Does your kid eat and sleep video games? A child’s addiction to video games can be worrying. It may also be a point of contention between you. One option is to turn the obsession into a learning experience. Here’s some ways to do so.

1. Have her write about them. Non-creative writing can feel hard, overwhelming or even meaningless for some kids. But writing about something she is “expert” at helps. She can create persuasive paragraphs to practice things like topic sentence writing, using details and arguing a point. Sample topics: ‘Are video games too violent for kids?’ or ‘Why is DJ Hero the coolest game?’ The two of you can even write back and forth debating on issues related to games: ‘Are game ratings needed?’ or ‘Should parents limit how often kids play video games?’ Another option is writing game reviews – after reading samples of reviews online for inspiration.

2. Try creative writing. He can write a story about a favorite game character (the non-human ones would be interesting!). Or he can write from the perspective of an intimate object or a completely original character – maybe one he wishes the game had. Have him use stuff like all five senses or interesting adjectives. If it helps, keep the video game open as he writes. He can game and then pause it to write down ideas. The immediacy of playing the game can get creative juices flowing and help him capture tricky things like character emotions or setting descriptions. For young writers or kids who struggle to get thoughts out, try a story game I use. Create a story by taking turns writing sentences. You: ‘Link carefully lowered himself into the dark tunnel calling back nervously “Makar, follow me very slowly, cause it looks dangerous!”‘ Him : ‘Makar went into the tunnel too.’ Then he feels supported and you can help push the story forward, throw in things like dialogue and demonstrate strong writing. If he’s really young, try using game action figures or stuffed dolls to act out stories (one 5 year old I know loves to carry his Luigi and Mario dolls around and to entertain himself and others).

3. Consider game design. Designing games takes her hobby to another level. She can learn things like story and character design, animation and programming. And she can design for a number of platforms too, like the iPad and online games. Free versions of software like Game Maker and Microsoft’s Kodu are available online. Kid game designing is being embraced by organizations like summer camps, schools and major companies. There are design competitions for kids like the Kodu Cup and The National STEM Video Game Challenge launched by President Obama.

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