Beck and Bo is designed to inspire your child to build beautiful animated pictures while they play, discover and get absorbed in the joy of creating. Just when your kids think they have explored every aspect of each of the twelve thematic areas, another surprise appears.
Start the app by choosing from one of twelve wiggling stickers. You might want to go on a jungle adventure, jump on your scooter and tour the city or go grocery shopping, filling your cart with healthy foods. Each area you enter is filled with engaging objects and vocabulary which lead kids to get absorbed in each creative adventure. After finishing each theme, kids will find that each object they placed in the scene is part of their very own lightly-interactive vocabulary scrapbook.
Beck and Bo provide a type of creative play that is ideal for problem solving with your child. Each scene offers an opportunity for parents to bring real-life scenarios into the story line. Together, with the help of Beck and Bo, talk through problems and brainstorm solutions.
Creative play is more than just playing house or having a tea party. When you encourage your children to engage in playtime, you’re helping your child build essential learning skills. Some of these learning skills include (social interaction, decision making, leadership, imagination, independence, confidence, resilience, creativity). Children are curious and will initiate play no matter what the situation, but quality playtime includes a healthy mixture of structured activities, independent play, creative play and age-appropriate interaction.
Activity 1: Storytelling Cubes
You can spend $20 on a pack of story cubes or start making your own!
What You’ll Need:
• Plain small cube blocks or small flat stones.
• Marker.
On each side of the cube or stones draw stick characters (don’t forget to make your family members), settings, objects and so on. If you are drawing challenged (like some of our KinderTown team) print out some images from the computer and tape them on the cube or rocks.
Take turns rolling and creating your story. If you are using the stones, drop a couple out of your hand and tell a story using all the drawings you see on the stones.
Activity 2: Box Fort & Theater
Our family has a preference for transforming a box fort into a theater stage. These pictures are from our Christmas morning. Amazing how moving boxes and packing tape were the biggest hit.
I used a whiteboard to first write down characters, setting, plot, problem and solution generated by the “cast” of kids. Trying to keep small children, fathers and grandfathers focused on previous decisions proved difficult. Just warning you incase you have an extremely creative and energetic family.
Need some more inspiration? Here is a unique fort idea, featured on DIY.org this week, using leftover newspapers.
Christmas Apps and Activities for Kids