Gaming Days

I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention gaming days, since they have become a staple of my teen programs. My supervisor was hesitant to do them because they have nothing to do with a library, but has since changed her mind.

This summer we did our first gaming day, and it was a HUGE success. We had 50 or so people show up for our program. Our gaming days since then haven't had nearly the response, but since I haven't done as much advertisement (as they've been a part of our weekly teen programs), it wasn't really expected. We have not as of yet done anything with board or card games - just video, but here are some tips and tricks I've learned.

1. Have a snack. Sure video games are fun enough on their own - when you're the person playing. When you're one of the ones stuck watching (even if only for a short time), it's good to have something to snack on. My library has them for free. Generally we do chips and sodas, but this last time we had several boxes of cereal and some milk and it was a great hit. My friend Mary works for a library, and when they do gaming events, they charge for snacks. However, the money from this goes into a scholarship fund that they have for their Teen Friends, so it evens out.

2. Ideally, your gaming event will be several hours long, but it really depends on group size. The way my schedule is right now, I can only do mine for an hour (not including setting up/taking down equipment). The first one we did was 2 or 2 1/2 hrs long, which was great - of course that was the one with 50 people. The ones I've done lately have averaged about 10, so an hour is sufficient.

3. Here is a list of games that ALWAYS appear to be a hit:
A. Rock Band or Guitar Hero. Rock Band or Guitar Hero World Tour are ideal because up to four people can play at one time. If you have just Guitar Hero, try to get 2 guitars, because you can at least challenge against the other person and add some competition to the mix.

B. Dance Dance Revolution. This is one that is two player, and involves a lot of moving so make sure you have the room. It's dancing on pads and following the arrows.

C. Super Smash Brothers. Every time I watch this game, I have no idea what's going on. It's just sensory overload. Basically, it's a just fighting game. You can have up to four people fighting at once, or you can have the computer make up for the other players if less people are playing.

D. Nintendo Wii. Ok - not a game, but Wii Sports, Wii Play, and Wii Music are all good games that you can get for the Wii. Depending on the game, up to 4 people can play. This is an ideal game if you have tweens. This is another game that requires a lot of moving around, so make sure you have plenty of room so someone doesn't get hit.

E. Old school Nintendo. I was really excited when one of my teens brought this the last time, but we weren't able to play it. The projector I was working didn't have the old school cable hookup, and he only brought one controller anyway. However, if it had worked out, I'm sure they would've loved playing it.

4. It's always a good idea to have multiple tvs with games set up. I can't imagine a more boring time than if there was only one TV set up with one game. Snoozeville. If you have multiple games set up, there are more chances for teens to play and less waiting around. Plus, they can switch it up instead of playing the same game over and over.

There are other people who probably have more experience with gaming than I have, but here's what I know. I hope it helps out someone.