PICTOCHAT Hide and Seek

My son and his friend invented a new game.

And it just happens to have a literacy component.

Even better, it uses the Nintendo DS (Gameboy), so for kids who are really into video games, this can be a good alternative.

The game: PICTOCHAT Hide-and-Seek

Each child takes his DS and goes into a different area of the home.

One child hides, and the other has to find him.

The child who is hiding uses the DS's "PICTOCHAT" function to provide clues.

My son hid in his friend's room, under the covers of his bed. For his clue, he wrote "sleep."

Another time he hid in the bathroom and his clue was "pee" - hey, he's eight.

I loved this creative use of technology that would otherwise just be about video games, and it kept them busy for a long time, having fun.

What is PICTOCHAT?

PICTOCHAT is a great feature of the DS that lots of parents - and kids, even - don't know about.

It's a screen that allows you to write or type a message which is then relayed wirelessly to any other DSs in the vicinity.

To access it, touch PICTOCHAT right after you turn on the DS.

(Here's an earlier post about it, with a bit more information.)

Having a hard time telling your Wii from your DS? DS stands for "double screen" - it's the one with an upper and a lower screen. DS. Don't call it a Gameboy - I just did that for clarity's sake. So uncool, maaaaawm!