“With Pokémon Sleep, you can turn your sleep into entertainment!”. This is how the Pokémon Company advertises its new game – with success. The Google Play Store has recorded more than 5 million app downloads since its release in July 2023. The catch: the app accompanies children and young people to bed and collects sensitive health data in the process.
Pokémon Sleep is an app that embeds human sleep in a gaming experience. Players have to help Professor Neroli with sleep research on an adventure island and work together with the Pokémon Relaxo. The app records noises and movements during the night and uses the data collected to create a sleep log. The longer users sleep, the higher their score the next morning and the more new Pokémon appear around Relaxo. Sleep is divided into three types: Semi-sleep, light sleep or deep sleep. In the morning, Pokémon appear that sleep in a similar way. During the day, players can explore sleeping poses, feed the Pokémon and carry out other game activities. The aim is to record as much sleep as possible and thus collect many different Pokémon and poses. The app is also compatible with Pokémon GO Plus, which is the gadget for the game Pokémon GO.
Whether as playing cards, a TV series or a video game – many children and young people grow up with Pokémon and love the little monsters. Pokémon is aimed at young people’s passion for collecting. With Pokémon Sleep, players can get new Pokémons and take care of them without much effort. Getting information about sleep behavior appeals to young people’s love of discovery. Tasks from the friendly Professor Neroli and rewards such as bonus cookies make children and young people want to spend time in the game world with the Pokémons.
Consumer protection warns that Pokémon Sleep monitors the sleeping behavior of children and young people and that the game concept can encourage addictive behavior:
In this test, the data protection website mobilsicher.de proved that the app sends data to advertisers. The audio recordings are saved locally and deleted after 24 hours. However, users’ sleep profiles are stored on company servers. The Pokémon Company states that it does not sell sensitive data of minors for advertising purposes. It is not possible for minors to link their accounts with those of friends. The provider advises you to switch off the audio recording function to save data.
Protect your child’s privacy online and avoid data-hungry apps such as Pokémon Sleep. Younger children in particular can be very absorbed by this game directly before and after sleep, but also during the day. Children are not yet able to assess the implications of sleep monitoring in connection with digital currency.
If your child is older and really wants to use the app, please note the following information:
Media use doesn’t have to mean just sitting quietly in front of the TV or wiping away spellbound on a tablet. Media can do so much more! With them, children and also adults can get creative, learn new things and experience something together. Small media projects can be implemented with children of kindergarten and elementary school age without much time or technical effort.
A conscious and healthy approach to media is important for living well in our digitalized world. Media projects contribute to this by promoting media literacy – not only in your child, but also in you. Your child will learn to use media in different ways. With them, children can be creative and express themselves. They learn to use it as a tool. In media projects that don’t have to be purely digital, children learn in a very practical way how media work. Sometimes children understand better than adults how something works and so they can teach you too. Media projects are teamwork, which is why they also promote social learning. And last but not least, everyone can have fun together and be proud of a small media product at the end.
Every smartphone has a digital camera, which is why most parents always have them with them. So it’s not at all costly to do a little photo project in between. Your child learns to look closely and can discover details in its environment. When it looks through the display itself, it perceives the world differently than when it stands in front of the camera. When taking photos, your child learns how to use media technology independently for the first time: Where is the shutter release? How should the camera or smartphone be held? etc. In photo projects, you can also get creative together by finding very special photo clippings or subjects, or making collages out of photos. Stories can also be told with photos.
We describe two photo projects in detail – in our article Making media yourself – On the road with the photo camera. At knipsclub, kids can upload their photos and share them with others.
For kids aged four and up who love storytelling, we recommend the app Puppet Pals (free, iOS only). Think together a little story incl. texts and act them out on the tablet, on a virtual stage. In the app there are different backgrounds and figures for this. The figures are simply moved with the finger on the screen. When your child speaks to it, the character can also say something. If the record button is pressed at the beginning of the game, the scene and your game will be filmed. At the end you can look at the work together. Learn more about the app in our tool description.
Have you been on safari with your child? You don’t have to travel to Africa to do this. Even a walk in the woods or in the park around the corner lets you explore exciting things – and only with your ears! If you or your child hears a particular sound, try recording it on your smartphone using the dictation app. At home you can listen to all the recorded sounds. Do you remember what was what? Such a listening walk trains the ability to listen carefully and to concentrate on something. If your child records the sounds themselves with a smartphone, listening pen or similar, they will also learn how to use media technology. The project is suitable for children from 2 to 3 years.
