Child's Play 2006

Child's Play is good for kids, it's good for you, and it's good for gamers everywhere. Time to start thinking about participating this year.

For those not in the know: Child's Play is a charity founded by the folks at Penny Arcade and designed to help out sick kids by giving them the gift of kickass video games (and other things) for Christmas. Originally conceived as a way to prove to the world that not all video game players are serial killers in training, the charity has grown beyond this simple concept to become a major force for gamers (and non-gamers too!) who want to do some good for kids who really need it. They've given out well over a million dollars in toys over the course of the first three drives, and every year sees the movement growing bigger and bigger.

Child's Play really is a worthwhile charity, and one that I, as a lifelong gamer, have always felt a special affinity for. Please give it some consideration if it sounds like a good idea to you. It's easy to donate, and you can give as little or as much as you want. You might be surprised at how happy a Wii or a DS Lite could make a kid on Christmas. Heck, even dropping $30 on a copy of Elite Beat Agents could bring a kid hours of enjoyment. Or how about Final Fantasy XII? Relatively small amount of money from you, HUGE amount of content for the kid who gets it.

There are lots of ways to give, and all of them are meaningful.