021, according to the Federal Communications Commission, which runs the program. However, the agency stopped accepting new enrollments as of Feb. 8 and said it will disenroll all households from the program at the end of April, unless Congress provides additional funding.

Schools are increasingly relying on technology for teaching and learning, from learning management systems to multimedia curriculum to internet research. In some cases, schools are turning inclement weather days into remote learning days . So it’s even more imperative that students have sufficient internet connectivity and devices to access learning materials while at home.

‘It’s a huge equity problem’

Educators and advocates say the possible sunsetting of the Affordable Connectivity Program could worsen the so-called “ homework gap ”—a phrase used to describe the inequities between students who have digital devices and reliable internet connectivity at home, and those who don’t and struggle to complete online assignments as a result.

“My fear is that, with this funding running out, we’re going to have either more families not having access to those services, or more families having to go someplace with open Wi-Fi that maybe isn’t as secure as it should be,” said Chantell Manahan, the director of technology for Steuben County schools, a 2,600-student district in rural northeast Indiana. The program’s expiration could also mean more “families away from home, sitting in parking lots like they were during the pandemic, and that’s not a good place for our students and families to be.”

In 2024, [internet access is] not a luxury anymore. This is a necessity to participate in modern society.

The expiration of the Affordable Connectivity Program doesn’t just affect students, but parents, too.

“Many schools rely on online communications platforms to communicate with parents and guardians about their student’s progress, school activities, and other important information. If families lose affordable internet access, this [communication] channel may be compromised,” said Julia Fallon, the executive director of the State Educational Technology Directors Association.

Sometimes, a school-issued device is the only one available to use at home, so parents also use it to look for jobs, do online coursework, or attend telehealth appointments, Manahan said.

“It’s not just a K-12 education problem. It’s a community problem. It’s a huge equity problem,” she added.

Will Congress provide more funding for ACP?

The Affordable Connectivity Program first launched as the Emergency Broadband Benefit, which was part of a pandemic relief package signed by former President Donald Trump in 2020. The next year, the program was codified as part of the bipartisan infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden.

But the program has run through much of the initial $17.4 billion allocated by Congress, including $14.2 billion from the infrastructure law and $3.2 billion from its emergency predecessor.

Photo of African-American boy working on laptop computer at home.

In January, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill in the Senate and the House of Representatives that would provide $7 billion to keep the Affordable Connectivity Program operational.

It’s unclear how much traction the bill will receive, but several FCC commissioners and advocacy groups have applauded the bill and urged Congress to pass the measure.

Districts look for other solutions

In the meantime, district leaders are having tough conversations about how to provide adequate internet access to students and families who relied on the program.

In Steuben County, Manahan said the district might go back to solutions it used before the Affordable Connectivity Program, such as partnerships with local businesses and organizations that would let families come in and use their Wi-Fi for virtual learning.

The district has Wi-Fi hotspot devices it can lend to students, too, though Manahan is unsure how many of those devices the district can keep after funding runs out. The devices were originally funded through ESSER and the Emergency Connectivity Fund , both of which are also expiring this year.

High angle shot of a man assisting his students at computers

Fortunately, Manahan said, the FCC’s E-rate funding will now cover putting Wi-Fi on school buses .

“It’ll be much more cost-effective for the district to be able to outfit all the buses,” she said. “We know there are some places where we might be able to park those buses and have internet access available.”

Along with school bus Wi-Fi, the district could also extend the reach of the Wi-Fi on school buildings so students, families, and staff can use it in the parking lot, she said.

“I can only hope that if we do see both ACP and ECF sunsetting that they’re going to divert those funds to other programs [that would provide] internet access into all our homes,” Manahan said. “In 2024, it’s not a luxury anymore. This is a necessity to participate in modern society.”

Sign Up for EdWeek Tech Leader

Edweek top school jobs.

Image of cellphones.

Sign Up & Sign In

module image 9

after school homework or video games

GOT QUESTIONS? CALL US

(317) 660-5386

We want to bring out the best in your child!

After School Programs

During Create and Play After School programs, it’s all about bringing out the best in your child. Whether he or she chooses to nurture their inner scientist, artist, teacher, doctor, CEO, or all of the above, we give our guests the freedom to follow her curiosity and passion!

In our new curriculum, your child’s interests will shape what we explore, and at the same time they will be developing skills that will help create a solid foundation for learning and growth.

