Zoo Tycoon

One of the biggest challenges I have faced as a parent to a six-year old child is finding decent entry-level games that he can play without:

A) Spending a fortune on the latest, hippest games
B) Spending money on games embracing gratuitous violence
C) Having to spend the whole time sitting next to him trying to show him how to play the game
D) Simply buying platform games where no strategy is involved.

Not the easiest ask around but I was going through my daughters room today and I found her copy of Zoo Tycoon for PC and I can't believe it but it has done the trick!

After giving him 10 minutes instruction and occasionally checking back on him when he has a problem, he has become completely immersed in the game and what it has to offer.

For those who don't know the game, you basically get to develop a Zoo from scratch. You build fences, paths, stores etc. Next you get to populate the zoo with animals and zoo-keepers and all those other fine things.

It is such an easy interface for a child to learn to interact with and do a bit of strategy and planning and the content is of such a nature that you're not worried about the child learning negative habits from the game.

It is an old game - you can pick it up from online retailer Loot (see banner right) for R83 which in terms of the hours of entertainment the game offers is not bad at all.

Kids of most ages will love it!