<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:12px"><div class="" style="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425476173871_26871">re-posting this since some did not get it last week.....</div><div class="" style="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425476173871_26870"><br class="" style=""></div><div class="" style="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425476173871_26869">Family//kids area is a great idea. A centralized place where parents know they can take their kids to play games during the con with scheduled events in the room friday thru sunday 8 am until 8 pm each day.</div><div class="" style="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425476173871_26868">But.....The huge downside is there will be those who misuse it as a centralized place to drop off their kids. It becomes a daycare. Less family and mostly just kids hanging out.</div><div class="" style="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425476173871_26867"><br class="" style=""></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425476173871_26833" class="" style="">Those running the area at the time must enforce the "parents must remain with their small children" rule. Does your child walk to school or take the school bus? If yes they can stay without a guardian. No dropping off kids like daycare. The gm is the final arbiter if the kids can be dropped off. Some can. Mickey's daughters are well behaved, respectful, and have attended the pokemonm workshops, warstone, and tourneys for years. There are others who are older that were not well behaved and disrupted the events. Half attending had their parents there. As they got comfy with the situation con after con the kids attended alone. Same with the sink-n-keep I run. I know the kids and their guardians/parents and the kids behave...but the first time for any of the younger ones the parents were there. When I first took my grandaughter to con I wasn't in the games but I was there with her. It is about comfort for the child, the gm, and the others in the game or event. If the kids are dropped off it is not a family area--it becomes a kids playroom. That is ok but is setup and run differently.</div><div class="" style="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425476173871_26866"><br class="" style=""></div><div class="" style="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425476173871_26865">Note--Not just anyone can gm or teach games..and the bar is even higher when it comes to running games/teaching them to children. GMing for kid's events should be voluntary and the person approving the event should know the gm is kid-friendly, has the right temperment, and is up to the task. It is not the same as gming for adults. Ask any of the parents here or those that deal with small kids alot. Don't just stick anyone as a gm for a kids'-only event. </div><div class="" style="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425476173871_26860"><br class="" style=""></div><div class="" style="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425476173871_26861">Also note--Some kids are more mature and like being with the big kids and in the big rooms. Some are overwhelmed by ballrooms and for them a private room is best. There are adults this way too so imagine the effect on a small child that is in a ballroom with hundreds of people, lots of noise, and no parent or guardian with them. Several parents like to have their kids within eyesight while gaming. This of course brings up the family/kids area being for parents to game "with" their kids and not just a place to drop them off. Is the area a place for kids or a place for family with their kids? Attendee will ask.</div><div class="" style="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425476173871_26862"><br class="" style=""></div><div class="" style="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425476173871_26863"><br class="" style=""></div><div class="" style="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425476173871_26864" dir="ltr">Is the goal to schedule, highlight, and point kids to family-friendly and kids games (a kid's track) OR is it to provide a spot for kids and their guardians to go (a family gaming room)? Or both. A track along with a family area can work as long as we enforce the policies and rules of the room and no small children dropped off without a parent or guardian staying with them. That is why I used "family fun" room last con. When people hear "kids room" they think of a place to drop off their kids while they go off to game. I repeat....cannot let people drop off their small kids in a family room. Yes people will try. Yes the volunteer working the area at the time will have to get the adult's attention as they walk out of the room without their kid and tell them the child cannot be left without a guardian (and then explain that the GM is not the guardian and strategicon is not respomnsible for their small child). This can work...and no it won't be simple and easy. The key is not just deciding what we want--but also getting dedicated qualified, responsible, and trustworthy volunteers that want to help and spend their con time teaching and running events for kids. Jason & chris cummins, myself, and those running "are you a werewolf" know what I mean. Push forward with a tight-ship run family/kids area but we also maintain what we already have going for kids and families since those people like and appreciate the family gaming in the rooms with the other gamers. Personally I will do one of each and my grandaughter is going to assist me as I run Fuzzy hereos (Lord of the Candy ring: The two "Gingerbread" Towers....yes there will be a candy ring and gingerbread buildings).</div><div class="" style="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425476173871_26872"><br class="" style=""></div><div class="" style="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425476173871_26873"><br class="" style=""></div><div></div><div class="" style="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425476173871_26874">Victor</div><div class="" style="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1425476173871_26875"><br class="" style=""></div> <div class="qtdSeparateBR"><br><br></div><div class="yahoo_quoted" style="display: block;"> <div style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> <div style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <div dir="ltr"> <font size="2" face="Arial"> On Thursday, February 26, 2015 10:33 AM, Strategicon Department Heads <deptheads@strategicon.net> wrote:<br> </font> </div> <br><br> <div class="y_msg_container">Message From: Tim Keennon <a shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:tim@stugiii.com" href="mailto:tim@stugiii.com">tim@stugiii.com</a><br clear="none">I believe we need to rethink this. <br clear="none"><br clear="none">The first issue I have is running kid's events in a special room has the danger of it turning into daycare. <br clear="none"><br clear="none">From a different perspective, one of the complaints the folks in board games (attendees) made about open gaming not being contiguous with board games is they liked having their kids close at hand playing a game while they (the adults) are playing their games.