Gracie & Friends AR Adventures 1.0

AR Adventures offers an engaging platform where children can immerse themselves in a farm environment and explore a fair, all from the comfort of their own space while simultaneously developing spatial thinking skills. Utilizing augmented reality (AR) technology, the app seamlessly integrates vibrant characters and scenes into the child’s real-world environment. Players are invited to navigate through a virtual farm to engage in activities such as apple picking and animal feeding, as well as visiting fair rides to collect stickers and complete maps. This interactive experience is aligned with early math learning trajectories, particularly in enhancing children's understanding of spatial relationships and map usage.

Features:

• Two augmented reality adventures
• 2D maps for exploration and creation
• Charming barnyard animals
• Engaging fair rides
• Alignment with research-based early math learning trajectories
• No cost, with no in-app purchases
• No advertising present
• No collection of personal or tracking data

The app effectively provides diverse opportunities for children to hone their spatial thinking abilities—an essential component of early mathematical understanding. Activities within the app help children navigate, read maps and diagrams, and follow directions, all crucial for reconstructing their surroundings.

Learning Goals:

• Grasp spatial relationships while employing vocabulary such as 'in front of', 'next to', and 'between'
• Utilize maps and diagrams for planning, describing, and navigating paths
• Connect theoretical maps to actual locations or objects in their environment

This app is part of the Early Math with Gracie & Friends® curriculum supplement, designed for preschool environments. AR Adventures was developed through a research initiative aimed at evaluating how augmented reality can effectively support spatial learning in young children.

About First 8 Studios @ GBH Kids:

With decades of experience in children's educational media, GBH Kids continues to innovate through First 8 Studios. This division focuses on creating digital experiences that foster healthy development for children aged birth to eight. Central to this mission is a commitment to research-informed design and collaboration with educators and children, ensuring that each Gracie & Friends® experience reflects their insights.

Privacy Commitment:

First 8 Studios @ WGBH prioritizes child safety by ensuring that no analytics or personally identifiable information is collected within this app. For a comprehensive view of our Privacy Policy, please visit: our Privacy Policy page.

Copyright Notice:

The Early Math with Gracie & Friends® program, along with its characters and related materials, is trademarked by First 8 Studios @ GBH Kids. All rights reserved © 2023 WGBH Educational Foundation.

This app is produced by GBH Kids supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DRL-2048883. The content reflects the authors' views and not necessarily those of the National Science Foundation.