Why USED Games are the BEST for Therapy

When I first started out as a therapist, and older colleague always had in her bag a battered old copy of Candy Land. I, on the other hand, was very proud of my new games. I was always combing the catalogs and looking in toy stores for new, interesting yet appropriate games. Then the colleague explained to me about New Car Syndrome.

1. New Car Syndrome. When you spend $20, $30 or $40 on a brand-new game from a store or ordered online, it is like your new car. You are so proud of it. And when the first grumpy child who doesn't feel like doing their best work that day, grabs the cardboard token and BENDS IT IN HALF! You feel like your car has been totaled. It is not the shiny, new car any more. 

If they misbehaved with a game that I'd had for five or ten years, or a game I "inherited" from my predecessor, it wouldn't have wounded me in the same way. So, you have a discussion with them about how that is not nice/they should use their words if they are upset/that is unacceptable behavior and they will be in timeout, or whatever. BUT, my game is no longer the brand-new game it once was. 

2. Used games are kid-tested.  New games may sound interesting to you (as an adult) but kids may be bored with them. Used games have been pre-enjoyed by many different kids so you can be sure there is a universal appeal.

3. Popular/familiar characters at a discount. You don't have to stand in line at Toy Store to get the latest game from the newest Kid Show or latest fad. You can buy Mickey Mouse or Toy Story or Berenstain Bears games used and save your money. If the child is three, Toy Story is a brand-new movie to them, so any game with those characters will be of interest and exciting.

4. Vintage games and discontinued games. You can pick up old games or older versions of classic games that the manufacturer no longer makes. In many cases, they are better games, just not as flashy to parents. When companies "update" their games, they will dumb them down, or take away some of the activities that were beneficial for fine motor skills. (Pop-o-matic dice instead of traditional Rolling Dice.)

5. Four or five used games for the price of one brand new game. If you have a diverse caseload, you are trying to please many kiddos, and very seldom will one game interest all the kids. Some may like dinosaurs, some like unicorns, some like construction trucks, some may like Paw Patrol. Your dollar will go farther picking up four or five games instead of one shiny, brand new game.

6. Don't need four character tokens if you are doing one-on-one therapy. Some used games are not complete. They may be missing a card, a playing token, or a Cootie Bug leg. But, if you are playing a game with one or two kiddos, if the 4-player game is missing one token -- it doesn't matter all that much -- you don't have four players. The game still works.

7. Reuse and Recycle games. Just like in Toy Story 3, we all want to keep Woody out of the landfill. A pre-used game still has many years of use, and to a three-year-old -- it is a new game! -- to them.