Activities That Help Your Child Grow

Fun activities play a big role in how your child will develop critical skills while at Create and Play Camps. It may just feel like playing to your child because our activities are video game based, but what’s really happening is learning that will last a lifetime! The activities in our curriculum focus on key developmental domains in STEAM.

STEAM activities (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) give your child the freedom to discover, create, and tinker. Your child will be given problems to solve as well as questions and real-life scenarios to think about so she can learn more about the world around her!

after school homework or video games

Example Activity: 

In Minecraft, our “Building Houses” program reinforces STEAM skills by encouraging children to create, take apart, and explore.

Our after school programs mirror our week-long summer programs meaning a portion of their daily time will be “ Creating ” or learning and only after learning, homework and some basic physical activity they will also be able to “ Play ”.

And There’s More!

Homework Help:

Whether it’s a science project, spelling test, or book report, if your child needs to utilize their after school time to work on homework, our counselors will monitor your child in completing homework—which frees up time in the evenings for you to be together as a family.

Daily Fitness:

Because of our location inside the 80,000 sq.ft. Indiana Pacers Athletic Facility, we help children develop healthy bodies and encourage proper nutrition through daily physical activity

Afraid your child has too much Screen (computer/game) time?

Is your child getting enough physical exercise, is your child a gamer.

after school homework or video games

“My daughter attended Modding with Minecraft last summer. I can’t say enough great things about her experience. She learned new skills, met new friends and absolutely loved the experience. She can’t wait for next summer to try Intro to Game Design with Kodu and camp Unity. She’s told her friends at school and they are going to go all together! Thanks for opening her eyes to STEM possibilities! ”

Joan Wickman

“My son, Max, and his cousin, Ellie, went to Computer Creation and Coding with Kudu in July.  They had a blast.  The counselor were fun and knowledgeable.  They catered to all of the campers skills levels.  The kids loved the learning, but also the physical activity on the basketball courts and the team based play in the afternoon.  They both felt that it was the perfect combination to a day.  I thought it was great that they could do a camp together.  They also still use their raspberry pi computers that they built.  I’d give this experience a 10 out of 10. ”

Barbara Thomas

Copyright 2018 - Create & Play Camps

At least 1 killed in shooting at Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl celebration

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — At least one person was killed and as many as 21 other people were injured with gunshot wounds in a shooting in Kansas City, Missouri, after a rally Wednesday celebrating the Chiefs' Super Bowl victory, authorities said.

Eight of the injured had "immediately life-threatening" injuries, seven had life-threatening injuries and six had minor injuries after the shooting about 2 p.m. CT, Kansas City Fire Chief Ross Grundyson said.

Three people were detained, though police did not identify suspects.

The person shot dead was named as Lisa Lopez-Galvan by her family. Kansas City, Missouri, radio station KKFI 90.1 said Lopez- Galvan was one of its DJs.

Lisa Lopez-Galvan was killed in Wednesday’s shooting near the Kansas City Chiefs victory celebration.

"It is with sincere sadness and an extremely heavy and broken heart that we let our community know that KKFI DJ Lisa Lopez-Galvan, host of Taste of Tejano lost her life today in the shooting at the KC Chiefs' rally," the station said on Facebook .

Police have not publicly identified any of the other victims.

Follow here for live coverage.

Children's Mercy Hospital said it was treating 12 victims, most of them children with gunshot wounds.

Three people have been detained near a garage west of Union Station, Kansas City police said. Police are working to determine whether bystanders tackled one of the detained people, Police Chief Stacey Graves said.

The shooting appears to have been criminal in nature and not terrorism, according to a preliminary investigation, three law enforcement officials briefed on the incident said.

Image: Parade

Police asked people to quickly leave the area so victims could get medical aid.

Thousands of people had gathered in downtown Kansas City for a celebratory parade and rally at Union Station after the Chiefs' Super Bowl win Sunday.

Police said all of the Chiefs players, coaches and staff members and their families were safe.

A senior White House official said that the Biden administration was "closely monitoring" the situation and that “federal law enforcement is on scene supporting local law enforcement.”

Drue Tranquill, a linebacker for the Chiefs, asked people to join him in prayer for the victims over “this heinous act.”

“Pray that doctors & first responders would have steady hands & that all would experience full healing,” he said on X.

"Praying for Kansas City," Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also said on X .

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly was at the celebration and was safely evacuated.

Tim Stelloh is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.

Matthew Mata is an assignment editor in NBC News' Chicago bureau.