In our article Listening projects with children you will find even more ideas for media projects around listening. By the way, if your child likes to listen to audio games, you can make your own audio game box together from a few things for your smartphone. Our instructions explain how this works.
Producing your own animated film is a little more involved. But also the is child’s play thanks to apps such as Stop Motion Studio and iStopMotion. All you need is a smartphone or tablet and a few game pieces. Read more in our tutorial Making media yourself – animated films and stop motion.
Good teamwork is especially important in a film project like this. Your child can get creative by making up stories or crafting the movie set. It also learns about the tricks used in film and television and that not everything is as it appears on screen. If your child feels like it, he or she can even publish the film, for example on the safe children’s platform JUKI.
Media projects can be a wonderful community experience for the whole family. Dare – because it’s usually not that time-consuming. Once you have more practice, you can tackle larger projects together. Have fun and success!
It is important that you accompany your child into elementary school age when using media, whether creatively and productively or for relaxation. This is the only way it can learn from you and turn to you with questions.
Every year at the end of August it’s time for Gamescom, one of the biggest trade fairs for digital games ever. Prizes are also awarded for the best and most popular games at this event. Digital games are an integral part of everyday life for many children and young people. But which games do they like to play the most? We have compiled a small list of the most popular games.
Minecraft is a kind of Lego for the computer or tablet, in which virtual building blocks are used to create your own world with creativity and skill. In the so-called survival mode, the player must try to survive and fights against monsters. In Minecraft, worlds can be created together with others. The online game is particularly popular with 12- to 15-year-olds. You can read more in our Minecraft tool description.
The game, which was released in 2017, is still as popular as it was when it first launched, especially among the 12- to 15-year-old age group. Fortnite is a so-called battle royale game in which players fight against each other. There are several game variants: In the paid mode “Save The World” you have to build a fortress with other players to protect the last human survivors from zombies. Much better known and more popular is the free variant “Fortnite Battle Royale”, in which the goal is to kill all fellow players in order to survive. More about this in our tool description for the game.
The game can only be played on a Nintendo Switch and is part of a simulation game series. New Horizons is about exploring and building on an uninhabited island. You can also visit the islands of friends. The game has a childlike design and is recommended for ages 6 and up. Teenagers and young adults also like to play it. Read more at spielbar.de.
FIFA is the best-known series of soccer video games – as popular with young people as it is with adults. A new version has been published annually since 1993. Teams and their current (male) soccer players from real soccer leagues can be used or your own can be compiled. It has no age restriction and is recommended for ages 8 and up. Learn more about it in our tool description.
Cyberpunk 2077 is a role-playing game and so-called shooter. The gamer moves in the role of the main character, as former soldier V, in a gloomy future world and has to fulfill criminal missions. The game has a USK rating from 18 years. But it is still played by young people. Read more about the game on spielbar.de and about age restrictions for games on the Parents’ Guide.
The action and racing game, which is played alone in story mode or together with friends, is a perennial favorite among games and especially popular with older teenagers. GTA V (5) is the latest version of the popular game series. The player slips into the role of a criminal and must complete missions and tasks in a fictional city. This game also has a USK rating from 18. You can learn more about the game in our tool description.
Valhalla is the last part of the Assassin’s Creed game series. The action-adventure video game follows a Viking who has to complete a main task and do small subtasks on the side. Even though this game is not released for teenagers with a USK 18, their interest in it will be e.g. on Twitch or via Let’s Plays aroused. Read more in the game review from spielbar.de.
Call of Duty is also a popular game series that has been successful for many years. Especially older teenagers from 16 years old like this game.
Call of Duty
is a first-person shooter that is also available as a free mobile version. The player fights as a soldier against others or in a virtual war against aliens at breakneck speed. The goal is to destroy the enemies by force of arms. With a USK rating from 18, this game is also not suitable for younger children due to the depiction of violence – see the tool description.
A good overview of games popular with children and young people is also provided by the brochure “Level 30 – Digitale Spiele pädagogisch beurteilt“.
The Corona crisis led to the game Among Us experiencing a boom. It is not a game that you play alone for yourself, it only works in a group. The exchange via audio chat plays an important role. Communication in the group makes the game fun and exciting.
The gameplay of Among Us is familiar from party games like Werewolves or Zombies: a group of people has to defend themselves against one or more traitors and survive. At the beginning of a game round, each person is randomly assigned a certain role: In Among Us, this is either Crewmate or Impostor.
The crew of a spaceship must make repairs – in the form of small game-like tasks – to be able to fly again. The cheat or cheats among them (with ten players, there can be up to three) sabotage the crew’s efforts and kill individual crew members one by one. The crew can call meetings to find out who the Impostors are. Suspects can be voted out and must leave the spaceship rudely. Either the crew has won if they have unmasked the cheaters or completed all the tasks. Or the Impostor win if most of the crewmates were killed.
