Fun with classic video games.

The world of video games has always been a mystery to me. Not my thing. I tried to play Ms. Pac-Man once or twice when I was a teenager, and my ineptitude was downright embarrassing. But when a friend recently suggested I look for an old Nintendo 64 for FW, I was intrigued. Unlike the newer handheld DS games, the old 64 is designed for multiple players. The idea was that this type of game, less expensive than the newer games like Wii, could help FW practice asking others to play, taking turns, playing fair, and winning and losing gracefully. An Aspergian child who doesn't care to play outdoor sporty games and is still too young to play the more interesting board games doesn't get a whole lot of opportunity to play. We hoped the video game console would change that.

I found the N64 on craigslist, and paid $60 for the console, two controllers, and eight games, including Mario Kart, which I had been specifically instructed to purchase. We got off to a great start with the games, playing together and having a good time. FW has that kid ability to learn these kinds of games quickly. It took me a little bit longer. Interestingly, he prefers to play the harder games, and does not require any advice or instruction. He focusses intently and makes deliberate mistakes as a way to figure out how the game works and what the possibilities are.

Unexpectedly, the N64 has jumpstarted pretend play for FW. He sets up his Hot Wheels tracks and pretends the cars are racing for a "cup," as in Mario Kart. After he races his Hot Wheels down the tracks, he designates (and announces to us) which car got gold, which got silver, and which got bronze. It's just awesome to see FW play this way. I can almost imagine him having a friend over.

Wedgits

FW has never been a big Lego guy. When he does build with them, he tends to do and redo the same swan and the same airplane as illustrated in the instruction booklet. Life with building toys was a bit of a yawn around here until a friend of mine sent FW Wedgits.

Wedgits are big, chunky geometric shapes designed to be, well, wedged together. In FW's set, Wedgits To Go, there are large and small octahedrons, plus small, medium, large, and giant rhombuses (rhombi?). The kit came with a deck of cards showing different Wedgit designs, but no directions on how to create what is seen in the pictures. Although I was concerned about that at first, I soon realized that it gives the child room to experiment, observing the different designs and attempting to create them. FW has been quite good at this, and Wedgits seem like the perfect toy for visual thinkers. I call it a math toy. Whatever floats your boat.

How To Play

Since FW doesn't really understand imaginative play, he has very little interest in toys that, in his words, "don't do anything." At the same time, if we give him a battery-operated, moves-on-its-own toy, he'll get bored quickly and probably end up taking it apart to see how it works. This ongoing dilemma has been solved for the moment by Guillow's.

We're all about the balsa wood airplanes--they're inexpensive, and many can be found at craft or hobby stores. While these planes definitely "do something," they are completely kid-powered. The coolest one we've found yet is the Folding Wing Glider, which is supposed to be for kids 10 and up, but which FW has no problem using. This thing flies insanely high and loops around like a maniac, so make sure the area is clear of any big trees. I can sit and watch FW play with this all day, which suits him just fine.

Note: These planes, especially those with catapult/rubber band launchers, require some fine motor control, so they may be frustrating for a kid with clumsy fingers.