Bennie Hawra

offers three types of essay writers: the best available writer aka. standard, a top-level writer, and a premium essay expert. Every class, or type, of an essay writer has its own pros and cons. Depending on the difficulty of your assignment and the deadline, you can choose the desired type of writer to fit in your schedule and budget. We guarantee that every writer will be a subject-matter expert with proper writing skills and background knowledge across all high school, college, and university subjects. Also, we don’t work with undergraduates or dropouts, focusing more on Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral level writers (yes, we offer writers with Ph.D. degrees!)

icon

after school homework or video games

What is a good essay writing service?

Oddly enough, but many people still have not come across a quality service. A large number of users fall for deceivers who take their money without doing their job. And some still fulfill the agreements, but very badly.

A good essay writing service should first of all provide guarantees:

  • confidentiality of personal information;
  • for the terms of work;
  • for the timely transfer of the text to the customer;
  • for the previously agreed amount of money.

The company must have a polite support service that will competently advise the client, answer all questions and support until the end of the cooperation. Also, the team must get out of conflict situations correctly.

It is necessary to have several payment methods on the site to make it easier for the client to transfer money.

And of course, only highly qualified writers with a philological education should be present in the team, who will not make spelling and punctuation errors in the text, checking all the information and not stealing it from extraneous sites.

These kinds of ‘my essay writing' require a strong stance to be taken upon and establish arguments that would be in favor of the position taken. Also, these arguments must be backed up and our writers know exactly how such writing can be efficiently pulled off.

icon

Check your email inbox for instructions from us on how to reset your password.

Finished Papers

after school homework or video games

Finished Papers

after school homework or video games

is here to help you!

Student years are the best time of one’s life. You are in the prime of your life and hopeful about the bright future ahead. This is the period that leaves the funniest photos, the sweetest memories, and gives you the most faithful friends. However, there is one thing that spoils all the fun – assignment writing. Have you ever struggled to write an essay or prepare a speech only to find that the deadline is getting closer, and the work is not ready yet? Are you desperate for someone to have your paper done? Ordering it online is a really convenient option, but you must be sure that the final product is worth the price. is one of the leading online writing centers that deliver only premium quality essays, term papers, and research papers.

Once you place an order and provide all the necessary instructions, as well as payment, one of our writers will start working on it. Be sure we won’t choose a person to do your paper at random. The writer assigned will hold an academic degree in the respective area of expertise, which makes it possible for him/her to find the relevant information, carry out exhaustive research, and develop a comprehensible and well-organized document. The final product will meet all your specifications regarding the content and formatting style. What is more, you will not have to proofread it for any grammatical or spelling errors, because our professionals have a really good command of the English language.

East Bay Times

High School Sports | Brawl unfolds after Wilcox-Gunn basketball…

Share this:.

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Today's e-Edition

  • Earthquakes
  • High School
  • Pac-12 Hotline
  • Dieter Kurtenbach

Breaking News

High school sports | judge orders trump to pay $355 million for lying about his wealth in staggering civil fraud ruling, high school sports, high school sports | brawl unfolds after wilcox-gunn basketball game. ccs to beef up security if teams meet in the playoffs, video shows a fight involving adults occurred on court after gunn’s dramatic league victory over wilcox this week.

Author

If Wilcox and Gunn meet in the Central Coast Section Division II boys basketball final next weekend, section officials plan to beef up security measures in the aftermath of a fight involving adults at a league game between the teams this week, commissioner Dave Grissom told the Bay Area News Group on Friday.

Spectators engaged in a fight after Gunn’s 82-81 victory at home over Wilcox on Tuesday.

Video on NFHS , a streaming website for high school sports, shows that the fight started on the court. It later spilled into the lobby, the Palo Alto Daily Post reported .

“It’s just an unfortunate situation,” Gunn athletic director Kevin Johnson told the Post.

Grissom said the CCS would not hand out disciplinary measures, noting that the incident occurred after the game and that the schools were working with law enforcement to investigate the matter.

“The schools have meted out the discipline,” Grissom said. “We would have meted out discipline if we had received any information from the officials in regards to expulsions from the game. That happened after the game.”

The commissioner added that the schools are banning some of the spectators from “any subsequent section games they’re participating in.”

On Wednesday, Gunn was seeded sixth and Wilcox fourth in the Division II playoffs. If the teams make surprise runs to the final, they would meet on Feb. 24 for the championship.

Gunn opens the playoffs at home in Palo Alto on Saturday against Leland or Rancho San Juan, which were scheduled to play a first-round game Friday.

