Active play at home: listen, choose, move

A little preparation and one clear rule

Active play at home can involve reaching a colour, repeating a sequence or completing a story task. Start with one rule and adapt the space to the child.

The three ideas below are activities led by an adult using cards or pictures. You can play them without PODs. They illustrate kinds of interaction being explored in Adventure Play Pods, rather than instructions for finished device games.

Choose a clear area with a stable surface. Position materials so they cannot slide underfoot. A child can walk to, point at or reach towards a target; running is optional. An adult stays nearby.

1. A colour expedition

Prepare: two or three large cards of different colours. Place them a short walk apart, out of the path of feet.

1. Name the colours together and demonstrate how to choose a card.
2. Say, “Find yellow.” Leave time for a response.
3. After the choice, name the colour found. Swap roles so the child gives the adult a colour to find.

Make it simpler: start with two distinct colours and show an example. Add a challenge: give a second instruction, such as “Yellow first, then blue.” Match the number of steps to the child.

The POD connection: in a game being developed, a light or themed material can identify a target, and a hit on the POD communicates the choice.

2. A memory trail

Prepare: three pictures or marked places, such as a sun, a cloud and a star.

1. Show a short sequence: sun, star.
2. Ask the child to repeat it by pointing at or walking to the pictures.
3. Repeat the same order, then suggest a different one once the rule is clear. The child can also create a pattern for you.

Make it simpler: keep the example visible. Add a challenge: include one more item or ask the child to invent a sequence. There is no need to increase the pace at the same time.

The POD connection: signals in sequence can define a series of physical responses. The exact rules of Adventure Play Pods sequence modes are in development.

3. Mission: help the expedition

Prepare: pictures of three objects, such as a map, a torch and a water bottle.

1. Start a story: “We're setting off on an expedition. We need to find the way to camp.”
2. Ask, “What will help us choose the way?” The child selects a picture and can explain why.
3. Build the answer into the story: “We have a map, so we find the path. Now it's getting dark. What do we need?”

Make it simpler: show two objects and briefly describe their uses. Add a challenge: let the child invent the next stage. Welcome sensible, unexpected solutions too.

The POD connection: Adventures develops this idea into packs with narration and feedback. A physical response matters to the task in the story.

Where does the platform fit in?

Adventure Play Pods is intended to combine physical targets with signals, hit detection and changeable content. In Adventures, the app handles the story and audio while children respond at the devices. The project is still in development; the home games above work independently of it.

Read about how PODs work and adapting the difficulty for different ages.