What I Learned from Playing Angry Birds

About two weeks ago, Carrick was playing on my phone while we were grocery shopping. He had an ad pop up for a new Angry Birds game while he was playing Space Angry Birds. He asked if we could get the new Angry Birds game on my phone. I told him I would download it for him when we got home. "It's called 'Angry Birds Epic'", he told me when I asked him which one he wanted. I found it on Google Play Store and put it on my phone.

Since he was starting school in a matter of days, I let him play it all weekend, well, except for when my phone was charging. I then made the mistake of looking at the game. I clicked on a flag to play a level. And then I discovered why he was playing it so much. This game is addictive!

It's a turn-based role-playing game, sort of like Lord of the Rings. You have to take turns fighting, and the bad guys get their turn to fight back. There are wizards, clerics, rogues, and even pirates! Never before have I ever been interested in playing Angry Birds. I did it for a few weeks last year when we were living away from home and had no TV, no internet, no computer, and I needed something to pass the time during Lily's naps. But this game has quickly become a favorite in the Sheridan house. It's something Corey, Carrick and I can all discuss in detail. Here are a few revelations I have had in the week that I have been playing Angry Birds Epic:




1. It's OK to fail. When I lost my first battle, I knew there would be another chance to win. All I had to do was rethink my strategy. Sometimes, that's not enough. Sometimes just using a different bird, or changing up the equipment makes a difference in the battle. There will always be another chance to prove myself, all it takes is looking at the battle (or problem) from a different angle. The failure gives me the the opportunity to test my ability to regroup and come up with a different solution.

2. Be resourceful. Sometimes in a battle, things aren't going the way I want them to. But by using all the tricks up the Angry Birds' sleeves, I might be able to scrape by. Resourcefulness also comes in handy when brewing potions, or forging materials. I can also go back to replay battles I have already won to get more supplies. I can then turn them into things that will be of benefit during a more difficult battle.

3. Teamwork. I learned early on to use Red Angry Bird to protect, White Angry Bird to heal, and Black Angry Bird to do the actual fighting. Through their teamwork, I was able to keep all my birds alive, defeat the bad piggies, and gain more treasure in the end. They each work together to achieve the common goal, and neither can win the battle without the help of the other two.

4. Be patient. There are some battles, like the one I mentioned in #3, that require tremendous patience. When I use the three birds in tandem to heal, protect, and fight, it takes way longer to battle all of the piggies. However,
if they are all alive at the end of the battle, there is better treasure. If the battle is rushed, one or all of the birds could die. So taking it slower for the long-term gain yields greater rewards.






5. Share. This one is hard, but I have learned to be better at it. Normally, I only let Carrick play on my phone for very limited amounts of time. Or
I let him use it on special occasions, like when we dine out and he's done eating. But, as it turns out, mommy likes to play this game just as much as he does. So, that requires a bit of sharing. I can't just glue myself to my phone and tell him 'no'. I am modeling the exact behavior that I don't want him doing. But if I fight a battle and then let him fight a battle, we get to share in the experience together. (And I refuse to allow a gaming console in our house, even though Corey might be sitting on the couch next to us playing the same game on his phone.) So Carrick and mommy have both become very good at sharing.