With the school holidays fast approaching, many parents will likely be wondering how to keep their children occupied for two months. In addition to ensuring children are entertained, it’s important to look for family activities that support their continued growth in a fun, interactive way while they’re out of school. It’s also the perfect chance to find experiences that create lasting memories.
We surveyed 162 former customers who had attended immersive gaming with their children to better understand how families interacted during the experience and to highlight the benefits immersive gaming can offer for children and adults alike.
Family bonding
While popular outings such as cinema trips or watching sporting events are often enjoyable, the activities themselves don’t necessarily encourage interaction and active participation that create meaningful family bonding moments.
Lisa Paton, CEO at Immersive Gamebox, said: “Immersive gaming requires every member to actively contribute to achieve a common goal, prompting communication, joint decision-making, and encouraging one another. This cooperative gameplay creates moments of shared success and, therefore, positive memories for families to look back on.”
In our survey, 93% of respondents said immersive gaming provided more active, engaged family time than other activities. Another 77% said immersive gaming frequently created moments of teamwork and collaboration among their family members.
Almost 70% of those surveyed said immersive gaming definitely encouraged genuine interaction between family members. More than half also said their family communicated more than usual during the experience. This enhanced communication is particularly encouraging, as Immersive Gamebox welcomes a wide range of family groups, from parents with teenagers to siblings of different ages and interests.
Engagement and enjoyment
Finding an activity that appeals to every member of the family, from younger children to teenagers and adults, helps maximise participation and strengthen family connections.
Lisa Paton added: “Appealing to everyone has become increasingly difficult as social media and general phone use reduce attention spans for people of all ages, especially teens and children. However, the answer isn’t necessarily eliminating technology but perhaps finding a way to incorporate it into family activities that still bring you together. Immersive gaming uses technology to project interactive visuals and create responsive environments, while still encouraging physical movement, shared experiences, and active participation.”
In the survey, 78% of respondents said their children showed more excitement or enthusiasm than usual while playing. Among families with children of different ages, 72% said the children remained equally engaged throughout the experience. Additionally, 80% reported that both adults and children enjoyed the games equally.
Helping children develop soft skills
While immersive gaming is designed to be fun, it can also encourage the development of valuable soft skills. According to our survey, families observed improvements in several key areas.
Critical thinking
Games such as Alien Aptitude Test present players with challenges that require critical and creative thinking to solve.
Lisa Paton said: “Players are often required to think a few steps ahead, remain focused, and flex their memory. Encouraging children to think critically teaches them to analyse and understand information so they can form well-reasoned judgments.”
In the survey, 94% said their children suggested ideas or strategies while playing, including 53% who said this happened frequently. Another 70% felt the activity provided a meaningful mental challenge. Age-appropriate puzzles help children think critically while providing a rewarding sense of achievement when solutions are found.
Problem solving
While critical thinking helps children understand challenges, problem-solving allows them to take practical steps towards a solution. Games such as Ghostbusters: The Cursed Collection encourage players to solve puzzles, decode clues and work together to complete objectives.
Almost 75% of respondents said their children frequently demonstrated problem-solving skills during the experience, while the remaining 25% said they did so occasionally. Solving challenges together also creates opportunities for families to collaborate and bond.
Leadership
Team-based games provide children with opportunities to take initiative, make decisions and guide others. Parents can encourage these behaviours by asking children for ideas and praising their participation, regardless of whether every suggestion advances the game.
In our survey, 46% said their children frequently took on a leadership role during the experience, while 48% said they occasionally did. Practising leadership in a fun, low-pressure environment can help build confidence for future social and academic situations.
Teamwork
Alongside leadership, children also develop supportive team behaviours. Success depends on players listening, communicating clearly and working together rather than competing for control.
Only 2% of respondents felt their children struggled to listen or follow instructions during the experience, suggesting that the vast majority remained engaged and attentive. Meanwhile, 65% said their children frequently encouraged or supported other players, while a further 34% said they did so occasionally.
Creating memorable family experiences
Immersive Gamebox offers experiences that go beyond simple entertainment. The games are designed to encourage families to work together, solve problems and communicate naturally while having fun.
By combining interactive technology with teamwork, immersive gaming creates memorable experiences that strengthen family relationships while helping children develop valuable soft skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership and teamwork.