Playful activities in family

A play based methodology results in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, where time passes quickly and the ego is diluted. Well-being is fundamental to all learning, and play is one of the best ways to facilitate it.

One of the main risks of the use of technologies by young people is isolation from their families. Young people have a window open to the outside world where information of all kinds can come in and out, while they are in a room with the door closed.

Whether it is a metaphorical or a real door, it is a problem. Young people are very vulnerable and need the support of adults who can educate them about using technologies responsibly, efficiently and without risks to their emotional health.

This is why family activities within this context are particularly appropriate. The conversations, queries, debates or discussions that may arise from them will help to facilitate family communication, identify where each young person is most vulnerable, and create a routine of dialogue between parents or grandparents and their children.

Approaches

The methodology is based on a mix of approaches:

1. 1. Experiential learning and learning by doing
   2. Bite-sized learning

1. 1. Experiential learning and learning by doing approaches will be used in order to place the parents and children at the center of the learning, making them active actors of the learning.The methodology will be based on David Kolb's experiential learning model.I.    Concrete experience.  The parents and children will read together the instructions of the challenge / step-by-step guidelines.
      II.    Reflection observation. Guiding questions to encourage reflections during and after the experience.
      III.    Conceptualization - Guiding questions to reach conclusions.
      IV.    Active experimentation. Suggestions on how to implement the
      learning in future real-life situations.

The "5 Questions" model can be used:

• • Did you notice?
  • Why did that happen?
  • Does that happen in life?
  • Why does that happen?
  • How can you use that?

2. Bite-sized learning

Teaching by means of bite-sized learning tools is related to the trend of microlearning, which is an emergent informal learning strategy intended to quickly close gaps in knowledge and skills, in the context of completing a task. The BSL tools and microlearning have emerged to adapt to the lifestyles and rhythm of life in modern society.

Each Bite sized tool created will contain a small piece of content and will focus on one  learning objective only, as it is intended to reflect a single concept or idea by means of a  range of sources such as: varied media format ranging from a YouTube video to a Wikipedia entry, blogs, wikis, video courses and lessons, tutorials, infographics, TEDTalks, Slideshare presentations and other  Open Educational Resources (OER) collected from the Internet. Some will also be worksheets, real-life examples and step-by-step guidelines.

The Bite sized tools will engage learners in self-paced learning activities to find immediate answers to questions that arise in completing a task such as “how does this work?”, or “what does this mean?”, or “who said that?”.

This guide aims to provide some practical activities to do as a family to help detect the problems faced by our children and grandchildren and to enable us to establish a channel of communication with them so that they trust us.

All the activities have been designed to be entertaining and playful for young people, so that they can learn at home in a relaxed, family atmosphere. They are practical and short so that they do not tire the children and can be adapted to the interests, age and level of knowledge of each one of them. The activities do not require physical resources beyond the use of a computer, paper, pen and some objects that can be easily found in a home.

We have classified the activities into four main themes:

Moral Dilemmas in the Contemporary World

Informed decisions

Misinformation and disinformation

Safety and privacy

These tips are a guideline for parents and grandparents. The effectiveness of the tips will vary depending on the family context and previous experience in carrying out activities involving the members of the family group.

Although the following tips are oriented to the structure of the activities in this document, they are applicable to any self-paced learning activity or family learning activity.

1- It is important that parents and grandparents read about the activities before starting

In order to carry out any activity, it is important that the adult assumes responsibility for the learning and prepares the activity. Reading about the activities beforehand and trying to resolve any doubts that may arise will improve the fluidity and quality of the activity when it is put into practice.

 2-Make sure you have all the necessary materials to carry out the activity.

Another important aspect of preparing the activities after pre-reading is to make sure you have all the necessary materials.

3-Provide an environment that is conducive to learning and minimises distractions.

A supportive environment will be critical to both the motivation for and the success of an activity.

4-Explain clearly to the rest of the family members what the activity is, what its objectives are and the estimated time needed to complete it.

It is important that everyone who participates in the activity understands the activity, and if necessary, take time to clarify any doubts that may arise before the activity.

5- Don't teach, help them understand.

True knowledge comes from within. To learn something, we must first understand it. If we can also relate new knowledge to facts we already know, learning becomes much more meaningful and useful. Help your child to understand so that he or she can apply what he or she learns.

6- Once the activity has been carried out, evaluate its implementation.

An important part of the implementation of activities is their subsequent evaluation. This is still valid when it comes to family learning and will help to improve future implementations of activities.

To get feedback from the other people who have done the activity you can use simple questions such as: did they like it, what would they change, what parts surprised them?

Once the feedback has been obtained, spend some time reflecting on how the activity was carried out and what you would like to improve for future activities.

We have classified the activities into four main themes. Click on the one you are interested in to download the activities for free.

Moral Dilemmas in the Contemporary World

Informed decisions

Misinformation and disinformation

Safety and privacy