Educational Games for My Children
I really need your advice on what games I should buy for my [vocab word=twin]twins[/vocab] for the summer. They've become quite bored at home.
"games I should buy for my twins" contains a relative clause ("I should buy for my twins") - "that" is omitted. You can also say, "games that I should buy for my twins" or "games which I should buy for my twins". The relative pronoun ("that" or "which") is an object in the relative clause, so it can be omitted (not written or said).
Are you looking for video games or the more [vocab word=classic]classic[/vocab] [vocab word=board game]board games[/vocab]?
I'm open to both, but I don’t want to buy video games that are too [vocab word=violent]violent[/vocab].
"that are too violent" is a relative clause. "that" is a subject in this clause, so it cannot be omitted (you must say or write it).
Of course. The game that all kids play [vocab word=nowadays]nowadays[/vocab] is Minecraft. It’s kind of like virtual Legos. Another game which kids might be interested in is Animal Crossing. Animal Crossing is a game where players can create their own island and talk to animals.
"where" is the relative pronoun in the relative clause "where players can create their own island and talk to animals". You use the relative pronoun "where" if you are talking about a place. Players are playing INSIDE the game (a place), so we are using "where", not "that" or "which".
They sound interesting. One of my twins wants “GTA 5”. I don’t know what that is. Could that be a good game for them?
Oh, no, certainly not. That’s Grand Theft Auto. That’s a game where players steal cars and hit other people. It’s not appropriate for a couple of 8-year-olds.
"where players steal cars and hit other people" is a relative clause. It modifies (explains) "a game". We are using "where" because "players steal cars and hit other people" happens inside the game (so, the game is a place).
Alright. They are not getting that one for sure! What educational games do you recommend?
For board games, Scrabble is a classic game where players spell words with letter [vocab word=tile]tiles[/vocab] to earn points. It’s a game that I played often when I was a child. There's also Cluedo where players solve a murder mystery.
In "It's a game that I played often", we are using "that", not "where". This is because the game is a "thing" that I played often; it's not a place that I went to or played in.
Oh, I remember Cluedo! I remember the time when I played Cluedo with my friend all night long.
"when I played Cluedo with my friend all night long" is a relative clause. We use the relative pronoun "when" if we want to refer to a time.
Yeah, it was a fun game, wasn’t it?
Cluedo might be too hard for my children, though.
You can try Clue Junior which involves pets and toys. It is pretty engaging for young kids who the game was designed for.
"who" is a relative pronoun that describes a person. In this sentence, "who" is acting as an object.
Nice. Are there any educational video games?
Minecraft is educational. It helps children [vocab word=develop]develop[/vocab] their creativity and problem-solving skills. The Lego [vocab word=series]series[/vocab] is great, too.
Could you tell me more about the Lego series?
Sure. The Lego series is a [vocab word=collection]collection[/vocab] of video games where kids can explore different [vocab word=theme]themes[/vocab] such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, and superheroes. Kids work together to advance through each stage, and this helps them develop their [vocab word=teamwork]teamwork[/vocab] skills.
I like that. In terms of developing thinking skills, which is better, board games or video games?
"In terms of (something)" is a good way to tell someone you are talking about (something).
Hmm, it’s hard to say. Board games [vocab word=typically]typically[/vocab] involve more [vocab word=social]social[/vocab] interaction because kids play them together in real life. Educational video games are great for building [vocab word=logical]logical[/vocab] thinking and planning skills. I'd recommend a mix of both.
I'll start looking into the games you mentioned. Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.
"the games you mentioned" has an omitted relative pronoun "that" or "which" - you can say, "the games that you mentioned" or "the games which you mentioned". If the relative pronoun is an object, you can omit it (not say it).
Don’t mention it. I'm sure the kids will have a great time this summer with these games.
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