<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style></style></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hi guys!</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Yes, we’ve also noticed that the age ranges available now don’t work so well for gearing games toward the proper age group nor for letting people know who is of the appropriate age to understand the rules on their own or to be left alone while parents go play games. I don’t think Lili is quite right either—a “tween” track should run from about ages 10 to age 14, because parents definitely need to stick with their kids for any game when they’re under the age of 10, and 10 is pushing it for some kids. I also usually tell parents that some “mature” games are gonna be fine for an experienced gamer of 16 or 17, but not for an energetic kid of 13, which the online age range available to us doesn’t cover well. </p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>As a note: It would be really awesome if kids’ badges (all the under-eighteens) or their identifying badge number gave us a way of identifying and/or contacting their parents, possibly through reg. Another handy thing for parents to know would be the kids’ reading level, and for us to advertise games accordingly. Age isn’t the only factor to consider here. I’ve had kids playing LARPs with us from age 8 who are awesome at understanding rules and could, honestly, play Starship Valkyrie without their parents working alongside them just fine—but I’ve also had at least one 12-year-old who was so immature and his reading level so low that I had to ask him to go get his dad if we wanted to stay in the game (also Starship Valkyrie). Now this was easy—we have a rule against under-13s just being left with us. But if he was one year older and had similar problems, I’d basically have had to tell his dad “look, his reading level seems too low for this game.” But there isn’t really a lot of good codification around this stuff yet, especially in LARPs, where most of the games are homebrew and unpublished. </p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Starship Valkyrie attracted the kids and tweens, for sure, which is why it always runs in a 2pm-6pm slot. Our boffer showcase, which runs on the other weekend day’s 2pm slot, is *<b>definitely</b>* a teen/tween-friendly event—in fact, this last run we had almost nothing but tweens and teens, and I have gotten to know a lot of kids and parents since we started running it. When we bring in the cover shooter, it will be yet another teen/tween-friendly game, which will encourage multiple runs. I’d love to see more events geared toward this group scheduled as part of a track, so we’re not competing with each other but smoothly transitioning families through a series of great tween-friendly games. I will also be looking to schedule more LARPs for younger kids, like Wizards Quest this last con. </p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We already have some areas in the boffer showcase where adults *<b>could</b>* run games if they wanted to, though it’s a bit loud in the whole area. I’d be happy to set up some tables for them, but we’d have to include the information as part of the track, and I’d like it if they could get in touch with me before con, since I’d be overseeing that space for what is essentially another event or couple of events. I could make some board games available to them, or we could ask a GM to run a tabletop for the parents, in cooperation with Shane or Jim. Let me know what you guys think.</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Best,</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tara</p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='border:none;padding:0in'><b>From: </b><a href="mailto:deptheads@strategicon.net">Strategicon Department Heads</a><br><b>Sent: </b>Friday, September 6, 2019 9:04 PM<br><b>To: </b><a href="mailto:deptheads@strategicon.net">Strategicon Department Heads</a><br><b>Subject: </b>[Deptheads] Fw: Strategicon and a kids' track?</p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif'>Good evening,<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif'>This is a follow up email from a conversation that I had with Lili (I also briefly met both of her kids referenced in the email below) while at the con last weekend.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif'>What do you guys think of her idea of a tween track?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif'>Eric<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div id="ydp9797b6feyahoo_quoted_8187766792"><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><div id=ydp9797b6feyiv0049225743><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>Hi Eric!<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>It was so nice to meet you at this year's most recent Strategicon! We've been attending for the past 2 years, and it's been a great family experience for us. My kids are now 8 & 10, and we've enjoyed the Board game 101s, Game Library, Artemis, and Party Games. And as you know, my kids entered their first tournament. What we've noticed in the past 2 years is what appears to be a huge growth in the amount of school aged kids participating, particularly in the age group of about 8-13. In this age group, these kids prefer to play more "adult" games than what is offered in the Kids' area, but we've found that it's not always easy to incorporate kids to the regular 101s. Additionally, some people do not prefer to play with kids. Also, when kids are playing a game, parents have to hover around, which does not allow the parents to play their own games. I definitely love the Family area on the 2nd floor, and I would suggest that the rules be enforced better to be reserved for families with kids OR possibly allow parents who are hovering over kids in the nearby room. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>Here's another suggestion: to have a tween track for kids ages 8-13 (about 3rd - 8th graders) with or without participating parents. This could then be marketed toward families who would like to attend, who are interested in more board games, or perhaps they homeschool. If parents do not participate in the games, it would be ideal to have a nearby room or tables for parents to be able to play games quietly nearby. This is because of your signs and rule that Strategicon volunteers are not responsible for kids (nor should they be responsible for our kids). There are already some events that might be already part of the track (like the LARP on Sundays at 2pm), or certain party games, Magic 101, some of the video game tournaments. It can all be listed in a section of the schedule (to make it easier to follow) with some additionally 101s and tournaments added. And it wouldn't need to all be necessarily in the same room all the time. This would probably work well on Saturday and Sunday when the Family Day Pass is available. (By the way, I suggest age 13 as the upper end rather than age 12 that you have on your upper end of a kids' day pass because that is approximately the age for a older middle school aged child. In high school, kids become more independent, but I would probably supervise my own kids more closely until about the age of 13. ) <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>I believe that with a stronger track and focus on this age group, we will see a continued growth of families participating Strategicon.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>Thanks again for listening to my suggestion! <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>Lili<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>