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Space wise it will be a poorly utilized space that cannot accommodate games from many departments due to the differing table requirements needed. We cannot reset or change the tables in that room without incurring a charge every time we do it.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">I won't even bring up the staffing issue.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">I think we would be better served by having a kid's and family track. Maybe have an "HQ" of sorts to direct people, but hold the games in the space normally given to that department.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Tim<br clear="none"><br clear="none"><br clear="none">-----Original Message-----<br clear="none">From: Deptheads [mailto:<a shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:deptheads-bounces@strategicon.net" href="mailto:deptheads-bounces@strategicon.net">deptheads-bounces@strategicon.net</a>] On Behalf Of Strategicon Department Heads<br clear="none">Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2015 4:45 PM<br clear="none">To: Strategicon Department Heads<br clear="none">Subject: [Deptheads] Kids/Family Events in Family Room<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Message From: Tanya Aldrich <a shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:taldrich@strategicon.net" href="mailto:taldrich@strategicon.net">taldrich@strategicon.net</a> Hi All,<br clear="none"><br clear="none">I thought I'd get this notice out early. Here are my thoughts on how to help the Kids Track and Family Room.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Each department try to get on the schedule at least one Kids Only event to run sometime between 8:00am and 8:00pm, which should run in the Family Room (Video and possibly LARPs and Minis exempt from location).<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Each department try to get on the schedule at least one Family event to run between 8:00am and Midnight run in the Family Room (Video and possibly LARPs and Minis exempt from location). Most departments this just means relocating an event.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">The time ranges mean starting no earlier than and ending no later than. For example, an 8pm Family RPG is fine, but an 8pm Kids Only isn't. And don't schedule a 2hr kids event at 7pm. I recommend Family events starting no later than 8pm.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">I would like to see these department goals expand to at least one Kids/Family event per day by Gateway and at least one Kids Only and one Family event per day by Orccon 2016.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">*** Boardgames: I'll likely have you covered for Saturday and Sunday Kids games, you need to work on Friday and/or Monday for Gamex. Demos don't count. :)<br clear="none"><br clear="none">*** Minis: Please talk to the Paint and Take people about setting aside a Family hour maybe each day or something and emphasize the Strategikids category in the painting contest.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">*** RPGs/LARPs and Minis: I've noticed that kids aren't typically the target audience of these types of games, but they are out there. Please try to get one running. I did a search on 'kids miniature game' and 'kids rpg game' with promising results. If my 5 yr old has a chance to make sense of it, all the better. :) I had less luck with 'kids larp', but it wasn't non-existent. I'm hoping a Family LARP can be organized by Gateway 2016, with the intent of one such larp a year.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Kids events can range from age 4 to 12. The events don't have to cover the whole range, but should list the starting age, and if appropriate, an ending age. Any game rated age 10+ should be a Family game.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Please send table requirements to Tim and me, so we both have an idea of what needs to be set up in the room.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">I'm willing to help organize as much as I can for the Family Room to work, but remember these things...<br clear="none"><br clear="none">1. I'm not local.<br clear="none">2. I will not, at any point, be running this room at the con. I'm only running events. The room problem will be addressed separately.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Goal recap by Department for Gamex 2015<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Boardgames: 1 Kids Only and 1 Family event on Friday and/or Monday in Family Room<br clear="none">Collectibles: 1 Kids Only and 1 Family event in Family Room<br clear="none">Minis: 1 Kids Only and 1 Family event, hopefully in the Family Room<br clear="none">RPGs/LARPs: 1 Kids Only and 1 Family event in Family Room<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Tanya<br clear="none">_______________________________________________<br clear="none">Deptheads mailing list<br clear="none"><a shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:Deptheads@strategicon.net" href="mailto:Deptheads@strategicon.net">Deptheads@strategicon.net</a><br clear="none"><a shape="rect" href="https://strategicon.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/deptheads" target="_blank">https://strategicon.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/deptheads</a><div class="yqt4835654461" id="yqtfd47666"><br clear="none"><br clear="none">_______________________________________________<br clear="none">Deptheads mailing list<br clear="none"><a shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:Deptheads@strategicon.net" href="mailto:Deptheads@strategicon.net">Deptheads@strategicon.net</a><br clear="none"><a shape="rect" href="https://strategicon.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/deptheads" target="_blank">https://strategicon.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/deptheads</a><br clear="none"></div><br><br></div> </div> </div> </div> </div></body></html>