The operation of the game is simple. If you play via PC with mouse it is easier to move your avatar.
There are different maps (or spaceships) to play on. A game round lasts no more than half an hour. Each game can be customized by settings in the difficulty level by the so-called host.
Since sharing about possible impostors is an essential element, communication is done through a channel such as video chat.
A detailed insight into the game can be found in the video from the game guide NRW.
Among Us works on a simple and well-known game principle: good versus evil. This is especially popular with children because it is easy to understand. In addition, the lovingly colorful design and fantastic game world on a spaceship. The custom avatars are cute game characters that can be customized. The tasks to be fulfilled are like small games in the game and mostly easy to solve. But the whole game can only be won together. Thus, the game is a joint activity and therefore entertaining not only for children and teenagers.
The game is only available in English. The language of the game is not crucial to be able to play it. However, it is easier to know English to understand everything and find your way around the spaceship. Especially for younger school children this could be difficult.
The graphics are colorful and the action on a spaceship is unrealistic, but still other characters get killed. The graphic depiction of these murders can be frightening to younger children.
If you are an Impostor at the beginning of a game round, you must remain unsuspicious the entire time. For some players this is very exciting and therefore also exhausting. In the conversations during the game, the cheater is forced to lie. So he or she has to lie to their own friends. This can certainly lead to arguments in some groups if the game is taken too seriously.
It is also possible to play Among Us with strangers by searching “public games”. Here children can come into contact with strangers. Read more about the associated risks in our article on communication in online games.
Via in-app purchases, the player’s own character can be equipped with exclusive accessories for money.
Among Us comes from the American independent game company Innersloth. On their website you can find information about data protection and privacy – but only in English. When starting a private game, the server through which the game is played can be selected (Europe, Asia, North America).
Among Us can be played anonymously: It is not necessary to create a profile and no personal information such as full name or email address needs to be provided.
Children over the age of ten should be able to distinguish well between reality and a made-up story. In addition, they can already discuss with each other from this age. As a parent, you are in the best position to assess how your child behaves in groups and conflict situations. The game can promote social skills such as discussing in a playful way. Also, consider whether your child can handle the tension and excitement of such a game. It is best to test it out yourself in advance.
The English language can be both challenging and motivating for children to learn. Support your child by playing the first rounds together.
The possible in-app purchases to equip your own avatar are not game-changing. Discuss such things with your child. You can learn more about this in our article on in-app purchases. If your child is older and already plays Among Us, Handysektor will give him tips on how to play.
Challenges are a favorite format of kids and teens – online and offline. If you spend a lot of time at home, you can play so-called media challenges with the whole family.
You can read about what exactly lies behind the Internet phenomenon of challenges in our article on the subject. Challenges don’t necessarily have to take place only online. It’s also fun to play them at home. Especially when the whole family is home a lot due to Corona, challenges can be a nice way to spend time together.
In the Top Photo Challenge all family members take photos with their smartphones and/or cameras throughout the day. In the evening, everyone picks their favorite pictures of the day and they all look at them together. The best images can then be captured in a photo collage, for example. Thus, in addition to beautiful photos, a great memory of the time together remains.
A challenge for all generations is the Re-enactment Challenge . This involves recreating photos that, for example, parents and grandpa still have from their childhood. The children try to imitate the photos with their smartphones. This includes finding matching items and clothing. Conversely, the older ones can recreate photos of the younger ones. Who manages to imitate a photo the best?
At the Game-Challenge is about video or computer games: Each family member chooses a game that has a special meaning for him or her. She or explain to the other family members why the game is so great. Afterwards, everyone can try it out together. This challenge can take place over several days or weeks, when a different game is introduced and played each time. Of course, you can also introduce board and card games.
In the Quiz Challenge the question is “Who will be the new quiz master in the family?” Apps such as Kahoot! or Actionbound make it easy to create your own quiz on your smartphone or tablet. Anyone can develop their own quiz questions. One also additionally set tasks. It’s guaranteed not to get boring!
In the Clip Challenge, a video must be shot under time pressure. Each family member has one hour to create an exciting 30-second clip. The clip can be about a specific topic or message. You can also use it to capture moments at home, such as “On the hunt for clues: Who ate the yogurt?”. As in an online report, the clip should be fast and exciting cut. You can do this with iMovie for Apple devices or Power Director for Android devices, for example.
