"Rules for Children" Topic

Am writing a blog to review rules that I play with child, to try and give people an idea of what would be a good 'starter set' to use. Have been giving thought about what rules to use.

Cowboys are a genre that would be appealing to children – but is an area that I have not gamed before. Any recommendations on rules and figures would be welcomed, remember – aimed at an eight year old.

Also, whilst I think it is true that 'The Old West' is a genre appealing to children, it does not figure very high on a child's imagination anymore – cowboys are not a thing in kids culture anymore. This has the happy side effect that I will have to watch some westerns with my children to 'whet their appetite'. Recommendations for (age appropriate) films to watch are also gratefully received.

Cheers

thatwargamesblog.blogspot.co.uk

Not minis per say, but Playmobil Cowboys and Indians are an option or the plastic tube cowboys from Safari. As for movies, for older kids "The Cowboys".

Hi Durrati,

For films, I'm sure some more knowledgeable members will be stopping by, but off the top of my head, Shane, High Noon and Rio Bravo might be a good place to start – the last even has singing cowboys!

As for rules, you might want to take a look at Fistful of Lead: activation is by counting down with cards that most children should grasp pretty easily, there is almost no paperwork, detail is kept to a minimum but the game is still great fun. Well worth checking out, I think.

Good luck with your project!

Rio Grande and The War Wagon have lots of scenarios. And if you start them young, you won't have to answer questions about Kirk Douglas' "laundry service" in the War Wagon. Nothing wrong with El Dorado either.

For starter rules, take a look at Big Battles for Little Hands. This book includes a history of land warfare, primer on tactics, a guide on painting figures, and two sets of rules. The rules were tested with children as young as six. We use them in the HAWKs Armies for Kids projects in which we run games for children under ten and then each child goes home with enough painted figures to play the game with a friend. Big Battles of Little Hands even includes paper soldiers you can cut out and use in your games.

As for movies, anything with John Wayne, William Boyd, Randolph Scott, or Errol Flynn is good. While movies today emphasize violence and special effects, these older movies treat violence as a last resort and focus on plot, dialog, and character. Among my favorites: Chisum, Rio Bravo, Sategcoach with John Wayne; any Hopalong Cassidy movie or radio show; and Dodge City, Virginia City, and Santa Fe Trail, with Errol Flynn.