Let’s Learn About Augmented Reality!
Suitable for 4 to 6 years old
Augmented Reality (AR) “augments” your experience of the world around you. Augment means "to add". Virtual objects are added to our environment. AR combines our real world with the virtual world to make our reality better and more interesting!
Activity: Animals Come Alive!
Materials Needed
- "ABC Animals, Alphabet in Motion" book by Sarina Simon (see "Book Recommendations")
- A digital device
- The "ABC Animals AR" app by North South Studios, available free on IOS and Android
How to Play
Use the app alongside the book, and discover adorable animals with your child, while helping them learn the alphabet! Read the book aloud with your child and ask them the questions on the page related to each letter and animal. Then, point your device at the photographs in the book and watch as the still images on the page magically transform into motion videos, revealing the answers to the questions asked.
Parents Pro Tip
Read the books below with your child one time first without using the AR apps. Let them get familiar with the characters and the storyline before introducing the app to them. They might get too distracted with the app by then to focus on the story! This will also allow them to fully appreciate how the added use of AR elevates their reading experience.
Stories Come Alive!
Materials Needed
- Arbi and the Fire Breathing Dragon" by Iker Burguera (see "Book Recommendations")
- A digital device
- The “Arbi Augmented Reality” app by Educa Reality, available free on IOS and Android
How to Play
Read the book with your child while using the app. Not only will you be able to watch the story come alive on your device, but you will also get to answer pop quiz questions too!
Encourage your child to get curious and interact freely with the 3D elements in the book. Play around with the camera angles. Zoom in and zoom out. Fold and rotate the pages. Tilt the book back and forth. The possibilities are endless!
You can even do a fun photoshoot with your child! Take some photos of your child posing with some of the AR animations. Let them express themselves and get creative with the poses!
Click to Download: Activity Sheet for Stories Come Alive!
Parent's Pro Tip
Take some time to introduce the app to your child first and walk them through how they can use it. You can be the one using it initially for the first few pages of the book before letting them have a go later once they have observed you do so.
Let's Watch
What is Augmented Reality and How Does it Work? | Mashable Explains (2:21 mins)
A short and entertaining video explaining what Augmented Reality actually is and providing us with real life examples of the use of AR today.
Let's Read
Rainy Weather: A 4D Book
Author: Sally Lee
Publisher:North Mankato, Minnesota: Pebble, a Capstone imprint, 2018
Curious Pearl Tinkers with Simple Machines
Author:Eric Braun
Publisher:North Mankato, Minnesota: Picture Window Books, 2019
ABC Animals: Alphabet in Motion
Author:Sarina Simon
Publisher: Los Angeles, California : NorthSouth Studios LLC, 2016
Arbi and the Fire Breathing Dragon
Author:Iker Burguera
Publisher:United States : CreateSpace, 2015
Arbi and the Treasure Chest
Author: Iker Burguera
Publisher: United States: Createspace, 2016
Dragons Come to Life!
Author:Emily Stead
Publisher:London: Carlton Books Limited, 2017
All book covers are copyright of the respective publishing companies.