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A new app from Toca Boca is always worth celebrating as a parent |
Parents and schools underestimate the importance of imagination and creativity. Apps can help to fix that, says Emil Ovemar of 'digital toy' company Toca Boca.
Toca Boca doesn't make apps, it makes "digital toys", says Emil Ovemar, one of the producers at the Swedish company behind such titles as Robot Lab, Hair Salon and Toca House.
"In the beginning we thought the characters should ask for a certain haircut," says Ovemar. "We came to the conclusion that we should just give children the tools to create whatever they want instead of giving them a specific goal. By giving them the tools and nudging them we awakened their own desire to be creative instead of setting goals and awakening possible frustration with their skills. This is the difference between games and toys."
Toca House lets children join in with a range of household chores, such as putting away groceries or cleaning the floor. Robot Lab is a mix-and-match robot builder; create your robot and then fly it through a maze, collecting stars as you go.
"We also believe that playing together is a beautiful and important part of life so therefore we try to design products so that even parents find interesting."
Of course, parents often worry that their children are spending too much time in front of screens, whether it's television, computers, tablets, smartphones or games consoles.
"I don't think the term screen time is relevant any more. It's not about the screen, it's about what you do with it. Watching video, playing videogames, reading a digital book or playing with a digital toy is not the same thing," says Mr Ovemars.
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