tag:theconversation.com,2011:/nz/topics/coding-for-kids-47403/articlesCoding for kids – The Conversation2019-08-29T09:23:12Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1221452019-08-29T09:23:12Z2019-08-29T09:23:12ZCurious Kids: how do mobile phones and tablets work?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289924/original/file-20190828-184207-m5hia.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C163%2C5472%2C3473&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Like magic. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/happy-asian-child-girl-look-smart-1092089723?src=-1-53">Shutterstock.</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>How do mobile phones and tablets work? Tom, aged six, Quorn, UK</strong></p>
<p>Great question, Tom! There’s a lot of amazing technology packed into mobile phones and tablets. Nowadays, most have a touch screen, speakers, a microphone, WiFi, Bluetooth, a camera, a telephone and more. </p>
<p>Underneath all these fun features, though, mobile phones and tablets are basically mini computers. And computers work by carrying out instructions we humans have given them. </p>
<p>To a computer, <a href="https://www.howtogeek.com/367621/what-is-binary-and-why-do-computers-use-it/">everything is a number</a>. A picture? Lots of numbers: three for every tiny dot in the image. A sound? A long list of numbers, including one for how “loud” the sound is at each point in time (that’s thousands every second). A word? Each letter has its own unique number, too.</p>
<h2>Machine brains</h2>
<p>Computers have a machine “brain” called the <a href="https://www.techopedia.com/definition/2851/central-processing-unit-cpu">Central Processing Unit</a> (CPU), which has two main jobs: getting instructions from the computer’s memory, and carrying them out. The instructions are stored as numbers, too, of course. </p>
<p>The programs or “apps” you find on a mobile phone or tablet are basically lists of instructions. With a bit of practice, you can even write your own: it’s called “programming” or “coding”. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/282267/original/file-20190702-126345-1np1y7m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/282267/original/file-20190702-126345-1np1y7m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/282267/original/file-20190702-126345-1np1y7m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/282267/original/file-20190702-126345-1np1y7m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/282267/original/file-20190702-126345-1np1y7m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/282267/original/file-20190702-126345-1np1y7m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/282267/original/file-20190702-126345-1np1y7m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/curious-kids-36782">Curious Kids</a> is a series by <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk">The Conversation</a>, which gives children the chance to have their questions about the world answered by experts. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:curiouskids@theconversation.com">curiouskids@theconversation.com</a>. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we’ll do our very best.</em></p>
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<p>But writing down lots of lists of numbers to give your instructions to the computer would be really difficult, and takes a very long time. Luckily, people have invented special coding languages, that are much easier for us to read and understand. </p>
<p>There are <a href="https://medium.com/web-development-zone/a-complete-list-of-computer-programming-languages-1d8bc5a891f">lots of different programming languages</a> these days, with names like C, C++, Python and Java. Different languages are better for different jobs – but mostly it’s just down to what the programmer likes to use. </p>
<p>There are even programming languages made of different shapes, like a jigsaw, which can be great for learning – like <a href="https://scratch.mit.edu">Scratch</a>, which you can use to make games.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289925/original/file-20190828-184240-14xtljc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289925/original/file-20190828-184240-14xtljc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289925/original/file-20190828-184240-14xtljc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289925/original/file-20190828-184240-14xtljc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289925/original/file-20190828-184240-14xtljc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=469&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289925/original/file-20190828-184240-14xtljc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=469&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289925/original/file-20190828-184240-14xtljc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=469&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Learning to code can be lots of fun.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/group-african-american-kids-learn-coding-656332537?src=-1-24">Shutterstock.</a></span>
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<p>Once you’ve used one of those languages to make a list of instructions, you run it through a special programme – called a compiler – that turns them into programs or apps that computers can run.</p>
<h2>Powering up</h2>
<p>The most important program on any mobile phone or tablet is the operating system. The operating system runs all the different programs and helps them use the phone’s different features, like speakers, touchscreen and microphones. </p>
<p>The operating system also lets you do lots of things at once, so you can still get a phone call even while you’re playing a game. </p>
