Grasshopper is an educational appcessory that seeks to reverse the stigma that is often associated with technology use among children. It aims to unlock the potential for technology to support learning and creativity through social, imaginative and active play.

 

There are strong indications that excessive technology use can be detrimental to learning and development in children. Technology is an immersive medium that can overwhelm a child's cognitive faculties, resulting in problems with attention, aggression, cognitive delay, and difficulties with self-regulation. As a result, technology is often seen as a negative influence. In a technology saturated world, this leaves parents conflicted about how to balance technology use with physical play.

In contrast to successful educational technology products on the market, Grasshopper aims to integrate these two elements. It demonstrates that technology can facilitate independent learning, social gameplay, physical engagement, and creativity in unison. 

 

Grasshopper was designed for children aged 2-6. It consists of four silicone tiles and a charging dock. The silicone tiles are sensor-enabled for interactive play. They are easy to clean and child friendly with no openings. The charging dock uses low-draw Bluetooth technology and inductive charging for convenience and long battery life.

 

Grasshopper works with both Apple and Android devices to serve as a platform for a range of activity-based games. The tiles can be set up in any formation, and used in combination with visual and audio outputs from smart devices to create an endless array of games and activities. The distinct shape and colour of each tile further supports flexibility in game design. In an example game, the tiles may be scattered around the backyard with audio cues to instruct the child to “swim to green” or “wriggle like a worm on yellow”.