Can games actually be good for children?

A child rebuilding a railway after a spectacular traffic jam is doing something more interesting than collecting points: trying an idea, seeing it fail, and trying again. That can be worth your attention. But the moment we say it improves a skill outside the game, we need evidence.

A promising result is not a prescription

A 2022 study followed children who were 9–10 at the start. More reported gaming was associated with larger gains on a measure of intelligence two years later, after accounting for socioeconomic background and a genetic measure of cognition. The children were not randomly assigned to play more. Other differences between them may still help explain the result.[1]

For a parent, the useful distinction is between a relationship researchers observed and an effect they demonstrated experimentally. This study cannot tell you which game to buy, how long your child should play, or whether an extra hour would help them.[1]

The surprising example: a game during a painful dressing change

In a randomized trial of 90 children aged 6–17 with burns, an interactive VR game was used during dressing changes. The active-VR group reported less overall pain than the standard-care group, and lower worst-pain scores than both the passive-VR and standard-care groups. This was a specific distraction tool in a clinical setting.[2]

That finding concerns pain experienced during a procedure, not healing the burn or treating every kind of pain. It does not establish that an ordinary game at home can replace pain treatment. A clinical team should guide pain care and whether a distraction tool is suitable.[2]

Three questions before downloading

• What does my child actually do? Look for a concrete activity: building, reasoning, exploring, creating or coordinating with someone.
• Does it fit this child? Check the recommended age, reading demands, controls and caveats on the game page. A high score cannot answer those questions for you.
• What supports the claim? A reviewer spotting an interesting mechanic is different from a study measuring a benefit in children.

Our meaningfulness score is an editorial judgement about a game’s potential. It is not a percentage chance of helping your child, and it does not mean that researchers tested that title. The separate evidence label and sources tell you what stands behind the assessment.