<p>And, of course, mobile phones wouldn’t be very “mobile” without a battery. Batteries have been around for <a href="https://phys.org/news/2015-04-history-batteries.html">at least 200 years</a>, but they have got a lot better recently, so they can power complicated things like mobile phones, tablets – and even electric cars. </p>
<p>Batteries work by converting chemicals to electricity. With an adult’s help, you can make a simple battery using fruit and some coins, which is fun – but wouldn’t be strong enough to run a mobile phone. </p>
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<p><em>Children can have their own questions answered by experts – just send them in to <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/curious-kids-36782">Curious Kids</a>, along with the child’s first name, age and town or city. You can:</em></p>
<ul>
<li><em>email <a href="mailto:curiouskids@theconversation.com">curiouskids@theconversation.com</a></em></li>
<li><em>tweet us <a href="https://twitter.com/ConversationUK">@ConversationUK</a> with #curiouskids</em></li>
<li><em>DM us on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theconversationdotcom/">@theconversationdotcom</a></em></li>
</ul>
<p><em>Here are some more <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/curious-kids-36782?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=TCUKengagement&utm_content=CuriousKidsUK">Curious Kids</a> articles, written by academic experts:</em></p>
<ul>
<li><p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-do-some-animals-have-two-different-coloured-eyes-119727?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=TCUKengagement&utm_content=CuriousKidsUK">Why do some animals have two different coloured eyes? – George, aged ten, Hethersett, UK.</a></em></p></li>
<li><p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-how-high-could-i-jump-on-the-moon-120865?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=TCUKengagement&utm_content=CuriousKidsUK">How high could I jump on the moon? – Miles, aged five, London, UK.</a></em></p></li>
<li><p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-are-the-bubbles-in-fizzy-drinks-so-small-the-ones-i-blow-are-much-bigger-121513?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=TCUKengagement&utm_content=CuriousKidsUK">Why are the bubbles in fizzy drink so small? The ones I blow are much bigger - Alison, aged seven, Aberdeen, UK.</a></em></p></li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/122145/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bernie Tiddeman has previously received funding from AHRC, EPSRC, ESRC and Unilever Research. He has current funding from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, the European Social Fund, RHE Global and the Welsh European Funding Office. He works for Aberystwyth University. </span></em></p>Mobile phones and tablets are basically mini computers – and to a computer, everything is a number.Bernie Tiddeman, Reader in Computer Science, Aberystwyth UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1083252018-12-13T17:41:19Z2018-12-13T17:41:19ZLooking for a high-tech gift for a young child? Think playgrounds, not playpens<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250500/original/file-20181213-178579-jvj9pt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=536%2C287%2C5307%2C3851&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It can be hard to tell whether what's in the box will encourage development or just be a waste of time.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Toys-And-Autism/ff71a5f175be4210a484cc56f036a9a0/1/0">AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Shopping for a new high-tech gift for the child in your life this holiday season? It’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the options. Bright boxes, colorful apps and cute plastic robots will promise that learning outcomes will improve if your child plays with x, y or z.</p>
<p>You might be tempted to believe them. Maybe if your child plays with that robot, she’ll learn to code. Maybe if he plays with that computer game or that app, he’ll improve his literacy and math skills.</p>
<p>If you like technology, you probably think it’s a good thing for children to be exposed to it at an early age. After all, studies show that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1098-237X(199901)83:1%3C55::AID-SCE3%3E3.0.CO;2-O">by fifth grade, stereotypes regarding who is good</a> at math and science, technology and engineering <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/43604473">are already formed</a>.</p>
<p>It’s important to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9280.00371">get in there early to counter</a> the formation of these stereotypes, by piquing everyone’s interest when they are young. That way doors aren’t preemptively closed for them later on, when choosing a field of study or a profession.</p>
<p>But it’s confusing to browse all the tech toys on the market, looking for one that will support a child’s budding STEM knowledge. I coined the metaphor of “playgrounds versus playpens” as a way to understand the best developmentally appropriate experiences with technology. As new gadgets, robots, apps and games are commercially released, going back to this metaphor can guide you beyond the bells and whistles to focus on how a tech toy may support learning and development.</p>
