It's not complicated though

That’s the beauty of cellular automata. Simple interactions can give rise to complex effects.

The rules of the game are simple enough to explain, when I said complicated I meant the interactions of the system as a whole.

I mean, I don't really understand how a glider gun works.

Glider guns have a period of 30, so you could work them out on one tablet of graph paper if you wanted. Or just let a computer do it frame by frame and pay attention.

This isn't a rebuke at all btw, it's a suggestion, this is a fun and edifying way to spend some time. Don't know if your kids are old enough for it yet, or have the interest to play along, but you might enjoy it.