Angry Birds is a cultural phenomenon that has earned itself fans young and old thanks to its simple yet charming mobile games. Now the Finnish developer behind the series wants to do what any popular game franchise does once it builds up an audience – edutainment.
The Washington Post reports that Rovio is developing a new education system based around Angry Birds called Angry Birds Playground. The program is based upon the Finnish kindergarten curriculum that teaches children through free play and experimentation. Angry Birds Playground adds a bit more structure to the mix through the use of technology.
Here’s how Rovio describes the program:
The subject matter and skills to be learned are presented in a playful and exciting way. Children will be encouraged to get actively involved in the learning process while having plenty of fun at the same time. The Angry Birds Playground enables kids to learn in a creative, multifaceted way – making the best of technology-enriched learning environments, as well as learning opportunities within and beyond the classroom. Children will have access to Angry Birds learning materials such as activity books, toys, physical games, educational posters, mobile math, reference books, a five string instrument, game cards and physical activity games on an interactive whiteboard.
At the moment, Rovio is training teachers in three Chinese cities how to use Angry Birds Playground, but it will undoubtedly expand sooner rather than later. After all, teachers are always looking for new ways to educate children. With Angry Birds on their side, children might stay engaged enough to actually learn something. There’s also the matter of the Finnish kindergarten curriculum being one of the best in the world and you have a recipe for success.
This isn’t the first time Rovio has used its Angry Birds characters to educate children. In 2012, Rovio partnered with NASA on a few levels in Angry Birds Space that saw the piggies stealing the Mars Rover Curiosity. As players completed levels to take the rover back, they would learn about Mars and NASA’s mission on the red planet. Angry Birds Playground is decidedly more focused on educating children, but it’s already been proven that Rovio knows how to craft fun experiences that can also be educational.
We can only hope that it’s nothing like the last time a popular game character tried to break into the edutainment scene:
Image via Rovio