Discovering How Wildlife Moves

Rachel enjoyed the idea of starting as the smallest of creatures, the flea in the game Fe, but slowly gaining more powers by getting to know all the other animals.

She was particularly taken with how you would sing to the creatures you meet to understand them and gain new abilities. This led to her watching wildlife documentaries, but not so much for the information they offered but because she could hear and try and replicate the animal sounds.

Knowledge

Animal Communication

TRANSFORMATION

Rachel learned about how different animals communicate, both in the game and in the documentaries she watched.

Activities: Rachel found that the following related activities worked alongside playing Fe:

Blue Planet

FILMS AND SERIES

Loving Small Creatures

Rachel watched (and helped a little) while I played Pikmin. She would tell me what to get the tiny "Pinksects" (as she would call them) to do and loved the idea that we had an army of tiny creatures at our command.

Disposition

Insect Confidence

TRANSFORMATION

Rachel went from being a little scared of bugs and insects, to really loving them.

Activities: Rachel found that the following related activities worked alongside playing Pikmin 3:

How To Make Bee Hotel

YOUTUBE

Made a Bee Hotel

MAKING AND DESIGNING

First Steps In Identification

Rachel was initially reluctant to play Alba as she thought it would be too hard for her. However, the combination of using sound to track down the birds, along with the simple controls and story meant that she was soon on board.

Knowledge

Bird Identification

TRANSFORMATION

Rachel learned a large number of birds from the game, which she extended by researching which birds existed in the UK, where she lived.

The Feeling Of Being A Bird

Rachel wanted to "feel the flying" for herself. This manifested in a number of playground games and a few warnings about jumping off walls. We steered her towards feeling the flying in a few video games. Feather was the one that stuck.

Behaviour

Initiated Playground Flying Games

TRANSFORMATION

Rachel loved the feeling of flying in the game and translated that to a range of running (arms out) playground games.

Activities: Rachel found that the following related activities worked alongside playing Feather:

Fly and Chase Game

PLAY OUTSIDE

Understanding Habitats

We played Wingspan as a family. It's a game where you create flocks of birds by attracting them to your network of wildlife preserves. Along with having some fun together, it revisited the theme of how birds need specific habitats to survive, and how this can be under threat.

Skill

Rachel developed her understanding of which birds live in our garden and which we may see on walks in the woods.

TRANSFORMATION

Rachel developed her understanding of which birds live in our garden and which we may see on walks in the woods.

Activities: Rachel found that the following related activities worked alongside playing Wingspan:

RSPB What's That Bird

READING

Walk To Valley Park

TRIP

Collaborating With Nature

Rachel was fascinated by sim games for a while. After playing through games like Sim City she didn't like how you had to work against the environment to thrive. We introduced her to Terra Nil after a friend suggested it.

She was instantly fascinated by the idea that in this game you are working to bring back the wild, not by becoming absent from the planet but by introducing green energy and reinvigorating nature.

Society

Rachel discovered a desire to change the way society thinks about the environment.

TRANSFORMATION

Rachel discovered a desire to change the way society thinks about the environment.

Activities: Rachel found that the following related activities worked alongside playing Terra Nil:

Eden Project

TRIP

Overpopulation - The Human Explosion Explained

YOUTUBE