1. PBL & Career and College Awareness
RESOURCE FOR: Edutainment Presentation
Edutainment
PBL & Career and College Awareness

2. Edutainment: Engineering Design Process
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3. Edutainment: Quotes to consider
“The coolest toys don’t have to be bought; they can be built. In fact, sometimes the only way they’ll ever exist is if you make them yourself…” ~Adam Savage (Mythbusters) “Technology is permeating every single thing we do… And to the extent that we can better expose our young people to all the different ways that technology can be used, not just for video games or toys, we’re planning for the future.” ~Marc Morial (politician) “I decided to be an inventor when I was five. My parents had given me a few various enrichment toys like erector sets, and for some reason I had the idea that if I put things together just the right way, I could create the intended effect.” ~Ray Kurzweil(inventor)

4. Favorite Games and Toys
What are you four favorite games and four favorite toys to play?
Identify the medium it is created with?
Player format?
Objective?
Rules?
Resources?
Theme?
What was your play experience?
What did you enjoy when playing the game?
What things do you like about the game?
Dislikes?

5. Edutainment Step 1: identify the Problem
Think about the quotes on the previous slide- what are these people trying to say?
What do they think about toys and games in general?
Could they have a bias, based on their occupations?
What do you think?
About toys or games?
About technology and its use with toys and games for young children?
About educational/enrichment toys and games?
About what kids can learn from toys and games?
What makes a toy or game “fun”?

6. Edutainment Step 2: Identify criteria and constraints
What kinds of limits or rules are there for designing or making a toy or game for young children?
BANNED
Lawn Darts
Gilbert Glass Blowing Kit
Sky Dancers
Atomic Energy Lab
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7. Edutainment Step 2: Identify criteria and constraints
Things to consider:
Cost
Size (not too small- can choke; not too big- small hands can’t hold onto things)
Weight
Material
Colors
What age is it appropriate for?
What does it teach?
Will kids want to play with it?
Is it safe?
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8. Edutainment Step 3: Brainstorm
Sketch, list, whatever- but come up with as many ideas as possible in the time given.
Remember the rules…
No criticism, positive or negative
Idea hitchhike
Get wild (with your ideas)
Go for quantity
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9. Edutainment Step 4: generate ideas
According to TIME magazine, here are some of the most influential toys from the past century
Have you ever played with these? What makes them fun?
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10. All-TIME 100 Greatest Toys
Radio Flyer Wagon
Chemistry Set
Joy Buzzer
Yo-Yo
Pop-Up Book

11. All-TIME 100 Greatest Toys
Stuffed Mickey Mouse
Finger Paint
Sock Monkey
Buck Rogers Rocket Pistol
Microscope Set
Beach Ball
Red Ryder BB Gun
Army Men
View-Master

12. All-TIME 100 Greatest Toys
Bubble Solution
Little Golden Books
Slinky
Magic 8 Ball
Legos

13. All-TIME 100 Greatest Toys
Water Balloon
Silly Putty
Fisher-Price Little People
Colorforms
Paint-by-Numbers Kit
Mr. Potato Head
Wiffle Ball
Matchbox Car
PEZ Dispenser
Gumby
Play-Doh
Tonka Truck
Fake Vomit
Frisbee
Corn Popper
Two-Handed Pogo Stick
Hula Hoop
Barbie
Troll Doll
Plarail Toy Train
Chatty Cathy

14. All-TIME 100 Greatest Toys
Etch A Sketch
Rock-a-Stack
Ken
Slip 'n Slide
Chatter Telephone
G.I. Joe
Easy-Bake Oven
Creepy Crawlers
Rock'em Sock'em Robots
Johnny Seven O.M.A.
See 'n Say
SuperBall
Barrel of Monkeys
Radio-Controlled Car
Lite-Brite
Hot Wheels
Playmobil
Flatsy Doll
Barbie's Dream House

15. All-TIME 100 Greatest Toys
NERF Ball
Weebles
Paddington Bear
Baby Alive
Shrinky Dinks
Magna Doodle
Rubik's Cube
Stretch Armstrong
Star Wars Action Figure
Mattel Classic Football
Simon
Speak & Spell
Star Trek Electronic Phasers

16. All-TIME 100 Greatest Toys
Cabbage Patch Kids
Polly Pocket
Slap Bracelet
Masters of the Universe Action Figure
Glo Worm
Care Bear
My Little Pony
Transformers
Teddy Ruxpin
Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine
Pound Puppy
Koosh Ball
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Skip-It
Glow Stick
Wrestling Buddy

17. All-TIME 100 Greatest Toys
Little Tikes Log Cabin
Little Tikes Cozy Coupe Car
Super Soaker
Beanie Baby
Buzz Lightyear
American Girl Doll
Tickle Me Elmo
Furby
Neodymium-Magnet Toy

18. All-TIME 100 Greatest Toys
Bratz
Mindflex
Zhu Zhu

19. Edutainment Step 4: generate ideas
If you could design a toy or game for a young child, what would you create?
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20. Edutainment - Game Design Terms
Thematic game elements: story, setting, characters
Gameplay elements: play sequence, level design, interface design
Game analysis: difficulty, balance, depth, pace, replay value, age appropriateness
Related terms: single-player vs. multiplayer, cooperative vs. competitive, turn-based vs. real-time, strategy vs. reflex vs. chance, abstract vs. thematic

21. intellectual property
a work or invention that is the result of creativity, such as a manuscript or a design, to which one has rights and for which one may apply for a patent, copyright, trademark, etc.

22. Edutainment Step 4: generate ideas
What were your favorite toys and games as a young child?
What were your favorite online games to play when you were younger?
Why did you like them?
What would you change about them?
What kinds of toys and games are popular now?
What kinds of toys and games do kids want?
What kinds of toys and games do parents want?
Identify 2-3 possible solutions and think them out- create orthographic and isometric drawings and other information to be shared with others

24. Edutainment Step 5: explore possibilities
Take a look at all of the ideas developed in step 4.
Share your ideas with others- sometimes it can be beneficial to get an opinion of a person outside your team. They may ask questions or see issues you had not considered.
What is good and bad about each design?
What parts of each design do you like?
Which design requirements are addressed through each design?
Which requirements are missing?
Can you actually make a model or prototype of the solution (for step 6)?

25. Edutainment Step 6: Select an approach
What ideas have you had that will work?
Create a solution that fills the requirements given
This may be one of the ideas created and analyzed in steps 4 and 5, or it may be a combination of those ideas with bits and pieces taken from a variety of designs

26. Edutainment Step 7: build a model or prototype
Make a full size or to-scale model or prototype of your design

27. Edutainment Step 8: refine
Use the model or prototype from step 7 to evaluate your design.
Does it work the way you intended?
What needs to be fixed/changed?
Are all of the design requirements being filled?
Identify any problems, and repeat the design process?

28. Edutainment: Present your Design
Be ready to explain how you filled each of the design requirements and solved the original identified problem.
Use this as an opportunity to show how your design meets the criteria in a unique, innovative way.
Presenting your idea can be done in many ways- videos, live demonstrations, posters, pamphlets - anything that lets you inform potential users about your product.