It’s been great to see children embrace e-learning during the COVID lockdown. They’ve demonstrated the ability to continue their development, working in virtual groups and even undertaking online assessments.

But when the e-learning school day is over, I found my daughter staying on her iPad watching video clips, gaming, watching TV and doing all those things that kids love to do online.

And I get it! Kids also need to wind down, and in today’s technology and social media driven world, this is the new playtime!

But what if you can turn some of that playtime into a skills building exercise in programming, science and technology, but without these labels!  Where kids can exercise the same creativity in creating online applications and physical command–driven objects using lego!

So I put this to the test.

I gave a robotic kit to my 5 year old daughter.  First impression was positive when she opened the kit and then started exploring the same. In some time came the building part which also introduced her to gears and wheels…… new, but cool!  In her words, “Mama, I’m building a robot!” – and she’s right!

Then came the moment of complete astonishment!  I said “grab your iPad” It was like Willy Wonka had just handed the keys to the all you can eat chocolate buffet. Using her favourite toy, she began programming her car using block programming(Scratch in this case)….. all without her really knowing it, as the fun and curiosity took over!

Now that robot sits proudly on her shelf and gets its daily drive.  And interestingly, now she’s asking “What else can I make my robot do?

And that’s what I love about activity boxes and programming applications these days. It’s made learning the fundamentals of coding and robotics, in a fun and engaging way, that transformed playtime into a deeper cognitive experience.

So instead of fighting the screen time, let’s find ways to make it into a technology and science e-learning experience!

Just don’t tell them that!