Playtime is a time when children interact with the world around them. Experts agree that play has a profound impact on childhood learning and advocate that schools incorporate a healthy playtime for children. With schools on lockdown and children at home, parents may be running out of ideas for playtime. The Google Assistant offers ways to sneak play into your child’s daily routine while they are at home.
Kids can interact with Google Assistant under the supervision of their parents or guardians. By using the Family Link app from Google, you can stay in the loop as your children explore on their devices. Here are a few ways to get Google Assistant to play with your kids.
Start with questions
There are so many questions your child can ask Google Assistant, just to get acquainted. While Google Assistant is known to answer a lot of voice command queries, it also has a very humorous side that makes it fun to talk to. Ask the Google Assistant: “Can you sing?”, “Do you have children?”, “What do you like to eat?”, “What are you wearing?” and “Can you beatbox?” for some family entertainment.
Play Games
With Google Assistant, you can get your kids to start playing fun games. Simply ask your assistant to show you game options for kids. For example, try out “Mad Libs” where they can start a word game. Other fun games include, “Santa Quiz: A Santa Trivia Game”, “Multiplication Test” ,“Peppa Pig quiz”, Disney Z”, “Kids Court”. “Ding Dong Coconut” and others. These games allow for learning while they are played.
Listen to a story
Let your Google Assistant tell your children stories. They can listen to interactive stories from a variety of story options like Frozen Stories where the kids join Elsa, Anna, Olaf and Kristoff around the campfire as they tell legends exploring the world of “Frozen 2”. There is also Strangest Day Ever, where children get to travel back in time or meet an a-‘moo’-sing alien and Smart StoryTeller that teaches moral lessons.
Get a riddle
Riddles during playtime can be so much fun for your kids. By asking the Google Assistant to tell you a riddle, you get a riddle and the answer follows. Riddles come up and you can always request one more to keep the fun going – like “What has a lot of keys but can’t open any doors?”, “What’s harder to catch the faster you run?” or “What two days start with T, other than Tuesday and Thursday?”
Get interesting facts
By asking the Google Assistant to share an interesting fact, you immediately get one. Like the fact that camels do not store water in their humps, though many people think so; that the national anthem of Greece is the longest national anthem in the world; or that strawberries are not actually berries but bananas and tomatoes are. The interesting facts from Google Assistant can be a really fun way of learning new things.