Of course, not everyone in the family has their own smartphone, tablet or laptop. Challenges are also fun without a lot of technology and can be done with just one device. For example, you can take turns with a smartphone. Or each member of the family may use the device on one day and at the end of the week the results are compiled. Have fun playing!
Harry Potter fans take note: With this mobile game, you’ll land right in the world of the young wizard and his friends.
As the name suggests, the game app takes you on a journey into the world of Harry Potter. Due to an accident, magical creatures and enchanted objects are everywhere in the real world. Players must find these and bring them from the human Muggle world back to the Wizarding World. As with the app Pokémon GO, game and reality become one when using the augmented reality mode. The enchanted persons and objects are virtually inserted into the camera image. So, to find potion ingredients and other magical things, you have to go exploring outside and team up with other players. There is fighting and magic in so-called arenas against and with each other.
For Harry Potter fans, it’s a great idea to immerse themselves in the universe of Hogwarts and co. The app makes this possible, so to speak. You constantly discover familiar characters and objects from the wizard’s stories.
The augmented reality principle makes the fun even greater. The game can be compared to a modern digital scavenger hunt. Alone or together with friends, you can always pull out your phone on a walk or on the way to the grandparents or sports club and hold it in front of you with the camera on to find the magical things. Besides, you can always evolve and increase your level of magic, just like Harry Potter did.
The atmosphere in the game is very gloomy. Some of the players fight against creepy magical creatures like witches and vampires. This can be frightening, especially for younger children.
It can happen that while playing, the user does not pay proper attention to the road traffic, as his eyes are always focused on the cell phone display. There could be enchanted creatures hiding everywhere! The game can also tempt you to go to unknown places alone or to run at night . Since the game is constantly evolving with new content, it virtually never ends. Therefore, the app tempts you to want to play on and on.
After a while, the temptation becomes great to get further faster in the game through in-app purchases. Also, the app has a very high data consumption.
On the official website of the manufacturer, there are only links to the data protection and the instructions for use. You will be directed to the respective pages of https://policies.warnerbros.com, where you can read the information in English. By using the app, you grant the providers many rights.
Is your child in the middle of Harry Potter fever and desperate to play the app? Here you are faced with the task of assessing whether your child is aware of the risks and issues raised and is old enough to deal with the somber atmosphere. In addition to data protection issues (especially constant location tracking), this includes whether your child already understands the principle of “augmented reality”. Talk to your child about all of this before exploring the game together.
Agree together on rules for game length, allowed game radius, and in-app purchases. Do not let your child go off on his or her own. Perhaps you will also take a walk together with friends families in search of magical creatures?
Last but not least, always download only the original app (from Niantic). Third-party apps are often infected with malware.
Would your son rather spend hours fighting Fortnite monsters than learning vocabulary? Or is your daughter intensively building a city in Minecraft and forgetting her math homework? Of course, playing is often more fun than learning. To increase motivation, more and more learning material in education is therefore being taught in a playful and digital way.
Gamification involves transferring principles – such as competition and reward – from games to other contexts that actually have nothing to do with games – such as education. Linking learning material to a story is also referred to as learning through play.
So when your child reaches level five in vocabulary learning or cracks the class high score in mental arithmetic and receives a sticker as a prize for it, these are typical examples of gamification.
Gamification can make learning more effective. This is because students learn with less pressure and anxiety, while creative skills are released. In addition, they are better able to memorize learning material, as it is often conveyed much more vividly.
When it comes to learning through play with digital media, students’ motivation increases when they learn with a computer and tablet and the learning software is more reminiscent of an animated computer game than dull physics homework.
Many schools are therefore using more and more digital games and apps in the classroom. Whether it’s building cities with Minecraft in geography class, playing digital scavenger hunts with Actionbound in history, or creating an explainer film in German class. However, many schools lack appropriate equipment, software and accompaniment. Digital, game-based learning can therefore also take place from home.
Scoyo is a learning platform where learning takes place rather incidentally: Your child can practice math together with the math pirates on the math planet and translate words and sentences on the vocabulary island with a soccer team to kick the ball into the goal. Points are awarded for the correct solution, which can then be redeemed for a bicycle or new sports shoes for the avatar. The material is adapted to grade level, school type and state. An alternative offering is available at sofatutor.com. Both are also available as an app. Many apps for younger children also work on the principle, so that letters or numbers are learned in the form of a game.
You might think that textbooks and vocabulary cards will soon be irrelevant. But analog learning remains important and should not be completely replaced: For example, people read very differently on paper than on a screen. And handwriting vocabulary is probably still the best way to memorize the correct spelling.