Wilcox has a bye until the quarterfinals Tuesday. The Chargers will open the playoffs at home in Santa Clara.

  • Report an error
  • Policies and Standards

More in High School Sports

NCS basketball playoffs 2024: Dougherty Valley is peaking at the right time, Salesian girls roll, Piedmont scorer reaches milestone

High School Sports | NCS basketball playoffs 2024: Friday’s top storylines, surprises, game recaps

CCS basketball playoffs 2024:  Riordan wins on the road, Mitty girls rout again, Cupertino boys stay solid in the postseason

High School Sports | CCS basketball playoffs 2024: Friday’s top storylines, surprises, game recaps

Liberty controlled the pace of the game to upset Berkeley 63-48.

SUBSCRIBER ONLY

High school sports | upset no. 7 liberty stuns no. 2 berkeley to advance to ncs semifinals.

Fordham-bound Ryan Pettis scores 22 points as the Serra Padres win their CCS Open Division Pool A opener in come-from-behind fashion.

High School Sports | Ryan Pettis, ignited by his slam dunk, leads Serra to CCS playoff win over Sacred Heart Prep

after school homework or video games

Finished Papers

  • Skip to main content
  • Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

after school homework or video games

Super Bowl 2024

High school football players, survivors of maui wildfires, are honored at super bowl.

Emma Bowman, photographed for NPR, 27 July 2019, in Washington DC.

Emma Bowman

after school homework or video games

FILE - The Lahainaluna High School football team hold hands to thank the fans after a game on Oct. 21, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Captains of the team whose town was destroyed by a deadly wildfire attended to Super Bowl in Las Vegas as guests of the NFL. Mengshin Lin/AP hide caption

FILE - The Lahainaluna High School football team hold hands to thank the fans after a game on Oct. 21, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Captains of the team whose town was destroyed by a deadly wildfire attended to Super Bowl in Las Vegas as guests of the NFL.

High school football players took part in this year's Super Bowl as honorary captains during the pre-game coin toss, six months after a deadly wildfire destroyed their Maui hometown.

Super Bowl 2024 updates: The commercials, cameos, halftime show and more

Super Bowl 2024 updates: The commercials, cameos, halftime show and more

At the big game, four Lahainaluna High School football team members — Morgan "Bula" Montgomery, Teva Loft, Kaulana Tihada and Kuola Watson — were joined by their coaches Dean Rickard and Garret Tihada and former head coach Bobby Watson.

At the Super Bowl, members of the Lahainaluna High School football team will serve as honorary captains. After the Hawaii wildfires devastated the community, NFL Films captured the team's emotional return to their home field 🙏 pic.twitter.com/fDgZgR7ezX — NFL Films (@NFLFilms) February 8, 2024

In August, the deadliest wildfire in recent U.S. history swept through the town of Lahaina, killing at least 100 people. More than 5,000 residents were displaced.

Six months after the Maui fires, an uncertain economy for the island

Six months after the Maui fires, an uncertain economy for the island

The NFL has pledged funding to help replace equipment for the high school football team and other local football programs.

"The Lahainaluna High School football team embodies the power of football to bring people together, even in the most challenging of circumstances," said NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility Anna Isaacson, in a news release. "We are honored to have members of the Lahainaluna football team join us as coin toss captains at Super Bowl LVIII to recognize their incredible efforts in inspiring and rebuilding their community."

  • maui wildfires

EA Sports drops teaser for College Football 25 video game, will be released this summer

after school homework or video games

College football video game fans now have a date.

EA Sports announced Thursday that its highly anticipated EA Sports College Football will come out this summer, with the full reveal coming in May.

The game will mark the return of the popular video game franchise, which stopped in after the release of NCAA Football 14 in July 2013 with former Michigan Wolverine quarterback Denard Robinson on the cover.

After EA Sports made the announced, several football programs like Nebraska , UCLA , Southern California and Missouri shared the excitement of the upcoming game, likely indicating its team will be included.

The series was discontinued due to the debate over student athletes being compensated for their names, images and likenesses continued around the country and in legislative bodies. The old video game franchise did not use actual college football player names, but the roster closely mirrored the actual players with their numbers and positions linked to the general physical appearances and attributes of those players in the games.

Since then, NCAA Football 14 has developed a cult-like following with it still being played to this day. A group of people even modded the game into College Football Revamped , giving players the ability to play the game with an updated presentation, updated team uniforms, new FBS teams and updated rosters, almost mimicking a new game.