<h2>Cozy coddling or exhilarating exploration</h2>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250289/original/file-20181212-110261-1uvxjrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250289/original/file-20181212-110261-1uvxjrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/250289/original/file-20181212-110261-1uvxjrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250289/original/file-20181212-110261-1uvxjrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250289/original/file-20181212-110261-1uvxjrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250289/original/file-20181212-110261-1uvxjrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250289/original/file-20181212-110261-1uvxjrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/250289/original/file-20181212-110261-1uvxjrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Quality playgrounds let kids explore and stretch toward new skills.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/1Jg-_nekJT0">Annie Spratt/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<p>In my latest book, “<a href="https://www.routledge.com/Coding-as-a-Playground-Programming-and-Computational-Thinking-in-the-Early/Bers/p/book/9781138225626">Coding as a Playground</a>,” I invite readers to recall the playground of their childhood. Children were able to run, to explore, to invent new games, to engage in pretend play; to communicate, collaborate and problem-solve with others; and to make their own choices.</p>
<p>Now, think of a playpen. These safe, confined spaces are in stark contrast with playgrounds. The playpen conveys a lack of freedom to experiment, lack of autonomy for exploration, lack of creative opportunities and lack of risks. It’s a place where a child can be stowed to pass the time.</p>
<p>While playgrounds are open-ended, playpens are limited. The <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/designing-digital-experiences-for-positive-youth-development-9780199757022">playground promotes while the playpen hinders</a> important aspects of human development.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, from a developmental perspective, many of today’s technologies for young children are playpens and not playgrounds.</p>
<p>Of course, computer games, like playpens, deprive children of physical activity. But the metaphor goes further than that. Some computer games are marketed as educational because they promote academic skills and teach about shapes, colors, letters, sounds and numbers. Most software provides tasks with right and wrong answers and thus doesn’t encourage problem solving and logical thinking or exploration and creativity. Most robots provide prepackaged challenges for children to complete, and in the process, learn to code. These are all examples of high-tech playpens – they’re limited and do not tap into many important dimensions of healthy positive development in children.</p>
<h2>Six C’s to look for</h2>
<p>Over <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=MR75asoAAAAJ&hl=en&authuser=2">two decades of research</a>, I’ve developed a theoretical framework called <a href="https://sites.tufts.edu/devtech/ptd/">Positive Technological Development</a> to guide parents, educators and researchers in distinguishing high-tech playgrounds from playpens.</p>
<p>This framework focuses on six positive behaviors that can be promoted through the use of technological playgrounds. These behaviors involve:</p>
<ul>
<li>content creation</li>
<li>creativity</li>
<li>choices of conduct</li>
<li>communication</li>
<li>collaboration</li>
<li>community building</li>
</ul>
<p>These six C’s can be fostered in real-world playgrounds and can also be supported by robotic platforms, virtual worlds, programming languages, apps, games and storytelling systems for children.</p>
<p>But it’s not enough to read the label on the box. It’s important to understand the kind of experiences children will have when interacting with the technology.</p>
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<span class="caption">The KIBO robot developed by Marina Bers’s research group utilizes tangible blocks instead of screens, and mixes in art to help kids learn to code in a playful way.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Marina Bers</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
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<p>Search out technologies that engage children as producers, not consumers. That means robotic kits, apps or computer games that let them be makers, artists, coders and designers. Try to avoid prepackaged solutions that target a specific skill set and promise to help children improve their academics. Remember that technological playgrounds need to also be fun!</p>
<p>At the <a href="http://sites.tufts.edu/devtech/">DevTech research group</a> that I direct at Tufts University, we focus on a particular kind of technological playground: programming environments for young children between 4 and 7 years old. <a href="https://sites.tufts.edu/devtech/publications/">Our research</a> shows that by learning how to code, children take on the role of producers and not merely consumers. They’re able to engage with all six C’s.</p>
<p>For example, we created the free <a href="http://scratchjr.org">ScratchJr coding app</a>, <a href="https://nostarch.com/scratchjr">in collaboration</a> with <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=KKq5SN4AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra">Mitch Resnick</a> <a href="https://www.media.mit.edu/people/mres/overview/">at the MIT Media Lab</a>. ScratchJr is a playground in that it promotes problem-solving, imagination, cognitive challenges, social interactions, motor skills development, emotional exploration and making different choices. Crucially, we make explicit the connection between the activity of coding and the playfulness of the experience. </p>
<p>At the playground, children can visit the sandbox, the swing or the slide, or just run around. Similarly, you want to find tech toys that let children engage in lots of different creative and expressive activities. For example, beyond coding, an app might let them create and modify characters and record and play their own voices and sounds. A playpen, instead, might let them move up across levels only when they solve a particular problem or select the right number or letter.</p>
