Let’s Learn About Augmented Reality!

 

Suitable for 4 to 6 years old

 

 

 

Augmented Reality (AR) “augments” your experience of the world around you. Augment means "to add". Virtual objects are added to our environment. AR combines our real world with the virtual world to make our reality better and more interesting!

 

Activity: Animals Come Alive!

Materials Needed

• "ABC Animals, Alphabet in Motion" book by Sarina Simon (see "Book Recommendations")
• A digital device
• The "ABC Animals AR" app by North South Studios, available free on IOS and Android

How to Play

Use the app alongside the book, and discover adorable animals with your child, while helping them learn the alphabet! Read the book aloud with your child and ask them the questions on the page related to each letter and animal. Then, point your device at the photographs in the book and watch as the still images on the page magically transform into motion videos, revealing the answers to the questions asked.

Parents Pro Tip

Read the books below with your child one time first without using the AR apps. Let them get familiar with the characters and the storyline before introducing the app to them. They might get too distracted with the app by then to focus on the story! This will also allow them to fully appreciate how the added use of AR elevates their reading experience.

 

Stories Come Alive!

A short and entertaining video explaining what Augmented Reality actually is and providing us with real life examples of the use of AR today.

 

 

Let's Read

 

Dragons Come to Life!
Author:Emily Stead
Publisher:London: Carlton Books Limited, 2017

Let’s Learn About Positive Digital Habits!

 

Suitable for 4 to 6 years old

 

Help your child develop positive Digital Habits

 

The American Academy of Pediatrics with support from the Media Literacy Council recommend that parents limit screen time (games, computers, tablets, smartphones and televisions) for preschoolers 2-5 years old to at most 1 hour per day. 

Toddlers 1-2 years old should be getting little to no screen time. 

Your children should watch high-quality programming - which means it’s got to be educational and interactive! 

 

Bonding Activity

 

 

It’s good to get away from technology, and what better way than to have a wonderful sensory scavenger hunt in nature? What treasures can you find? 

 

Instructions

 

Pack your gear:

• Bring a pencil to tick the treasures you find.
• Remember to bring a water bottle.
• Have fun outside! 

Parents, please take pictures of your children while they are out and about.

 

Reflection

 

Talk to your child about their scavenger hunt. 

• Which item was their favourite to find?
• Which was the most difficult thing to find? 
• What senses did they use on their hunt? 

Parent's Pro Tip

 

If you find something interesting that is not on the list, have your child write or draw it on the activity sheet! 

 

 

Unlock your Phone!

 

 

Have your ever taken a look at your hand? At the tips of your fingers are your own unique prints. That means no one else has the same whorls and loops like you do. Our fingerprints also protect the privacy of your parents' phones. 

 

Instructions

• Try tracing a line from the key to the lock through the maze. 
• There are a few ways to unlock your phone.

Parent's Pro Tip

 

Collaborate with your child. Encourage them to tell you how they would solve the activity. If they run into a mistake, don't tell them if they're wrong. Ask if what they're doing is the best way.

 

 

Activity: What are we hiding?

 

Bai the Book wants to read with his friends and family at the playground. 
Can you figure out where they are hiding? 

 

Instructions

 

Circle the books you find.

 

 

 

 

Let's Watch

 

 

Why Screen Time For Kids Needs To Be Controlled (1:07 mins) 

Controlling screen time can be tricky, because screens are everywhere. According to some big health organizations we should probably be paying more attention to the effects screen time can have on kids, especially the little ones under the age of 5. 

 

 

Let's Read

 

 

Gabi's Fabulous Functions 
By: Caroline Karanja & Ben Whitehouse 
Publisher: North Mankato, Minnesota: Picture Window Books, 2018 

 

 

 

You're Missing It! 
By:Brady Smith & Tiffani Thiessen 
Publisher: New York, N.Y.: Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, 2019 

 

 

 

My Animal Atlas: 270 Amazing Animals and Where They Live 
Author:Nastja Holtfreter 
Publisher:Baltimore, MD: Duo Press, 2021 

 

 

 

The Wild World Handbook: Habitats 
By:Andrea Debbink & Asia Orlando 
Publisher: Philadelphia: Quirk Books, 2021 

All book covers are copyright of the respective publishing companies. 

Let’s Learn About Digital Art!

 

Suitable for 4 to 6 years old

 

 

What is Digital Art? 

These days art isn't limited to paper and colour pencils. Digital Art uses technology like tablets or laptops to create images. You can draw your favourite storybook character or tasty treats. With certain apps, your images can even move!