As a facilitator of several popular video game groups, I have enjoyed watching friendships blossom among the like-minded players. Some gamers are attracted to playing video games because they lack a real connection with most of their peers and the pandemic has been particularly isolating to these kids without connections. Other kids enjoy playing and talking about their favorite games to anyone with ears. Like my own son who is on the spectrum, kids who play video games often disconnect from the world around them. I have found that uniting kids with similar video game interests builds confidence and valuable social skills while making meaningful connections with the world around them.

Note: Students must have access to the Nintendo Animal Crossing New Horizons game as well as a Nintendo online subscription in order to participate in this class, as students will need to “visit” my island to look for the items.