With NIL new sweeping the college sports world, the new game is expected to allow FBS players to opt into their likeness being used for compensation. The new game is also expected to feature classic modes like dynasty mode and "road to glory," the mode that allowed gamers to create a player and navigate their journey in college football.

Now fans will only have to wait a few more months to get their hands on the newest edition of college football video games, more than 11 years later.

IMAGES

  1. Teenager friends having fun, playing computer games, after all the

    after school homework or video games

  2. School’s Out! Chores Done! Homework Finished! It’s Time to Play ‘My

    after school homework or video games

  3. Doing Homework while Gaming Stock Photo

    after school homework or video games

  4. Free After School Homework Club Poster

    after school homework or video games

  5. The After School Routine

    after school homework or video games

  6. After School Homework Help at the Library: Grades 2

    after school homework or video games

VIDEO

  1. #newgame #classactivity #shortsvideo #schoollife

  2. In 🎯- Out Game in Classroom 🤗 #schoolactivities #schoollife #education #classactivity #shorts

COMMENTS

  1. Video games interfere with homework but not family

    3 July 2007 Boys who play video games on school days spend 30% less time reading, while girls spend 34% less time doing homework if they play video games, according to a US study. But...

  2. What Are Teens Doing After School?

    Playing video games and working on the computer were mentioned by 12% and 11%, respectively. Gender Differences. Boys and girls differ significantly on two after-school activities: doing homework and playing video games. Nineteen percent of boys say they typically play video games after school, compared with 4% of girls.

  3. How Do I Limit Screen Time and Video Games for My Teen?

    To start, find a way to block Internet access, and other access to video games, after your teen has reached a certain limit. You could also try making a deal with your child that he can play a video game for 15 minutes in between his first homework assignment, and his second. This strategy helps to teach delayed gratification by introducing ...

  4. Video Games You Can Say Yes to After School

    Video Games You Can Say Yes to After School Kids can learn all kinds of things, from social studies to social skills, with these great apps and games. Topics: Life Skills Gaming Learning It's a modern-day dilemma: Do you ban gaming during the school week in hopes it will encourage more studying?

  5. U-M study: Video game play among teens affects school work, not

    Jared Wadley Social Media: ANN ARBOR—Kids who spend a lot of time playing video games are finding time to socialize with friends too—though that's not the case when it comes to doing homework. A new study by the University of Michigan shows game players and non-game players spent the same amount of time with parents and friends.

  6. Videogames or homework? Why not both, as ACMI has 75 game lessons for

    Digital games such as Maths Rescue and Carmen Sandiego have been used in education for as long as computers have been available in classrooms. People may remember playing the educational computer...

  7. How Teens Spend Their After-School Hours

    A significant majority of children (64%) watch television or movies after school, regardless of their age group. More than four in 10 (42%) play video games, but this is much more common among children ages 9-12 (48%) and 13-17 (49%). More than one-quarter (27%) spend their free time on social media or texting with friends, though this is ...

  8. Study: Video games can hurt schoolwork

    March 16, 2010, 1:12 PM PDT / Source: The Associated Press. By Nicholas K. Geranios. Parents who fear that buying a video game system will hurt their kids' schoolwork might be right. Young boys ...

  9. Timesplitters: Playing video games before (but not after) school on

    Video games are a common pastime for adolescents. There has been a relatively enduring concern that time spent playing video games might undermine students' academic performance. Hartanto, Toh, and Yang (2018) suggested that frequent gameplay, particularly frequent weekday video gameplay, might displace students' homework; reducing academic performance, albeit by a small amount. Although some ...

  10. Why Are Video Games More Fun Than Homework?

    Video games after school sound way more fun. Although homework is a crucial tool when learning new information, homework that students enjoy doing would help keep them engaged with the material at ...

  11. Parents Share The Screen Time Rules That Actually Work For Them

    The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting screen use to one hour per day of "high-quality programs" for children 2 to 5 years old and placing "consistent limits" on screen time and types of media for kids 6 and older. But how do you make this work on a practical level?

  12. Gaming and Students: Benefits & Risks

    Gaming often gets a bad press, with the focus on excessive play, violence and cyberbullying. However, there is increasing evidence that video games can have multiple benefits for young people in the classroom and beyond.. This blog explores the pros and cons of gaming, and the resources available to equip educators and school counselors with the skills to help students exhibiting unhealthy ...