<p>Caregivers don’t exclusively take children to the playground. There are other places to visit and other skills to develop. But, when getting new technologies for young children, you’re looking for a tech playground and not a playpen.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/108325/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marina Umaschi Bers owns shares in KinderLab robotics and developed the free ScratchJr programming language. She receives funding from National Science Foundation and the Scratch Foundation.</span></em></p>There’s a spectrum of quality when it comes to what kids can do with screen time. An expert in early childhood technology suggests picking tech activities that promote problem-solving and fun.Marina Umaschi Bers, Professor of Child Study and Human Development and Adjunct Professor of Computer Sciences, Tufts UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/885712017-12-10T19:11:20Z2017-12-10T19:11:20ZFrom robots to board games, it’s easy to do science this Christmas<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198239/original/file-20171208-11282-nwp5xi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Beebots are robots that kids can easily program, with direct feedback seen in where the robot goes. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/arselectronica/16605101000/in/album-72157651296329862/">arselectronica/flickr </a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We all want to spoil the children in our lives at Christmas time. Some of us like to sneak in a bit of learning too. </p>
<p>From an educational perspective, toys are an excellent way to engage all ages in STEM (<a href="https://theconversation.com/stem-education-in-primary-schools-will-fall-flat-unless-serious-issues-are-addressed-88017">science, technology, engineering and mathematics</a>). </p>
<p>Here we’ve put together some tips for those of you looking for yuletide shopping inspiration beyond just the typical array of toys marked “science and technology” on the shelf. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-were-building-a-climate-change-game-for-12-year-olds-85983">Why we're building a climate change game for 12-year-olds</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>But first, a quick wrap of <a href="http://www.educationcouncil.edu.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/National%20STEM%20School%20Education%20Strategy.pdf">key terms</a>. </p>
<p>Science is about exploring the nature of things, and involves skills such as predicting (hypothesising), observing, collecting data, fair testing, explaining and communicating.</p>
<p>Technology is a process that builds over time, and involves meeting a need or solving a problem. It includes both design technologies and digital technologies.</p>
<p>Engineering, very simply put, involves how systems can be put together to produce the desired outcome. For young children this is almost the same as technological skills.</p>
<p>Mathematics should go beyond just measuring and counting, and incorporate problem-solving skills such as those involved in coding.</p>
<p>Under the STEM umbrella, it’s also important to consider what are termed “<a href="http://www.oecd.org/site/educeri21st/40756908.pdf">21st-century skills</a>”, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, innovation, communication and collaboration. </p>
<h2>I want a robot</h2>
<p>Many of us have access to smart phones and portable computing, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-digital-apps-can-be-good-gifts-for-young-family-members-85893">apps</a> – including those that feature augmented reality such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/gaming-in-the-classroom-what-we-can-learn-from-pokemon-go-technology-63766">Pokémon GO</a> – are incredibly popular and accessible. </p>
<p>But moving beyond just regular use of digital technology, coding and robotic products are available that teach children how coding works, where it can be applied, and what its limitations are. These include programmable toys that can be operated by simply pressing buttons or sequencing physical tokens to produce movement. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vdIla-6A6jA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">You have to tell Spheros where you want it to go.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Devices such as <a href="https://core-electronics.com.au/brands/bee-bot-australia">Beebots</a> and <a href="https://www.primotoys.com/">Cubettos</a> allow children to use their imaginations to create scenarios – for example, tunnels, roads or bridges – that their robot can negotiate. Kids learn planning, algorithmic thinking, and mathematical reasoning. </p>
<p>More sophisticated robots such as <a href="https://www.sphero.com">Spheros</a> or <a href="https://meetedison.com">Edisons</a> connect toys to tablets or computers. Children must negotiate the constraints and opportunities of the real world – for example, slopes, different surfaces, and wind – and test their code under different situations. These toys encourage children to think creatively when coming up with their solutions.</p>
<p>In the future we will see more toys building in augmented reality, with many companies now investing in the interactivity between physical and virtual worlds. The goal is to build products that allow children to use physical objects and real-world locations (via GPS) in conjunction with computational devices, not only on their own, but also in competitive and collaborative environments. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sxUJKn6TJOI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Kids are capable of applying computational thinking to solve problems.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Old-fashioned fun</h2>