  13. Timesplitters: Playing video games before (but not after) school on

    Timesplitters: Playing video games before (but not after) school on weekdays is associated with poorer adolescent academic performance. A test of competing theoretical accounts - ScienceDirect Volume 144, January 2020, 103704

  14. Living with Children: Sleep, homework need to come before video games

    We think homework should come first and then free time. He wants to relax with his video game and phone after school which frequently results in homework not being done before he must attend a two ...

  15. The future of homework is ... video games

    It is time to reimagine not only the amount of homework necessary but also its format. Meanwhile, students are playing video games more than ever — on average, more than 13 hours per week. This ...

  16. Decompress with Screen Time? Playing Video Games and Getting Homework Done

    Track Gaming Time. Create a gaming log (I like using a spreadsheet format) where you write down what time your son starts playing a game, the game's name, and when he stops playing. Total up the gaming hours at the end of each week. Seeing that huge number in real-time, instead of just telling your son, may snap him out of his video game vortex.

  17. 36 Fun & Engaging After-School Activity Ideas For Elementary

    Finger knitting is an excellent fine motor activity that will calm your students down after school. Following step-by-step guides, they'll be able to knit blankets, hats, and animals by wrapping yarn around their fingers! Learn More: The Craft Train. 14. Foil Art.

  18. The 'Homework Gap' Is About to Get Worse. What Should Schools Do?

    Along with school bus Wi-Fi, the district could also extend the reach of the Wi-Fi on school buildings so students, families, and staff can use it in the parking lot, she said.

  19. Timesplitters: Playing video games before (but not after) school on

    Video games are a common pastime for adolescents. There has been a relatively enduring concern that time spent playing video games might undermine students' academic performance.Hartanto, Toh, and Yang (2018) suggested that frequent gameplay, particularly frequent weekday video gameplay, might displace students' homework; reducing academic performance, albeit by a small amount.

  20. After School Programs

    In Minecraft, our "Building Houses" program reinforces STEAM skills by encouraging children to create, take apart, and explore. Our after school programs mirror our week-long summer programs meaning a portion of their daily time will be " Creating " or learning and only after learning, homework and some basic physical activity they will ...

  21. 2 juveniles charged in Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade shooting

    Two juveniles have been charged in connection with a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade that left one person dead and 22 others injured, officials said Friday.

  22. At least 1 killed in shooting at Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl celebration

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. — At least one person was killed and as many as 21 other people were injured with gunshot wounds in a shooting in Kansas City, Missouri, after a rally Wednesday celebrating the ...

  23. After School Homework Or Video Game

    After School Homework Or Video Game. 578. Finished Papers. ID 19300. Arts & Humanities. Diane M. Omalley. #22 in Global Rating. ID 9011.

  24. After School Homework Or Video Game

    After School Homework Or Video Game - 368 . Customer Reviews. Nursing Management Marketing Business and Economics +95. Harry. Your credit card will be billed as Writingserv 938-777-7752 / Devellux Inc, 1012 E Osceola PKWY SUITE 23, KISSIMMEE, FL, 34744 ... High School, PHD, Undergraduate, Entry, Professional. PenMyPaper: a student-friendly ...

  25. After School Homework Or Video Game

    After School Homework Or Video Game. Research papers can be complex, so best to give our essay writing service a bit more time on this one. Luckily, a longer paper means you get a bigger discount! Hire a Writer. 787. Finished Papers. Level: College, University, High School, Master's, PHD, Undergraduate.

  26. Brawl unfolds after Wilcox-Gunn Bay Area high school basketball game

    Video on NFHS, a streaming website for high school sports, shows that the fight started on the court. It later spilled into the lobby, the Palo Alto Daily Post reported.

  27. After School Homework Or Video Game

    After School Homework Or Video Game. Hire experienced tutors to satisfy your "write essay for me" requests. Enjoy free originality reports, 24/7 support, and unlimited edits for 30 days after completion. Level: College, High School, University, Master's, Undergraduate, PHD. Level: College, University, High School, Master's, PHD, Undergraduate.

  28. Maui high school football team honored at Super Bowl : NPR

    FILE - The Lahainaluna High School football team hold hands to thank the fans after a game on Oct. 21, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Captains of the team whose town was destroyed by a deadly wildfire ...

  29. EA Sports College Football 25 video game to be released this summer

    Since then, NCAA Football 14 has developed a cult-like following with it still being played to this day. A group of people even modded the game into College Football Revamped, giving players the ...