<p>Even with the rise of digital technology, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/25/board-games-back-tabletop-gaming-boom-pandemic-flash-point">board and card games</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/blocks-are-still-the-best-present-you-can-buy-children-for-christmas-87171">building toys</a> are still very popular. Chosen carefully, these too allow players to learn about important aspects of science. </p>
<p>Popular collaborative board games such as Pandemic <a href="http://www.asset-scienceinsociety.eu/news/features/pandemic-legacy-what-game-can-teach-us-about-pandemics">are praised</a> for their accurate depiction of how health workers respond to disease outbreaks. Children see the real impact of disease, how it can spread across the world, and the role of science in bringing outbreaks to a resolution. Children also learn <a href="https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/itls_facpub/138/">collaborative problem-solving skills</a>, computational thinking, and the benefits of <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7173/50cdc56af6d5ddad9f351c4462c6529bdcce.pdf">planning and sequencing</a>.</p>
<p>Science literacy can also improve by playing board games. Card games like <a href="http://organattack.com">Organ Attack!</a> give children the opportunity to learn about real diseases and the organs that they affect – for example, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/hepatosplenomegaly">hepatosplenomegaly</a>, a disease that affects the spleen and the liver. Amusing drawings – the game is based on the comic series <a href="http://theawkwardyeti.com">The Awkward Yeti</a> – depict the organs in an engaging and entertaining way, which adds to children’s understanding of their own body parts. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198237/original/file-20171207-11303-z0vtc3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198237/original/file-20171207-11303-z0vtc3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198237/original/file-20171207-11303-z0vtc3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198237/original/file-20171207-11303-z0vtc3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198237/original/file-20171207-11303-z0vtc3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198237/original/file-20171207-11303-z0vtc3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198237/original/file-20171207-11303-z0vtc3.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The object of Organ Attack is to remove your opponents’ organs before they remove yours.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theawkwardyeti/organattack-a-card-game-by-the-awkward-yeti">Organ Attack</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Construction sets are also useful for developing a range of STEM skills. </p>
<p>At a basic level, <a href="https://theconversation.com/blocks-are-still-the-best-present-you-can-buy-children-for-christmas-87171">simple wooden blocks</a> have been shown to bring many benefits to children’s development, including spatial reasoning and language. </p>
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<p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/blocks-are-still-the-best-present-you-can-buy-children-for-christmas-87171">Blocks are still the best present you can buy children for Christmas</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>More <a href="https://shop.lego.com/en-AU/LEGO-MINDSTORMS-EV3-31313">complex building sets</a> can involve digital aspects such as designing, making and programming robotic toys. </p>
<p>Consider toys that give children the scope to go beyond simply putting the pieces together according to the instructions, but also encourage them to use their imaginations to turn the pieces into something unexpected. </p>
<h2>Tips to get it right</h2>
<p>It is worth noting that when children engage with toys and games with a STEM focus, they will not necessarily be aware of the knowledge and skills involved. <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sce.1035/abstract">Parents can support</a> their children’s scientific thinking, elaborate on scientific information, and help them structure meaning from their observations, using the following tips: </p>
<ul>
<li>question children about their ideas</li>
<li>gently highlight inconsistencies in their thinking that contradict the evidence in front of them</li>
<li>support them in not focusing on only one piece of evidence, at the cost of other relevant information.</li>
</ul>
<p>It can be difficult to get the balance right between digital technologies that involve individual use (and can isolate children) and those that focus on collaboration and conversation. To address this concern, </p>
<ul>
<li>look at how you may tap into the skills and knowledge that are learned</li>
<li>focus on apps that encourage multiple players, turn taking and collaboration.</li>
</ul>
<p>Toys and games that involve friends and family members are more than just fun: they can foster new skills, challenge children to work in a team and encourage thinking and idea development.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/88571/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Toys and games that involve friends and family members are more than just fun: they can foster new skills, challenge children to work in a team and encourage thinking and idea development.George Aranda, Lecturer in Science Education, Deakin UniversityWendy Jobling, Lecturer, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.